Verde Valley at a Glance
Verde Valley at a Glance – An Overview of its Communities-Cottonwood, Cornville, Clarkdale, Camp Verde, Lake Montezuma, Rimrock and Jerome
The Verde Valley is home to some of North Central Arizona’s most charming and historic communities. Located in the geographic center of the Grand Canyon State, the Verde Valley is a verdant oasis surrounded by high desert land.
Cottonwood: incorporated in 1960, and located approximately 25 minutes southwest of Sedona, is the commercial center of the Verde Valley. This is where you will find the regional hospital and the Big Box stores, among other amenities. The historic portion of Cottonwood, founded in 1879, provides a quaint Old Town area with eclectic shopping, dining and cultural opportunities.
Clarkdale: A quaint small town with a charming central square that housed miners and their families in the heyday of the copper mining boom. The train station in Clarkdale is the departure point for the Verde Canyon Railroad’s sightseeing trips along the Verde River through wilderness country, which is otherwise inaccessible other than on horseback or by hiking in.
Cornville: is a study in contrasts. Largely rural, it is nonetheless home to the Verde Valley’s largest master planned community, Verde Santa Fe at the Agave Highlands Golf Course. You will also find horse properties, luxurious high desert homes on acreage, and lush properties on Oak Creek. Possibilities abound, and provides alternatives to Sedona from the standpoint of getting more for your dollar, while being only about 20-30 minutes away. Cornville is also home to some of the Verde Valley’s most prestigious wineries.
Camp Verde: Drawn by the fertile land along the Verde River and the nearby mining camps of Prescott with a willing market for their fresh wares, farmers first settled in the area in 1865. Growing friction with the indigenous Tonto and Yavapai Apache tribes prompted the establishment of Fort Verde by the US Army. The Fort was closed in 1891, but you can still get a glimpse of what life was like then at Fort Verde Historic Park, and attend reenactments during Fort Verde Days, held annually on the second Saturday of October. Camp Verde is still known for agricultural and horse properties, and has also become one of our up-and-coming communities in its own right.
Lake Montezuma: A residential community surrounding what was once the 18-Hole Beaver Creek Golf Course. Wet Beaver Creek and the man-made lakes fed by old irrigation ditches provide a refreshing riparian greenbelt.
Rimrock: while this area has been more rural in the past with manufactured and site-built homes on acreage, there are now many residential neighborhoods as well. Just about 25 minutes to Sedona, both Rimrock and Lake Montezuma share a post office and act as bedroom communities for the surrounding towns.
Jerome: A busy and important copper mining town of 15,000 people in its day, it was once known as “The Wickedest Town in the West”. After the mines closed in 1953, it became a ghost town. In the late 1960s and 1970s it became a mecca for hippies. Apparently it was possible to buy dilapidated properties on the cheap, and gradually the population grew from the fewer than 100 holdouts who wouldn’t leave up to the 400 to 500 who call it home today.
Jerome still has the charm of yesteryear, and has become known as a thriving community that has established a reputation for being home to many artists. It’s a great place to escape to for the day, whether just to shop, browse the galleries and enjoy lunch, or to join in the many events such as Jerome Art Walk. Today, it is also known for its spirited celebration of Halloween and storied resident ghosts.