The center of it all
Camp Verde is located in the heart of Arizona and is the only gateway to Arizona’s two wild and scenic rivers. Located less than an hour from Phoenix, Flagstaff, Prescott, and Payson, Camp Verde is the valley’s oldest frontier settlement. A must-visit for adventurers and history buffs alike, Camp Verde is the perfect place to hike, bike, kayak, and visit the Out of Africa Wildlife Park and Cliff Castle Casino.
With the region’s only access to the Verde River and Fossil Creek, Camp Verde is a great base for kayaking, canoeing, rafting and tubing. Hikers, mountain bikers and horseback riders will find a rich network of scenic trails leading up into the surrounding highlands.
History buffs will find much to explore here including the Fort Verde Historic State Park, which interprets the life of frontier soldiers and families in the 1880s. Other historical sites include the 1916–17 George Hance House, which was built for cattleman and postmaster George Hance. The historical house museum (open by appointment) presents period furnishings and art as well as tools, books and clothing. Just around the corner on South Main Street, the Camp Verde Historical Society Museum exhibits photographs, art and printed matter that tell the story of early frontier days in the valley.
Spread across the region are hundreds of early culture sites including Montezuma Castle National Monument, where visitors can see the ruins of a five-story cliff dwelling built by the Southern Sinagua people between 1100 and 1425. A short drive from the cliff dwelling is Montezuma Well, a Sinagua site considered sacred by the Yavapai. The Verde Valley Archaeology Center, on South Main Street, preserves artifacts, interprets the region’s early cultures and presents a display from the Yavapai-Apache Nation.
Other popular experiences include a stop at the town’s microbrewery, winery tours and tasting room visits, the 104-acre Out of Africa Wild Animal Park, and Cliff Castle Casino, voted Arizona’s No. 1 casino 16 years in a row.
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