Camp Verde is in Northern Arizona.  It is in Yavapai County.  The town is located on Interstate 17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff.  It is in the Verde River Valley of central Arizona.  The town is near the geographical center of Arizona.  You can get to Camp Verde from Phoenix or Tucson by taking Interstate 17 north out of town.  It is approximately 86 miles north of Phoenix.  You can get to Camp Verde from Flagstaff by taking Interstate 17 south out of town.  It is approximately 50 miles south of Flagstaff.

Camp Verde is a great old town that combines a military influence, ancient cultures and a ranching heritage into one diverse spot.  It is a small town that began with farming and cattle ranching.  Today Camp Verde’s population is 6,200.  The town sits at an elevation of 3,133 feet.  The town enjoys a dry, mild, four-season climate.  The summer high is 100 degrees and the winter low is 30 degrees.  Camp Verde offers a wide variety of scenic, recreational and archeological attractions.

There are many attractions that are very close to town that you will not want to miss.  The Fort Verde State Historical Park is a great visit back in time.  Here you will see some of the original buildings closed down over 100 years ago.  Montezuma Castle National Monument is a cliff dwelling built in 1150.  It is one of best-preserved examples of cliff dwellings in the country.  The Cliff Castle Casino is a lively gaming casino in town.  It offers guests a fun time.

Camp Verde has many outdoor activities.  Montezuma Well is a natural limestone sinkhole.  The Sinagua Indians living at Montezuma Castle used the Well.  This water supply was very important to their livelihood.  General George Cook, who was stationed at Fort Verde, developed one of Arizona’s most scenic drives.  The old military road once connected Fort Apace with Prescott and Fort Verde.  The Rim Road as it is called today, follows the Mogollon Rim and offers drivers wonderful views.

Camp Verde is located 86 miles north of Phoenix in the lush Verde Valley. The location, moderate climate, and numerous recreational areas are ideal to serve residents, farmers, cattlemen, tourists, hunters and fishermen. The Verde River and creeks that meander through our quiet community are a habitat for wildlife, such as bald eagles, hawks, blue heron, beavers and otters. The waterways offer recreational opportunities and an abundance of riverfront properties. Towering above the valley are majestic mountains that provide a scenic view of unsurpassed beauty. A sparse population of less than 10,000, 46 square miles of land and many small farms and ranches enhance our rural lifestyle.

Principal Economic Activities

Construction, ranching, farming, light industry, trade and service, a casino and government agencies serve as the Town's major employment sources.

Attractions and Recreational Activities

Attractions and recreational facilities include Montezuma Castle National Monument, Montezuma's Well, the Verde River and Fort Verde State Historic Park/museum. In addition, a bowling alley, arcade and other children's activities are located in the Cliff Castle Casino. Residents and visitors are able to enjoy outdoor activities such as horseback riding, four wheeling, jeep tours, hiking, camping, canoeing, kayaking and fishing.

Camp Verde offers several community facilities, including a library, a community swimming pool, soccer and baseball fields, parks (including skateboard) and picnic sites. The Town has a variety of restaurants, motels and R.V. parks available for the convenience of visitors and local residents. Some Town goals, in the near future, are to establish community facilities for a Yavapai College satellite center, a trade school and a regional park.

The phrase "Camp Verde is Arizona's best-kept little secret" is very illustrative of what keeps residents here and what brings new comers to our Town.

Camp Verde General Facts

Location

Smack dab in the center of Arizona you'll find the towns of Camp Verde, Cottonwood, and Clarkdale along the banks of the Verde River. This area comprises the Verde Valley.
This pretty area is surrounded by national forests and plenty of nice scenery. Hiking, fishing, camping and scenic driving are all popular. Several state parks worth exploring are also nearby.

Just north of the Verde Valley is Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon, and farther along is Flagstaff.

The Verde Valley is easily accessible off I-17. The area is about 50 miles south of Flagstaff and 90 miles north of Phoenix.

Camp Verde is located 86 miles north of Phoenix in Yavapai County. The climate is arid, the hot summer days are often cooled by monsoons rains and the winters are mild. Camp Verde's valley floor is classified as Lower Sonoran Desert. However, because it is situated on the Verde River, Camp Verde occupies a rare and enviable position among Arizona cities and towns.

