Here are the best last-minute Labor Day weekend 2023 getaways in Arizona
It feels like this summer wore out its welcome about a month of triple digits ago. But it will soon be over. With Labor Day approaching, at least we know the end is in sight. There will once again come a time when night actually brings cool temperatures. Remember those? Harmony will be restored.
Just the thought of that should be cause for celebration. Finish up the season with one final road trip. Take advantage of the long weekend and get out of town. Here are a few suggestions on where to point your wheels for an amazing Arizona Labor Day weekend getaway.
Coronado National Memorial: Picnic at Montezuma Pass, hike to a cave
Nestled in the foothills of the Huachuca Mountains abutting the Mexican border, Coronado National Memorial commemorates and interprets the Coronado Expedition of 1540-1542 and its lasting impacts on Southwest culture. Located about 20 miles south of Sierra Vista, the memorial is part of Arizona’s sky island mountains filled with spectacular scenery.
Enter on the park road, which climbs from verdant grasslands into oak woodlands and continues through heavier forest up Montezuma Canyon. Past the visitor center the road is paved for a mile and graded dirt for the upper 2 miles. It twists around tight switchbacks (vehicles over 24 feet are prohibited) and steep grades as the world falls away below.
Montezuma Pass Overlook sits at 6,575 feet flanked by picnic tables and interpretive signs, a perfect spot for an end of summer picnic celebration. Afterward you can make a short scramble (0.8 mile round-trip) to the summit of Coronado Peak, crowned with a shade ramada and additional signs describing the Coronado Expedition.
Adventurous types will want to visit Coronado Cave, one of the few open, undeveloped caves in southern Arizona. You don’t have to worry about squeezing through. The large cavern is 600 feet deep and in most places about 70 feet wide. Legend has it that Chiricahua Apache leader Geronimo often hid out in the cave.
It’s a half-mile hike to reach the cave with an elevation gain of 500 feet. Some light scrambling over slick rocks is required to reach the cave floor.
Be prepared. Carry at least two sources of light. Do not explore the cave alone. Wear gloves. Touching the cave walls without gloves causes damage and prevents the growth of new formations. Check in at the visitor center to see if permits are required and for more information on safety and preservation of this special environment.
Details: Admission to Coronado National Memorial is free. The visitor center is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. 520-366-5515, www.nps.gov/coro.
Kartchner Caverns: Walk through a living cave
Nine miles south of Benson, Kartchner Caverns State Park is part of the Whetstone Mountains. Kartchner is a wet living cave with water still percolating down from the surface and formations still growing. A bristling forest of stalactites, stalagmites, columns and crystals fills the soaring space. Everything lives and breathes here amid the soft humidity. It feels like you’re walking into the chambers of a beating human heart.
Guided cavern tours are offered: the daytime Rotunda Tour ($23; $13 for ages 7-13) and the Helmet and Headlamps Tour ($30) on Saturday evenings. The Big Room Tour is closed in summer to protect the roosting bat population. It will resume Oct. 15. Reserve cave tours in advance. The park also offers hiking trails, a campground and cabins.
Details: Park admission is $7 per vehicle, waived for people with camping or cave-tour reservations. Park information, 502-586-4100. Cave tour reservations, 877-697-2757, https://azstateparks.com/kartchner.
Stay awhile and mine the ramshackle history of Jerome
Lots of people recognize Jerome as a great day trip, but it’s time to think bigger. Spend a night or two in this mountainside artist community soaking up the culture and general weirdness. Labor Day weekend is the perfect time since it includes the monthly Art and Wine Walk.
From 5-8 p.m. on the first Saturday of every month, more than two dozen shops and galleries stay open late. Many put out spreads of food and drinks and include artist demonstrations and live music. Walk the hilly streets enjoying art, music, food and the delicious late summer twilight that settles over this mile-high burg.
