On site, waiting for you is our children’s playground which includes 2 swing-sets, a slide, and a playhouse.  There is basketball, volleyball, badminton, ping-pong, and 2 tetherball sets.  In addition, there is also a large campfire pit. Furthermore, since we border the National forest, you can bike or hike directly off of our property for hundreds of miles.

Offsite: Swim or fish in the East Verde River or Fossil Creek’s numerous fishing and swimming holes. We are about 40 minutes to an hour from Mormon Lake (usually a dry meadow), Lake Mary, Blue Ridge Reservoir and other wilderness lakes. Play in snow here (6,100 feet elevation) or above us on the Rim (7.3 miles @ 7,800 feet at the famous Cinch Hook Snow Park operated on weekends by the Coconino National Forest Service). For horseback riding you can visit a nearby stable or you can rent pack llama’s (from a neighbor). Visit the "Oldest Standing Schoolhouse In Arizona", scenic Tonto Natural Bridge, antique shops, or the Pioneer’s museum. Take a drive to Clarkdale and ride on the scenic Verde Canyon Rail Road. For more detailed information, please see our sections on Hiking, fishing, and wildlife.

Cinch Hook Sno-Park:

Cinch Hook is the premier family fun place to sled in Arizona. After 5 years of closure, the Coconino National Forest Service quietly reopened the park in the winter of 2001. They have new rules in place to enhance safety. Inflatables or light-weight plastic sleds are the only devices permitted. No snow boards, skis, wood or metal sledding devices are allowed. Jump/ramp/berm building forbidden. Open seven days per week, from sunrise to sunset. Portable toilets and a trash dumpster are provided. The park is not staffed by the forest service. Use at your own risk. The park is located just 7.3 miles north of Strawberry. Strawberry is the closest town/services to Cinch Hook. Furthermore, Cabins On Strawberry Hill is the closest accommodations to Cinch Hook Snow Park.

FOR SNOW CONDITIONS OR MORE INFO :
Please Do Not Call the Resort for Snow Conditions
at Cinch Hook as we are not affiliated.

You can call Blue Ridge Ranger Station at (928) 477-2255.

Tonto Natural Bridge: Visit the world's largest known travertine bridge. We have a description on our hiking pages. If you have never seen this natural bridge, it is an Arizona must see. It does require hiking steep trails, but they are short and the view of the waterfall and the natural bridge are worth it.

Pine-Strawberry Historical Schoolhouse: The schoolhouse was built in 1885. Classes were held until 1916. It is the oldest standing one-room schoolhouse in the state of Arizona. It takes only ten to fifteen minutes to see and it is neat to see. Visitors are welcome on weekends May through September.  Special events are scheduled at the school house throughout the summer.  Visit the Pine-Strawberry Historical Society's web site for more information.

Rim Country Museum: This museum is located in Payson's Green Valley Park.  It is operated by the Northern Gila County Historical Society.  The museum preserves the natural and cultural history of the region.  Exhibits feature ancient peoples of the area (the Tonto Apache), the Calvary and pioneer period along with other eras of Payson and the rim country.  On the grounds of the museum are the original Forest Ranger Station, the top of the Mount Ord Watchtower, Payson's first fire-fighting equipment and fire truck and a bronze memorial statue honoring firefighters who lost their lives fighting forest fires. (928) 474-3483. 700 Green Valley Parkway in Payson. Directions: Turn right from our driveway onto Hwy 87. Drive south about 17 miles to Main Street in Payson turn right and follow it back to Green Valley Park.

Pine-Strawberry Museum: This museum is located in the heart of the village of Pine on Hwy 87. It is next to the Cultural Hall, Sr. Center and charity thrift shop. The collections of unique items are interesting to see and explore.

Fort Verde State Historic Park: Fort Verde was an active military post during the 1870-1880 Indian Wars.  Four original buildings remain.  There is also three officer's quarters and the headquarters which contains a museum recalling the fort's history, its soldiers, and the Indian scouts. Fort Verde Days are celebrated each October. (928) 567-3275.   Because the Verde Valley is over 3,000 feet lower in elevation than Cabins On Strawberry Hill resort, it is significantly warmer year round.

Grand Canyon National Park: The 277 mile long canyon is a geologic and wildlife area with spectacular forest above the desert. The canyon's South Rim is open year-round. The more spectacular North Rim is open from mid-May through mid-October, depending on weather (snow).  The canyon is 150 miles northwest of Strawberry. Although our guests frequently travel up and back in one day, we recommend that you spend the night and enjoy the famous sunrises and sunsets the Grand Canyon has to offer.  Directions to the South Rim: Turn left onto Hwy 87 proceed 19 miles to Clint's Well. Turn left on Lake Mary Road (Hwy 3) and drive to Flagstaff. Drive underneath I-40 and through Flagstaff following the signs to turn left on Hwy 180 to the South Rim entrance.

