Rim Country, Arizona: A Visitor’s Guide
If you’re looking for a cooler place to visit, then the Rim Country is where you need to be. The Mogollon Rim, pronounced “muggy-own” or “muggy-on”, is a mountain range that extends 400 miles and marks the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau in Arizona. Here you will find the largest ponderosa pine forest in the United States. With wonderfully cool weather, awesome mountain views, and the unmistakable smells of Pine, Juniper, and Oak. This truly is a visitor’s paradise.
Payson (Central Arizona)
Payson, the gateway to the Mogollon Rim, is right in the center of Arizona and from here visitors can access all of the outlying cities, towns, national parks and forests that make up Rim Country. Payson is at 5,000 feet of elevation and is surrounded by 3 million acres of pristine forests. If you’re looking for that small town charm but want the availability of bigger entertainment, then Payson is the place to be.
In and around Payson visitors enjoy fishing, boating, hiking, bicycling, bird watching, and roller-blading. In fact, nearly all of these activities can be enjoyed in Payson’s Green Valley Park located near the end of Main Street. Created as a water conservation project, this park is home to three urban lakes and all the critters that inhabit them. From October through May these urban lakes are stocked with Rainbow Trout and here you will find fisherman lazing around in the shade of a nearby tree. In Green Valley Park you will also find various species of duck, geese, and migratory birds. Bald Eagles have also been known to nest in the Payson area. During the months of June and July the Town of Payson Parks and Recreation hosts several concerts in Green Valley Park. Visitors enjoy the sounds of country, rock, pop, bluegrass, swing, or reggae music under a canopy of stars.
The Rim Country Museum, also located in Green Valley Park houses an extensive collection of memorabilia and artifacts from early Rim Country. It is located in a 1906 Forest Service ranger station and in a replica of a historic hotel. A replica of the old Zane Grey cabin will be added to the park and will house its own museum in 2005. The Dude Fire destroyed the original cabin in 1990. Zane Grey is a famous western novelist who used the Rim Country and its towns and cities as the settings in many of his novels and stories.
Take a trip about another mile down Main Street and here you will find the beautiful 18-hole Payson Golf Course.
Throughout the year the Payson Event Center hosts several rodeos and festivals. Payson is known as the “Home of the World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo” and people from all over come to watch some of the greatest riders in the world compete for cash and prizes. Across the highway from the Payson Event Center is the Mazatzal Casino where you can play the slots, try your hand at a card game, or enjoy several comedy acts in the sport’s bar.
Other things to enjoy in Payson include bowling at Rim Country Lanes, swimming in the Rumsey Park public pool, shopping in the many antique and thrift shops, eating at many of the fine restaurants, or just lazing around the pool at the local hotel or motel.
National Parks and Historical Areas
There are many parks, forests, and historical areas to visit within Rim Country. In fact, there are just too many to name in one article. Below is a list to get you started. Contact the Rim Country Chamber of Commerce (address below) for more information, maps, and brochures.
All through Rim Country there are many Indian ruins that will take your mind and body back to the past when Anasazi, Apache, or other Indian tribes lived in cliff dwellings or rock and sand homes. These people lived by hunting local wildlife or harvesting native plants. Visitors can visit the Shoofly Indian Ruins near Payson and learn about the native people that lived here from 1000AD to 1250 AD. These ruins offer a self-guided tour only. Near Roosevelt Lake, at the Tonto National Monument, visitors can take a 1-mile self-guided tour or a 3-mile ranger guided tour of the cliff dwellings that were once occupied by the Salado Indians in the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries. Reservations must be made in advance for the Upper Ruin (3-mile) tour.
The Tonto Natural Bridge is located 12 miles north of Payson and features the largest natural travertine bridge in the world. Begin in the beautifully landscaped park area complete with picnic tables, barbecues, shaded ramadas, and a historic lodge. Then choose one of about 4 trails that lead to the natural bridge. Enjoy seeing breathtaking waterfalls and lush landscapes that are home to native birds and animals such as javelina, whitetail deer, cottontail rabbits, and squirrels. The natural bridge is 183 feet high and 400 feet long.
Rim Country Lakes and Rivers
Rim Country is home to several woodland lakes and crystal clear rivers and streams.
The Verde River winds its way through Arizona and the Rim Country. Visitors enjoy its cool, clear waters, sandy beaches, and numerous waterfalls. Nearer to Payson the Verde River offers areas for the visitor to look off of sheer rock cliffs or large pools to swim and cool off in.
On top of the Mogollon Rim, Woods Canyon Lake and Willow Springs Lake have Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, or Largemouth Bass stocked weekly from May through October. Enjoy the day fishing and boating or stay a little longer in the nearby campgrounds.
Knoll Lake, about 7300 feet in elevation, is northeast of Payson and is one of the Rim’s most beautiful lakes. Here you can fish for Rainbow Trout or camp in the nearby campground complete with fire rings, grills, picnic tables, and nearby restrooms. This campground is seasonal and is open from Memorial Day through mid-September.
If a more secluded lake is more your style, take a hike into Bear Canyon Lake. This lake is 65-acres and is about 46 miles northeast of Payson. This lake is so secluded that you cannot launch a boat and there are no facilities. The breathtaking views and the opportunity to fish for Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, and Arctic Graylings make it well worth the trip.
Near the towns of Roosevelt and Tonto Basin you will find Roosevelt Lake. Here you will find many boat ramps and developed campgrounds to choose from. Roosevelt Lake is home to the Roosevelt Dam that was built in 1911 by the National Reclamation Service to control flooding along the Salt River. It also provides irrigation water and hydroelectric power to Phoenix and nearby areas.
Other Rim Country Towns
Rim Country doesn’t only include the town of Payson. It is also home to Kohl’s Ranch, Pine, Strawberry, Christopher Creek, and many more.
North of Payson you will find the towns of Pine and Strawberry. Here you will find many fine art studios featuring local artists and numerous antique shops. In Strawberry you can visit the old one-room schoolhouse that was built in 1895 and view the period desks, chalkboards, and schoolbooks of the old days. Once a year Strawberry hosts the Strawberry Festival where artists and food venders come together to give everyone a great time. The Pine/Strawberry Museum is located in Pine and displays archeological and cultural items from the history of this region.
Christopher Creek is located in North Central, Arizona. Here you will find private homes, rental cabins, and shops all along the creek. The Landmark Saloon and the Creekside Restaurant provide visitors with live music, dancing, and great food.
Eighteen miles northeast of Payson sits Kohl’s Ranch where travelers to the Rim Country would to stop over for the night in the time of covered wagons. Today Kohl’s Ranch offers lodging in the lodge itself or in rental cabins. Here you can enjoy horseback riding, hiking, tennis, badminton, or even get married in the wedding chapel.
Additional Information
For additional information on the exciting things to do in Rim Country or for maps and brochures visit the Rim Country Chamber of Commerce website at www.rimcountrychamber.com or call 1-800-672-9766.
