Pictures courtesy of the Prescott National Forest -Mingus Mountain Campground.
Campground Overview:
Mingus Mountain Campground is located high above the historic mining town of Jerome, nestled in the ponderosa pines on the Prescott National Forest. The Mingus Mountain area offers relatively cool summertime temperatures and scenic views of the Verde Valley, Sedona red rocks, Mogollon Rim and San Francisco Peaks. Elevations range from 7,000 feet at the nearby Potato Patch Campground and 7,500 feet at Mingus Mountain Campground.
Campsites:
Mingus Mountain Campground contains 18 campsites with fire rings and picnic tables. About a mile down the road is Mingus Lake. A small pond that the Game and Fish department keeps stocked with trout and bullheads, especially good for fishing with kids. Currently there is no water or electricity, vault toilets and garbage service are available. There are several hiking trails nearby but most of these are rather rugged, with breathtaking views.
Off of Hwy 89A (between Prescott Valley and Jerome), turn on Forest Road 104 (at the Summit Picnic Site). Follow dirt road approximately 2.5 miles to 4-way stop. A right turn takes you into the campground.
Campground at a Glance
Level: |
Semi-Developed |
Season: |
May – October |
Nearby City: |
Prescott |
Fishing: |
Mingus Lake |
Campground Website: |
Mingus Mountain Campground |
Campground Map: |
Click Here |
Reservations: |
First-come, first-served basis |
Location: |
Nearby Attractions and Activities:
Nowhere else in Arizona will you experience the wide range of activities available as in the Verde Valley. Pre-Columbian Sinaguan sites, officer’s quarters at the Fort Verde State Historic Park, a train excursion along the Verde River Canyon, a cowboy dinner show and a night at the casino can all be experienced in a single day.
Jerome, AZ sometimes nicknamed “The City in the Sky” was at one time the most talked about mining camp in America. Jerome became a National Historic Landmark in 1967. Today, Jerome is a popular destination with art galleries, coffee houses, restaurants, a state park, and a local museum devoted to mining history. Explore the Douglas Mansion at Jerome State Historic Park which explains the mining history of the area. The Gold King Mine displays early machinery of the mining era in Jerome.
Tuzigoot National Monument
Crowning a desert hilltop is an ancient pueblo. From a rooftop a child scans the desert landscape for the arrival of traders, who are due any day now. What riches will they bring? What stories will they tell? Will all of them return? From the top of the Tuzigoot Pueblo it is easy to imagine such an important moment. Tuzigoot is an ancient village or pueblo built by a culture known as the Sinagua. The pueblo consisted of 110 rooms including second and third story structures. The first buildings were built around A.D. 1000. The Sinagua were agriculturalists with trade connections that spanned hundreds of miles. The people left the area around 1400. The site is currently comprised of 42 acres.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Gaze through the windows of the past into one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a 1,000 year-old story of ingenuity and survival in an unforgiving desert landscape. Marveling at this enduring legacy of the Sinagua culture reveals a people surprisingly similar to ourselves.
Oak Creek Canyon and Red Rock Country is one of the most popular tourists’ sites in the United States. Home to some of the most photographed natural formations, like Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock, and featured in numerous movies, Red Rock Country is bound to leave you amazed and in awe. Numerous buttes and mesas dot the area. Part of the Coconino National Forest, Red Rock Country offers incredibly divers scenery, ranging from ponderosa pine forests to red desert rock formation that gave it its name.
Sedona, AZ once nicknamed “Arizona’s Little Hollywood”, was very popular among filmmakers in the golden era of western movies. The town was frequented by John Wayne, Errol Flynn, Joan Crawford and even Elvis Presley. Today, Sedona is a vibrant city offering all urban amenities in the midst of scenic wilderness that surrounds it, and is home to several annual cultural events. There are several art galleries with unique art pieces, ranging from Native American art to modern ones. All these combine with mild climate to make Sedona a very popular tourist destination.
Nearby Campgrounds:
Campground full or want to see what’s around? Try one of these campgrounds located nearby