Historic Preservation

The community possesses some of the oldest and finest historic resources in the Verde Valley. Camp Verde is nearly unique in Arizona in having examples of buildings from its entire historic period. Such resources are vibrant links to the past representing the people, processes and events that made the Town what it is today. These resources give Camp Verde a sense of its uniqueness and roots. To demonstrate this point, Fort Verde State Historic Park annually draws approximately 40,000 visitors to the center of Camp Verde, and nearby Montezuma Castle, brings over a million to the area.

Topography and Current Lifestyle

The Town consists of fields of flat river-plain, traversed by the Verde River (18 miles of river lies within the Town limits) and its tributaries, with desert hills and mesas rising in the forefront of the distant mountains. Beyond the immediate settlement, the land is public, mostly administered by the U.S. Forest Service.

If you are looking for an outdoor adventure or just a nice relaxing fishing trip then look no further. The Verde River can quench your thirst for water in Arizona. The Verde River, which runs 200 miles along three national forests, is the only federally designated wild and scenic river in Arizona. The experience of a lifetime awaits the paddlers wishing to canoe or kayak down this amazing stretch of water. There are Bald Eagles, Blue Herons, beaver and river otter to watch, cliff dwellings to experience and fish to be caught. Those wishing to experience the Verde River can pick from a vast selection of runs either mild or wild to tickle their fancy. There are runs with off-the-wall (class II) rapids for those on the wild side and runs with mild steady flowing water for those who just want a nice relaxing trip. Come experience the unparalleled beauty for yourself.

General Plan Vision Statement

Camp Verde will remain a town with small town rural, western character.

The rural setting, the natural characteristics of the land, the beauty of its water, green fields and trees contrasted with the harshness of desert hills will be preserved. The clean blue sky by day the dark sky by night - sparkling with stars - will lift spirits of generations of townspeople yet to come. The community will enjoy small town prosperity, peace and comfort in pride of place and will look confidently to the safeguarding of its blessings.

Camp Verde, located in the geographical center of Arizona, is an interesting and economical stop when planning your next trip or considering relocation. Camp Verde, the oldest settlement in the Verde Valley, settled in February 1865 and is the home of a historic military post, Fort Verde State Park. August 1865, Fort Verde was built as protection for the settlers against Indian raids.

Still a rural farming and western ranching community, you will find our town friendly and relaxed.

Our weather is beautifully unique, being at 3147 feet elevation and surrounded by mountains. The mountains shelter us and the summer rains make our valley green and lush. In fact, verde is the Spanish name for green. While you are here, you can enjoy our many outdoor activities, such as horseback riding, van tours, fishing, canoeing, hiking and camping. A complete calendar of events is available upon request.

Camp Verde has a wide variety of clubs, civic organizations, churches, and a very active senior center. Within our town limits are three Indian Reservations and an Indian owned Casino and Visitor Center. We have lodging accommodations including motels, RV parks and genuine pitch-a-tent camping. A wide variety of restaurants serve up choices including country cooking, Mexican and Chinese food, and traditional western fare.

Incorporated in 1986, Camp Verde covers approximately 46 square miles and is the southernmost town in the Verde Valley. Other towns and settlements in the Valley include Clarkdale, Cornville, Cottonwood, Jerome, Lake Montezuma, McGuireville, Page Springs and Rimrock. Located just north of Verde Valley is Oak Creek Canyon, home of Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek.

Our schools included 2 elementary, 2 middle and one unified high public school. We also have several private & charter schools. Yavapai College is a 2-year accredited community college with a campus in Cottonwood and offers classes in Camp Verde and Sedona. Our medical facilities include several doctors, dentists, optometrist, physical therapist, veterinarians, chiropractors and mental health professionals. Verde Valley Medical Center, a 102-bed facility and growing, is located in Cottonwood, 15 miles northeast of Camp Verde. Please feel free to write to us for demographics of our town.

Although rural, we're in close proximity to larger cities. Flagstaff is 52 miles north, Prescott about a 45 minute drive to the west and Phoenix a quick 1˝ hours south via the I-17 freeway.

 

This 12^TH Century Sinagua Cliff Dwelling is the best preserved in all of North America. This 5 story, 20 room dwelling served as a "high rise apartment building" for prehistoric Sinagua Indians over 600 years ago. It is one of Camp Verde's major attractions with 823,489 visitors touring it per year. The Montezuma Castle was proclaimed a National Monument in 1906 and was described as "of the greatest ethological & scientific interest". www.nps.gov.moca for more information on Montezuma Castle National Monument.