Getting Here

Access to Arizona Rim Country is quick and easy along scenic divided expressways and interstates. The well-traveled roads offer great visibility and rarely require special travel conditions. Only an hour's drive from the greater Phoenix area, the Payson Region is popular among residents of one of the largest communities in the southwest as a getaway to the cool pines. Whether you're traveling to the Payson Region from Phoenix, from Flagstaff, or by air, you'll find the short distance from these major transportation hubs in Arizona pleasant and short.

From Phoenix...

Leaving Phoenix, you'll travel up along scenic Highway 87 (known locally as the "Beeline Highway".) Recently completed as a four-lane expressway with spectacular views and award-winning transportation structures, Highway 87 travels through the high desert and the impressive Mazatzal Mountain range. Traveling through Tonto National Forest lands, you'll begin your climb up into Arizona Rim Country. Just after cresting the hill you can catch the first glimpse of the majestic Mogollon Rim.

As an alternative route, travel up Interstate 17 to Camp Verde, and exit on Highway 260. Here you'll find several National Parks where ancient dwellers made their home. