Scenic drive: Prescott to
Wickenburg
 by John Stanley - Apr. 12, 2010 04:07 PM
The Arizona Republic

Sure, Prescott is a prime weekend
destination for Valley residents, especially
during the summer. But with the heavy
traffic, the drive back home on Interstate 17
can be daunting.

Why not try the back way?

Arizona 89 winds south from Courthouse
Plaza into Prescott National Forest. The two-
lane road twists here and turns there,
bending and meandering through stands of
ponderosa pines.

Much of the drive is pretty slow, but this trip
is about fun, not drive time.

Just a few miles south of town you pass
through a badly burned area, a stark
reminder of the 2002 Indian Fire. Shortly
thereafter you drop out of the pines and
pass through hillsides dotted with piñon and
juniper. As your vistas expand, you'll see the
impressive bulk of the Bradshaw Mountains
to the southeast.

Peeples Valley, nearly 30 miles south of
Prescott, is a bucolic oasis of horse pasture
and white fences, its open meadows ringed
by rocky hills.

The road hairpins down Yarnell Hill, about
35 miles from Prescott. Stop at the overlook
part way down and look for the distinctive
crag of Vulture Peak to the south, an
unmistakable landmark just a few miles
southwest of Wickenburg.

Things to note along the drive:

Whiskey Row: Montezuma Street, on the
west side of Prescott's Courthouse Plaza, is
lined with saloons and shops - mostly
saloons - a reflection of the town's real-life,
Wild West history. Drop by the Palace Bar for
a tall, frosty sarsaparilla and admire the
ornately craved, 1880s-era Brunswick bar
that highly motivated cowboys hand carried
out of the building during the 1900 fire that
ravaged Prescott. Movie buffs might
recognize the saloon from the 1972 movie  
Junior Bonner, starring Steve McQueen.
Remember the bar fight? 120 S. Montezuma
St. 928-541-1996 or www.historicpalace.
com.

Bradshaw Mountains: Named for the
Bradshaw brothers - William, Ben and Ike
(Isaac) - who came to the area in the 1860s,
the mountains stretch nearly 40 miles south
of Prescott and may be the most mineral-
rich range in Arizona. You have good views
of their western slopes once you break out
of the trees on the first part of this drive.

Chaparral Homemade Ice Cream: A
traditional stop for those on their way to
Laughlin or Las Vegas out of Phoenix, this is a great place for an ice-cream pick-me-up,
especially in the summer. Try the
Hassayampa Mud, a mocha pecan, or one of
the other 30 or so flavors. 45 N. Tegner St.,
Wickenburg. 928-684-3252, www.
chaparral-icecream.com.
 


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