Potato Patch on Mingus Mountain
Jerome
Without a doubt, ghost towning is one of the most popular activities in the state; abandoned mining camps are spread across the entire territory. Many were literal flashes-in-the-pan: A quick strike quickly played out and the residents disappeared. Where precious metals were found in larger quantities, more enduring towns were established.Jerome, on Mingus Mountain, is one the most picturesque of these mining communities. Built directly on the steep mountainsides, some of the ramshackle buildings slide a few feet down the hillside every year. Much of the town has been restored and thrives as an artist’s colony and one of the state’s top tourist attractions.
Potato Patch is the closest campground to the bustling town. It rests high on the mountain, offering tall ponderosa pines as shelter to those seeking rest after a day of shopping in old Jerome. Hiking in nearby Woodchute Wilderness is another popular pastime. It is a good place to pitch your tents, and enjoy the nite sky from your sleeping bag.
Don’t miss it: Spend an evening waiting for Elvis or Jimmy Hoffa to appear while nursing a beer in the Spirit Room (one of my favorite haunts in Jerome). Then watch the stars twinkle through the pine boughs while stretched out on the ground at Potato Patch.
Directions: Take SR 89 west out of Jerome until you see the sign for the campground.
More info: Verde Ranger District, 520-567-4121
Lynx Lake
Prescott
Striking it rich: Thoughts of wealth fill my mind as I strain for a flash of gold in the swirling muddy water and gravel of a handheld pan. Although my labors are in vain this day, there’s something hypnotic about the whirlpooling vortex. I’m outside the popular retirement community of Prescott, at the forested retreat of Lynx Lake. Golden morning sunlight streams through tall ponderosa pines lining the lake’s edges. Fishermen in boats appear silently suspended in the morning mist. While gold panning is a popular diversion, fishing is the main attraction at this destination.
Directions: Take the Walker Road turn-off about five miles outside Prescott. Follow Walker Road to the campground.
More info: Bradshaw Ranger District, 520-445-7253