Exploring Cottonwood, AZ
Time needed in this town: 1 night
Since moving to Arizona, I’ve been to Cottonwood countless times as 1. It’s super close to Sedona and 2. It has its own old western charm with some amazing eateries and wineries.
The below information is a complete guide of the best places to stay, the top rated places to dine and drink, and all there is to see and do. We’ve also included a summary of the history of this awesome little town!
NOTE: Jerome and Sedona are often visited when near Jerome. Click on those links for our guides on those towns.
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Where to Stay
Tavern Hotel
There are many places to stay between Cottonwood and Sedona, so it really depends how close you want to be to Main Street. If you’re looking to be in the main town, the only place we will ever recommend is The Tavern Hotel. Opened in 2020 by The Haunted Group, it’s the best/most comfortable place to stay and is right on the main street, making it easy to walk anywhere (it’s also free parking).
Where to Dine & Drink
The biggest reason we love coming to Cottonwood twice a year is because of its proximity to wine tasting rooms, as well as fantastic restaurants. Below are our recommendations:
Arizona Stronghold Vineyards tasting room
Arizona Stronghold Vineyard’s tasting room offers wine tasting daily in a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere, grilled, gourmet skewers, delicious tapas and dessert, a beautiful outdoor garden-patio. They open at noon daily.
Belfry Brewery
Once the town church, Belfy Brewery has turned it into a craft cocktail and brewery experience with amazing food. (Hint: Order the Locke and Key - I always get it when I go). On the top floor, take in the old remnants of the church while dining on delicious food and drinking incredible cocktails. If you’d rather drink beer and watch sports, head downstairs (outside and around the corner) for that.
TIP: If you ask to ring the church bell, they will let you.
Bing’s Burger Station
Bing’s is located in an early 1940s service station. The original service station restrooms are still intact - one currently operates as it has for decades, the other for storage.
Note that this is NOT a gluten-free establishment, so if you are allergic, take a picture, grab a soda and head to Belfry instead!
BOCCE PIZZA
OMG - the best pizza either of us have had, that is near identical to that in Italy, is Bocce. Chef Michelle Italian roots led her to Naples to earn her accreditation with the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, AVPN. As a result, these wood-fired pizzas are the best you will have in the U.S. (if Italian pizza is your thing).
NOTE: They do not take reservations, but it fills up quickly there. If you have to wait, check out the bocce they have on the grounds or grab a drink at the Patio Bar (weather-dependent).
COLT Grill
If you’re looking for good ol’ fashioned BBQ, this is the place to go. While we have not yet dined there, we hear it’s excellent!
Crema Craft Kitchen & Bar
They serve only breakfast and lunch with a walk-up coffee and pastry bar available as well. Their hours: 7am - 2pm. We’ve been there to grab a cup of coffee before heading back home.
Merkin Vineyards
New as of September 2023, James Keenan opened his fourth tasting room location and it’s said the largest of its kind with the Osteria attached to it (they serve fresh/handmade pastas and pizzas). Being at a higher elevation than the rest of the town, you get some pretty spectacular views!
Strada at Bocce
This unique venue evokes a “food truck” vibe, inviting guests to order cocktails and beverages from one container, then small bites, pizza and gelato from another. Constructed from eight shipping containers and brought to life with industrial details, such as steel beams, Edison bulb string lights, and a corrugated sheet metal roof— STRADA brings a venue that is both a work of art and a destination to Old Town Cottonwood.
Things to See & do
Alcantara Vineyards
Small, eco-conscious operation offering group tours & daily tastings in a picturesque setting. It has been opened since 2004.
Arizona Copper Art Museum
In 1958, John and Patricia Meinke of Minnesota saw in an antique shop several copper molds that captivated them. Later, Pat opened a small antique shop and kickstarted today's massive collection displayed in this museum. The shop eventually closed in favor of selling copperware at antique shows, primarily in large cities throughout the U.S.A.; copper items were mostly obtained in Europe. In 1978, their son, Drake, joined the business and started his collection. Over the years, both collections grew in size and prominence, and the family envisioned sharing these acquisitions with the public. A museum concept then evolved with a focus on connecting to an appropriate community with a foundation built around copper. Thus, the artifacts would make a nostalgic impact, and a significant museum would be realized. Many towns in Arizona had potential however, Clarkdale, having the most profound copper connection in the country, was chosen in 2020. Clarkdale’s entire foundation was embedded in copper, as it was a massive producer.