During the day, visit Jerome State Historic Park, which preserves a rambling 8,700-square-foot mansion built in 1916. Once the opulent home of mine owner James Douglas, it now serves as an informative museum filled with photographs, artifacts, mining, equipment, minerals and models of the network of shafts and tunnels dug through the mountains.
Details: 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily. 100 Douglas Place, Jerome. $7, $4 for ages 7-13. 928-634-5381, https://azstateparks.com/jerome.
Sitting a mile north of Jerome, Gold King Mine and Ghost Town harbors an assortment of ramshackle buildings, a menagerie of friendly animals and a sprawling array of rusted machinery that forever teeters between ruin and redemption.
Vintage trucks, cars, tractors, motorcycles and nearly every other conveyance lines the pathways. Allow plenty of time to wander the grounds because treasures are stashed everywhere. Gearheads will have to be dragged to the exit.
Details: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday. 1000 Perkinsville Road, Jerome. $12, $7 for ages 6-12. 928-634-0053, www.goldkingmineghosttown.com.
Williams, AZ: Drive through Bearizona, then go relax by a lake
At the edge of Williams, Bearizona Drive-Thru Wildlife Park offers visitors a chance for an up-close encounter with a variety of animals. Just drive through the gate and into 160 acres of pine forest populated by bears, wolves, bison, bighorn sheep and more, all roaming freely — although bears and wolves are partitioned off from their snack-like neighbors.
The layout of the park provides excellent views of all corners of the habitat. At the end of the 3-mile drive, park the car and stroll the winding paths through Fort Bearizona, a walk-thru setting that includes a barnyard petting zoo and mine shaft housing nocturnal critters.
Details: Open at 8 a.m. daily in summer; last admission is 6 p.m. Check website for holiday hours. 1500 E. Route 66, Williams. Weekend tickets are $35, $25 for ages 4-12. 928-635-2289, www.bearizona.com.
A handful of small scenic lakes are tucked away in the forests surrounding Williams. The most accessible are Santa Fe Lake, Dogtown Lake, Kaibab Lake and Cataract Lake. While swimming is not allowed, these are great getaways to fish, have a picnic or just walk along the water’s edge.
Santa Fe, just a half-mile south of downtown, is a reservoir trapped behind a red sandstone dam that was built by the railroad. Cataract sits a mile outside of town and like Santa Fe is day-use only. Dogtown and Kaibab both have campgrounds. Information (including current fire restrictions) and directions are available at the Williams Visitor Center, 200 W. Railroad Ave., or from the Williams Ranger District.
Details: Williams Ranger District, 928-635-5600, www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab.
If you need more of an adrenaline rush than fishing provides, Route 66 Zipline offers a ride along the Mother Road. It’s a quick trip and instead of harnesses, you’re strapped into tandem seats making for a fun family adventure. Check the website for hours.
Details: 200 N. Grand Canyon Blvd., Williams. $12 per person for tandem rides. 928-236-3400, www.ziplineroute66.com.
Swim, fish or boat at Lyman Lake in the White Mountains
At 1,500 acres, Lyman Lake dwarfs all bodies of water in the White Mountains. With such an expanse, there are activities for everybody, including a sheltered swimming beach, a no-wake zone for anglers, twisting canyons kayakers will love and plenty of wide-open water for speed boaters and skiers. A small store sells food, bait and supplies. Anglers can catch largemouth bass, catfish, carp and walleye.
The campground overlooks the lake, featuring 56 sites, 38 with electric and water hookups. And for those who aren’t inclined to rough it, Lyman Lake State Park also includes eight heated, air-conditioned cabins with full-sized beds, bunk beds, table, chairs and covered porch.
At publication time, there was no drinking water at the park, which is 18 miles north of Springerville on U.S. 180/191. Check the website to see if you should bring your own water. Restrooms and showers are fully functional.
Details: Park admission is $10 per vehicle. 928-337-4441, https://azstateparks.com/lyman-lake.
Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ or X, formerly Twitter, @AZRogerNaylor.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Labor Day weekend 2023: Best last-minute getaways in Arizona
