Verde Valley Tennis

The Verde Valley has two towns of substantial size, Cottonwood and Camp Verde, as well as the smaller Clarkdale, Cornville, Rimrock, and Lake Montezuma. Tiny Jerome is perched at 5066 feet overlooking the Verde Valley from the west.

Cottonwood has twelve tennis courts that are open to the public free of charge.

The four courts at the Cottonwood Recreation Center (map) are in fairly good condition, but pickleball often occupies all but one; therefore, getting a court can be difficult. Lights are available for a modest fee. Certain times each week are sometimes reserved for groups that play tennis or pickleball regularly together, and signs on the doors may indicate those hours and whom to contact if you want to join in.

The eight courts at Mingus Union High School (map) were in the fairly good to fairly poor condition captured in this photograph until a major upgrade in the fall of 2016. They may be the best courts in the area now, but access to the school grounds is limited, and the tennis teams usually fill the courts in the spring. The renovation may have greatly upgraded the lights, but the school grounds might not often be accessible for the general public at night.

Camp Verde has one free, public court, at Butler Park (map). It's in fair condition at best, but you will usually find it available. A few low spots on the court collect deep puddles that can take two days to dry in cooler weather and several hours in the summer. The court has good lights.

Clarkdale, Cornville, and the other smaller towns, sadly, have no public tennis courts, and none of the towns in the Verde Valley have clubs, resorts, or neighborhood associations with courts that the public can use.

The Verde Valley doesn't have as many great hikes as Sedona, but the Verde River and the various creeks that feed it are surrounded by lush vegetation that contrasts dramatically with the surrounding desert, and fairly short climbs up the mountains surrounding the valley offer quick changes in scenery and panoramic views.

Camp Verde has an extensive network of National Forest jeep trails that are outstanding for biking, many of them quite smooth, largely flat, and, with a few exceptions, rarely used. On 90% of the trails, you can bike for hours without seeing another person. Camp Verde's open terrain affords sweeping views across the Verde Valley to the surrounding mountains. The most detailed National Forest maps show some of the trails, and you can spot them via online satellite images.