Montezuma's Castle National Monument: In the Verde Valley, this five-story, 20-room cliff dwelling is 90 percent intact and considered one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America. Predating Aztec ruler Montezuma, early settlers named the site in error. Scientific studies show that Montezuma Castle was built by the Sinagua Indians between 1100 A.D. and !400 A.D. A visitor center and paved interpretive trail are on-site. Directions: Turn left on to Hwy 87/260 drive 7.3 miles and turn left. Take Hwy 260 about 29 miles to I-40 . Take I-40 north about 3 miles to exit 289. (928) 567-3322

Tonto Creek Fish Hatchery: Arizona Game and Fish department manages this trout hatchery. The hatchery offers free self-guided tours.  There are holding tanks shaded by canopies and ponds with larger trout ready to stock. Located at the end of Forest Service Rd. 289 on Tonto Creek. Directions: Turn right on Hwy 87 and go south to Payson. Turn left (east) on Hwy 260. Drive for about 15 miles then turn left onto FR 289. Follow the road to the end and park in the parking lot. Walk up the hill to the canopies and pond with the huge show trout.

Walnut Canyon National Monument: The narrow and deep limestone canyon holds the ruins of more than 80 cliff dwellings built 1150-1250 A.D. by the Sinagua Indians. Picnic areas, hiking trails and a visitor center are on-site.  Ranger discussions are held daily. Directions: Turn left going north on Hwy 87 19 miles to Clint's Well. Turn left onto Hwy 3 (Lake Mary Road) and travel to I-40 in Flagstaff approximately 48 miles. Enter I-40 east bound and exit 9 miles east of Flagstaff at exit 204. (928) 526-3367.

Mazatal Casino: A 35,000 square foot 24 hour casino located on the Tonto Apache reservation at the southern edge of Payson, is about 19 miles from  the resort. Slots, Video Poker, Poker, Bingo, Keno, restaurant, and shows are offered.  Call 800-777-7529 for schedules and information.  A non-smoking section of the casino opened in 2001.  The casino is about a twenty-five-minute drive from our resort.

Cliff Castle Casino: is about a 45-minute drive located in the Verde Valley region.  Take the General Crook Trail to I-17. Go north on I-17, then exit at exit number 289. They have shows, gaming and restaurants. Call (928) 567-7660 for show and restaurant information. Combined with seeing Montezuma's Castle ruins, this makes for a fun day.

Painted Desert Nation Park: This scenic location is in the high desert.  It is in the northern portion of Petrified Forest National Park and extends into the heart of the Painted Desert of northeast Arizona, a colorful fantasyland of mesa, buttes, and badlands.  This is a designated wilderness area so no mechanized travel is allowed.  A trail leads from the park road near the Painted Desert Inn.  If you walk even a short distance, you will leave almost all the tourists behind on the busy road, and enjoy an experience of beauty and solitude.  The area you see is the "Chinle formation", a very soft layer of earth consisting mainly of mud, sandstone, and volcanic ash.  The softness allows for fantastic erosion effects as well as colorful staining by mineralized water flows and mineral deposits over millions of years.  As the Painted Desert erodes, the fossilized artifacts from the Triassic era (220 million years ago) become exposed, the remains of an ancient conifer forest.  This is the world's largest and most beautiful concentration of petrified wood.  Look carefully as you walk through these soft clay hills.  They are in a constant state of erosion, and you could discover some prehistoric fossil just becoming exposed.

Petrified Forest National Park: Petrified Forest National Park is a surprising area of scenic wonders and interesting geological science. It is comprised of two main areas. The park's southern section is home to one of the world's largest and most colorful concentrations of petrified wood, as well as natural log bridges and 225 million year old fossils.  The park's northern section includes the Painted Desert.  The Rainbow Forest Museum which showcases the park's petrified wood, is near the southern entrance off of Hwy 180. The visitor center is located at the north entrance off I-40.  This national park is about a two hour drive northeast from our resort. Turn left from our driveway and proceed to Winslow., enter I-40 east bound. In Holbrook take the exit to state route 180. Stop for a snack and relief. Follow the signs. Petrified Forest stretches between State Route 180 and Interstate 40.  It takes roughly two hours to drive the 25 mile scenic drive from the south entrance to the Visitor's Center near I-40. To return to our resort first take I-40 west to Winslow.  Then take State Route 87 to our resort. I do recommend that you combine seeing the Painted Desert and Petrified forest in one day trip. See our links page for more information. Plan on taking an ice chest with you especially in the summer it typically is hot, dry and windy. People coming from moister climates dehydrate without realizing it. Then you feel fatigued and depressed without knowing why. If you wait to feel thirsty then you will be dehydrated without knowing it.

Homolovi Ruins State Park: Encompassing 300 archaeological sites on more than 4,000 acres, this historic park protects Anasazi ruins still sacred to their descendants, the Hopi Indians. Two large, 14th-century pueblos are open to the public, and visitors may hike past kivas, pit houses, and petroglyphs. Archaeologists are on-site in June and July, and interpretive programs are offered. Directions: Turn left and head past Winslow to I-40 exit from I-40 on exit 257 east of Winslow. (928) 289-4106 This is also near the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest.

Verde Canyon Rail Road: This passenger train makes daily excursions from near Clarkdale through a magnificent canyon. For more information see their web site www.verdecanyonrr.com. Call or stop by our office and we can call and make reservations for the train for you. Drive time about 75 minutes to the depot.