Cornville

Since pioneer times, the Verde Valley has been an agriculture and ranching center fed by free-flowing rivers. The small towns in the area sit at higher elevations than the desert cities to the south and lower elevations than the mountain towns to the north. Curious locals determined that this natural nook has the perfect conditions for growing grapes. Today, grapevines cling to the craggy hillsides all around Cornville and Page Springs, and wineries have sprung up throughout the Verde Valley.

Verde Valley Wine Trail

Popular destinations along the Verde Valley Wine Trail span from Jerome to Sedona. In the middle of it all, Cornville and Page Springs feature many of the original grape growers who put Arizona wine on the map. At the intersection of Cornville Road and Page Springs Road, Cove Mesa Vineyard provides an intro to local wine in a sprawling tasting room. Follow Page Springs Road to Highway 89A to find multiple wineries clustered along Oak Creek. DA Ranch Estate Vineyards sits at the bottom of a verdant canyon with grapevines clinging to hillsides. Page Springs Cellars offers tours of their vineyards and invites visitors behind the curtain to see the grape-to-glass process. Oak Creek Vineyards & Winery and Javelina Leap Vineyards invite visitors to sample local wines under a canopy of mesquite trees.

See the Sites

Continue about a mile past DA Ranch on a gravel road to find Horsin’ Around Adventures. Guides there take visitors along the creek and into canyons on horseback tours. Back on Page Springs Road, an amazing site pays tribute to the natural wonders of the area. Stop by a fish hatchery open to the public with a visitor center and trails that lead into an Important Bird Area — the old-growth forest there often sounds like a symphony. The weekly Windmill Park Farmers Market fills with visitors seeking the goods from local growers and makers on Thursday afternoons.

Stay the Night

Many restaurants and vacation rentals have popped up along the creek to offer visitors plenty of options to extend their stay. Lo Lo Mai Springs offers campsites, cabin rentals and RV sites steps from Oak Creek. The original destination dining spot in Page Springs has attracted foodies from neighboring Sedona and Cottonwood for decades. Today, Up the Creek operates the legendary riverside eatery. Other popular spots include fine dining at Manzanita and casual fare at G’s Burger. Witch Creek has added hard ciders to the area’s libations, and neighboring Brew-Ha and Robbers Roost are fun spots for clinking glasses with locals.

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