Whether welcoming weather or a yen to escape the city for a relaxing weekend compel you to head for the hills, the Mogollon Rim offers visitors a cool time in a beautiful setting less than two hours from the Valley.

The rim itself begins just east of the New Mexico border and stretches two thirds of the way across Arizona; the area we refer to as the Rim includes Payson and its smaller neighbors, the communities of Pine, Strawberry and Christopher Creek.

advertisement

While decidedly not cosmopolitan - and with an entirely different ambiance than Arizona's other weekend getaways, Sedona and Prescott - the Payson/Pine/Strawberry area is laid-back, picturesque and chock-full of ways to enjoy the outdoors.

By the way, in case you're new to Arizona, you should know that one of the quickest ways to stand out is to mispronounce certain words. Mogollon is one of them. The region is named for Juan Ignacio Flores Mogollon, a Spanish colonial governor whose last name is pronounced "MUG-ee-own."

When to go

Payson and the surrounding areas range from 5000 to 7000 feet in elevation; the Valley is under 1200. July is the Rim area's hottest month, with temperatures reaching the low 90s and lows hovering just below 60 degrees. Average highs in November through March range from 53 to 63 degrees; lows range from the mid-20s in the winter months to the 50s during the summer. Rainfall peaks during the late-summer monsoon season and usually totals 21 inches for the year. Especially appealing to a lot of transplanted Arizonans is the Rim's promise of four distinct seasons.

The scene

To fully appreciate the beauty of the Payson/Pine/Strawberry area, visit a local lake, fish, camp or simply take a drive. Situated in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest, the area features dozens of campgrounds (one of the larges, Canyon Point, is centrally located and can be accessed at 877-444-6777 or www.reserveusa.com).

The Mogollon Rim Visitors Center is a good starting point. Find it at Al Fulton Point, across from the Forest Road 300 turnoff from AZ 260. More information on the area is available at www.rimcountrychamber.com.

To do the whole Mogollon Rim Loop, head east out of Payson on Highway 260 to Heber, then bear left at Highway 277 and follow it for about seven miles to the junction of Highway 377. Continue on to Holbrook and possibly Canyon de Chelly.

More specific scenic areas include shorter drives, lakes and hikes. Best-rated trails suitable for novice or intermediate hikers include Barbershop Trail, Bell Trail along Wet Beaver Creek, Fossil Springs Trail and Tunnel Trail. The Houston Brothers Trail, 20 miles from Clint's Well, is kid-friendly and rich in history. Information on these and other trails is best accessed online, at www.arizonatrailguide.com or www.trails.com.

Rim Road & General Crook Trail Scenic Loop

This scenic drive follows the General Crook Trail, which the famous Indian fighter blazed to his stronghold at Fort Apache. Fifty-four miles round-trip, it winds through a forest and scenic East Clear Creek and Barbershop canyons and takes about two hours to drive.

The drive begins at Clint's Well Campground, north of Payson on Highway 87 or east of Camp Verde. From there, drive nine miles north on 87 to Farm Road 95, then follow FRs 95, 96 and 321 to FH 3 and back to AZ87.

Woods Canyon Lake Loop

This 58-mile drive takes visitors from the lake along FR 300 to FR 115 and Ohaco Lookout. From there, take FR 56 to the FR 225 junction and proceed on 225 to FR 34, then FR 100. Turn left to FR 169, then right to FR 300 again. This route provides several scenic vistas to enjoy.

Area lakes

Woods Canyon Lake
With five campgrounds and ample trout, Woods Canyon Lake is a popular destination for Rim visitors. Located at the top of the Rim, 36 miles east of Payson on Highway 260, WCL, like the other lakes in the area, is in a forested area that looks as much like the Pacific Northwest as northeastern Arizona.

Willow Springs Lake
This U-shaped lake features a boat ramp but no campground and is suited for bass and trout fishing. (Nearby, however, is Sinkhole Campground, open May through October). The lake is off Highway 260, seven miles from Rim Road junction.

Black Canyon Lake
This small trout lake is at the end of FR 300, of Highway 260 between Payson and Heber. It is heavily stocked in the spring with rainbow trout and offers services for physically challenged anglers.

Bear Canyon Lake
One of the most primitive lakes in the area, Bear Canyon Lake has a wider variety of trout species - Arctic grayling, brookies, cutthroat and rainbow - but a rocky shoreline and no boat ramp. The small, I-shaped lake is off FR 89.

Chevelon Lake
Very primitive, this lake, which is 60 miles from Payson of FR 169, requires a one-mile hike to reach its 6-mile shoreline. But the payoff is a plethora a fat brown trout. It is recommended for experienced anglers only.

Knoll Lake
Very secluded and picturesque, Knoll Lake has its own campground and is home to some of the best views on the Rim. Located 44 miles northeast of Payson, Knoll Lake is on FR 295E, off FR 300.

Blue Ridge Reservoir
Well stocked by the Game and Fish Department, Blue Ridge offers up brown and rainbow trout. Narrow and winding, this secluded lake is bordered by canyon walls and offers great hiking and mountain biking opportunities.