Blazin’ M Ranch
For more than 20 years, the Blazin’ M Ranch has provided visitors to Arizona an Old West experience to remember. Featuring a mouth-waterin’ BBQ chicken and ribs chuckwagon supper followed by a toe-tappin, knee-slappin’ hour-long Western stage production by award-winning musicians, it is a must-do attraction during your visit to the Sedona/Verde Valley region.
Arrive in plenty of time before dinner to enjoy the Western town featuring a museum, Old-Tyme photo studio, shooting gallery, ropin’ lessons, tractor pull, saloon and Western shops that line the boardwalk.
Merkin Vineyards Tasting Room & Osteria
Sitting adjacent to their 9,500 square-foot, state-of-the-art production facility and surrounded by a 4.5-acre vineyard consisting of Graciano, Tempranillo, and Garnacha grape varieties, the Merkin Vineyards Hilltop Winery & Trattoria is our latest restaurant in Cottonwood, Arizona. While here, take in the sites of our winery and barrel room, on-site greenhouse and bottle shop, and more.
In addition, there’s a 6,600-square-foot restaurant with a stunning 270-degree view of the Verde Valley. Their menu includes fresh salads, handmade pasta, wood-oven pizzas, and a large central bar and outdoor patio. The neighboring winery, which can be viewed as guests enter the restaurant, houses our 8,000-case production facility and display barrel room, with six custom concrete fermentation and aging cubes.
Located at the base of the complex is the Merkin Vineyards Pocket Park Gelateria, where customers can purchase freshly made gelato and secure a token for the Hilltop Tram that will transport them to the top of the development, a reminder of the area’s copper mining past.
Tuzigoot National Monument
The people who built and lived in the rooms of the Tuzigoot pueblo were part of a thriving community with trade connections stretching hundreds of miles. Their lives were part of a vast and complex society, and they had a deep and nuanced understanding of the world around them.
The pueblo at Tuzigoot consists of over a hundred rooms, and was probably home to several hundred people for several hundred years. After the people left, sometime in the 1300s, the pueblo stood empty until the early 1930s, when it was excavated by American archeologists and then turned into a national monument on July 25th, 1939.
Verde Canyon Railroad’s Grape Train Escape
Per their site, “Since 1990, train passengers have enjoyed raising a toast to the Arizona wilderness from well-appointed rail cars, harkening back to a time when relaxing travel by train was recognized as a hallmark of sophistication and class. In 2002, raising that toast became a highly-requested event called the “Grape Train Escape”. Going in to its 22nd year, this great grape celebration has spanned the planet – Italian, Chilean, Spanish, German and French wines have been served to thousands of awe-inspired train passengers.”
A History Summary
In 1874, soldiers from Camp Verde were stationed at an adobe house, but at that time, there was no name for the present City of Cottonwood (where the house existed). As settlers moved in and the community developed, it took its name from a circle of 16 large cottonwoods growing about 1/4 mile away from the Verde River.
In 1879, Charles D. Willard settled in the area, bringing with him a mechanic by the name of “Neff”. As other settlers came in, the area became a farming settlement until World War I. They found a market for their crops, hay, and grain in Camp Verde and later in Jerome. Most farm operations included running some cattle.
1885 - The first post office was established
In 1908, Main Street was created 1908 (a mule team was used to pull and drag through brush to create it).
1912 - On February 14, 1912, Arizona was named the 48th state. Prior to that time, it was considered land of Mexico.
Between 1915 and 1917, Cottonwood began building its town and by the early 1920s, it was booming (it was during this time Cottonwood was called “the biggest little town in AZ”). However, during the earlier years, lots were being sold for $125 and sold like “hot cakes” within just a month of the announcement.
1925 - With very little regulation, the businesses that lined Main Street were mostly billiard and gambling halls, as well as speakeasies that were serving bootleg whiskey.
1928 - Sheriff George Ruffner, from Prescott, was elected to come into Cottonwood to raid the businesses and close the underground tunnels. Joe Hall (known as Arizona’s bootlegger king) was always targeted. Slot machines and poker tables were in almost every storefront until the Legislature decided they were illegal.
After several attempts, on November 14, 1960, Cottonwood was finally incorporated with John Garrett being the first mayor. When Clarkdale tried annexing the business district of Cottonwood, the people (1600 residents of Cottonwood) acted. By 1879, several families had settled there, including the Nichols, Van Deerens, Hawkins, and Strahans - all of which had nine children each.
Fun fact: Midnight Run, Easy Rider, Universal Soldier, Brothel, Conagher, Hell is for Heroes, Dudes, Stay Away Joe, Desert Fury, Trouble Bound, The Rocks, and many other movies and shows were filmed there.