Mingus Mountain Viewpoint

The main route over Mingus Mountain is a serpentine highway that climbs out of the Verde Valley, switching back and forth up the steep face of the range past Jerome and on toward Prescott on the far side. It is a drive that demands attention, all curves and grades, but it rewards travelers with turnouts and views that grow wider with every hairpin.

Above the highway, forest roads lead to the higher viewpoints and to a mountaintop campground and launch sites favored by hang gliders and paragliders who ride the updrafts off the mountain's edge. Reaching the very top takes a slower, rougher drive on unpaved roads, but the payoff is a perch high above the valley with almost nothing between you and the far horizon.

From the overlooks the Verde Valley spreads out like a map. The Verde River winds through in a line of green cottonwoods, the towns of Cottonwood, Clarkdale, and Camp Verde sit small on the floor, and beyond them the land rises again toward the red-rock country near Sedona, its cliffs and spires catching the light in warm reds and oranges.

On a clear day the view reaches all the way to the San Francisco Peaks near Flagstaff, the tallest mountains in Arizona, often crowned with snow. Sunset is the magic hour here, when the low sun sets the red rocks aflame and floods the whole valley with gold before the towns below begin to twinkle in the dusk. It is one of the finest sunset perches in central Arizona.

The great pleasure of Mingus Mountain is the change in climate as you climb. The valley below bakes in desert heat much of the year, but the mountaintop, thousands of feet higher, stays cool and green, shaded by tall ponderosa pines and dotted with meadows. On a hot summer day the temperature at the summit can feel like a different season entirely.

That cool high country invites lingering. There are trails to walk, a campground under the pines, and quiet forest to explore, all a world away from the warmth below. The mountain forms part of the Black Hills range and the wider Prescott National Forest, a band of high, wooded country separating the low desert from the plateau, and it offers a green refuge in the heart of Arizona.

Spring and fall are the loveliest times on the mountain, with mild days perfect for the drive, the overlooks, and the trails, and clear air that stretches the views to their limit. Summer is a welcome escape from the valley heat, cool and green up top, though afternoon thunderstorms can build quickly over the high country and are best given a wide berth.

Winter brings a different mountain. Snow and ice can dust or blanket the summit while the valley below stays warm, and the road over the top can turn slick and even close in a storm. On a clear winter day, though, the snow-frosted view over the red rocks and out to the peaks is unforgettable, a reminder of how much country you can take in from this single high perch.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.