Gearing up

Nobody comes to the Mogollon Rim to shop. But for the basics - outdoor gear and picnic supplies, for example, plenty of shops have what you need.

Woods Canyon Lake Store and Marina is east of Payson, at Milepost 282 on Highway 260, on the way to Woods Canyon Lake. The store has groceries, plus camping and fishing supplies, and rents boats and sells fishing licenses.

Tall Pines Market
Highway 260, Christopher Creek
(928) 478-4550
Cheetos, wine, bait - what more do you need? The market also sells fishing licenses and newspapers and is a post office from where you can send your having-a-great-time-wish-you-were-here missives.

Ponderosa Market
Highway 87
(928) 476-3590
Fresh meats, on-site bakery and liquor are sold at this 25-year-old mini-grocery.

Manzanita Adventure Sports
403 S. Ash St., Payson
(928) 474-0744
Camping, hiking, cycling and other outdoor sports are covered at Manzanita.

To-do list

Beyond hiking and picnicking, the Rim area features a handful of additional attractions:

Tonto Fish Hatchery
(928) 478-4200
Forest Road 289, 21 miles east of Payson
Just below the Rim, the hatchery farms rainbow, brook and Apache trout. Visitors learn about the life of a trout and can - awww - peek into the incubator.

Rim Country Museum
Green Valley Parkway and Main Street, Payson
(928) 474-3483
Exhibits focus on the history of the area and includes information on early Native Americans, the Apache, timber and mining, agriculture and the pioneers. A blacksmith shop and a 1908 kitchen shows early life in Payson, and there is a display on celebrated Western author Zane Grey.

Zane Grey Museum
503 W. Main St., Payson
(928) 474-6243
The life and works of Grey, who died in 1939, are celebrated through a video, photos and artifacts.

Shoofly Indian Ruins Archaeological Site
Houston Mesa Trailhead, one mile off AZ 87
This 4-acre site five miles north of Payson features an interpretive trail and picnic area. The prehistoric settlement once included a stone wall, courtyards and 80 rooms but now is in ruins.

Strawberry Schoolhouse
Pine-Strawberry Archeological and Historical Society Pine, AZ 87
(928) 476-3547
The oldest standing schoolhouse in Arizona, the Strawberry Schoolhouse was open from 1884 to 1916. After its closing, the log cabin served as a private residence; later abandoned, it was restored and declared a historical monument in 1981.

Buffalo Museum of America
2269 Highway 260, Overgaard
(928) 535-4141
Formerly in Scottsdale, this museum moved to Overgaard, east of Payson, a few years ago and is open in the summer and for restricted hours in the winter. Art and other memorabilia celebrate the buffalo and its importance on the early West.

Grub

All the chain fast-food spots are represented in Payson, as is every kind of cuisine. Here are a few suggestions:

Cucina Paradiso
512 N. Beeline Highway, Payson
(928) 468-6500
Wood-burning pizza oven and authentic Italian specialties are the draw here, a local favorite.

Beeline Café
815 S. Beeline Highway, Payson
(928) 474-9960
A Payson classic, with a coffeehouse/diner menu and homemade pie.

Macky's Grill
1111 S. Beeline Highway, Payson
(928) 474-7411
Hamburgers, steak, "health conscious and not-so-health conscious" fare, beer and wine.

Creekside Steakhouse
Christopher Creek
(928) 478-4389
The proprietors (who also have cabins to rent) have been cutting their own steaks and serving fresh fish for more than 30 years.

Mad Dawg and Mel's
202 W. Main St., Payson
(928) 474-4391
Touts its menu as "serving everything from hot dogs to prime rib." Family-friendly and eclectic.

The Ox Bow
607 W. Main St., Payson
(928) 468-9797
Fun, raucous place with live entertainment and a simple menu.

Rimside Grill
P.O. Box 90, Pine (at Mile Marker 267)
(928) 472-6888
Patio dining, American fare.

Small Café
512 S. Beeline Highway, Payson
(928) 474-4209
Chef-owned and operated; eclectic and casual menu with fresh selections.

Overnighters

A weekend in a tent not your idea of a vacation? Not to worry. In addition to Payson's motels, the area features several cabins and bed-and-breakfast options.

Kohl's Ranch Lodge
268 E. Highway 260, Payson
(928) 478-4211
Majestic Mountain Inn, Payson
602 E. Highway 260
(928) 474-0185
The Village at Christopher Creek
HC 2 Box 161, Payson
(800) 950-6910
Grey Hackle Lodge on Christopher Creek
HC 2 Box 145, Payson
(928) 478-4392
Elk Haven Cabins
HC 2 Box 162F, Payson
(888) 355-4131
Wooden Nickel Cabins
HC2 Box 121C, Christopher Creek
(928) 478-4519
The Merritt Center and Lodge
121 Haught Road, Payson
(800) 414-9880
Strawberry Lodge
8039 W. Fossil Creek Rd., Strawberry
(928) 476-3333

Cabins on Strawberry Hill
HC 1 Box 302, Strawberry
(928) 476-3064
The Porterfield House
801 E. Granite Dells Rd., Payson
(928) 474-0622
Windmill Corner Inn
Northside, Highway 87, Strawberry
(928) 476-3064