Cottonwood is a quaint oasis in the desert. It’s home to many unique attractions that will leave you amazed.
Jerome is a historic mining town full of character. You’ll find it located just outside the north entrance to Cottonwood in Kaibab National Forest. This National Historic Landmark has been revitalized over the years and now offers a variety of restaurants, bars, shops, and galleries. It’s also home to the world’s largest open pit copper mine that dates back to 1878!
Located in Jerome, a former mining town that’s now been converted into a ghost town, Jerome State Historic Park is home to a former insane asylum. Built in 1876, when more than half of the state’s population was foreign-born, it was designed to be self-sufficient, and its residents were never allowed to leave. The building has been vacant for decades, and there are no signs that anyone lives there now—but it’s still an eerie place to visit.
Before you go: You can take a guided tour of this historic site (tours are offered daily in the summer). To learn more about Jerome State Historical Park or other attractions nearby, check out Cottonwood’s official tourism website here.
There is much to do in Page Springs Cellars, a winery that has been established in 1969. This area is known for its wine and olive oil tasting, but it’s also home to many vineyards. Some of these include Page Springs Vineyard, Pomegranate Farms, and Verde Canyon Railroad.
The winery offers an array of delicious wines that you can sample with their guided tours. The tours take place every day except Mondays and Thursdays during the winter months.
If it’s olives rather than grapes you’re after, then head over to Pomegranate Farm, which has been producing delicious olives since 1945! They have free tastings all year round along with their own brandy made from locally grown fruit/olives, which makes for an excellent souvenir or gift idea if visiting friends back home should ask where this special bottle came from!
If you’re in Old Town Cottonwood and want to get a feel for the history of the town, then check out the tunnels. It’s a great way to see how things used to be done back when they were first built.
The tunnels are dark, and you need to bring a flashlight! They are not open all year round, so check their website before visiting them.
If you’re looking for a place that feels like an old mining town, Clarkdale is the perfect spot. You might not expect to find one here, but this historic town has been around since before Arizona became a state in 1912. It was founded as a company town by the United Verde Copper Company and originally called Jerome in 1883 after local prospector John Jerome. That name didn’t stick due to confusion with another nearby community called Jerome Junction (now known as Cottonwood). In 1889 it was renamed Clarkdale after mining engineer Edwin Clark who supervised the construction of the smelter plant for U.S. Smelting, Refining & Mining Co., which began operations in 1923
The smelter ceased operation in 1963, but its legacy lives on today with many preserved buildings, including buildings from earlier eras such as cabins constructed by miners using native stone or adobe blocks called “jacals.”
The Verde Canyon Railroad is a four-hour round-trip excursion through the Verde Canyon Wilderness area that takes you into some of the most remote countries in Arizona. The train departs from Clarkdale, an hour south of Cottonwood, and winds its way north along the Verde River. The track winds through dense forests, meander up narrow valleys and passes over several bridges before arriving at Perkinsville Station. From here, it’s a short walk to historic Camp Verde, where visitors can take a tour or enjoy lunch at one of several restaurants within walking distance.
One of my favorite things about this tour was how relaxing it felt to just sit back on my seat with no worries about driving or parking (and yes, I know how good that sounds). You can also bring food with you on board, so if there are any snacks or drinks you want while riding, then I highly recommend doing so!
There are many different views throughout your journey, but one thing you won’t see is much human activity as most people stay off these tracks due to them being dangerous for vehicles without four-wheel drive capability due to steep drop-offs from certain places alongside roads leading up into mountainsides which makes up part of this railroad route itself making it even safer than driving around them altogether because those areas could get slippery too!
April is a great time to visit Cottonwood because it’s the month when the Apple Blossom Festival takes place. This is an annual event that attracts people from all over the state to enjoy music, food, and entertainment while celebrating springtime in Arizona. It takes place every third weekend of April at various locations around town.
The festival kicks off with a parade on Saturday morning, followed by several activities like tours of local orchards, a petting zoo, live music performances, and more throughout the day until late evening on Sunday night. The highlight of this weekend-long celebration is definitely watching apple trees bloom into full blossom during peak season, which makes it perfect for photographers!
If you have time after enjoying all that Cottonwood has to offer during your visit, then be sure to stop by their world-famous Apple Museum, where you can learn about how apples came over from Russia before being introduced into America by missionaries who planted them along their journey westward across North America!
Page Springs is known for its wineries, olive oil tasting, and vineyards.
Old Town is a former mining town that has been restored.
Clarkdale is a mountain town with plenty of shops, restaurants, and galleries to explore.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my list of Cottonwood Arizona attractions and that you will visit the area soon. I know I will! Visit Cottonwood online at https://www.visitcottonwoodaz.org/
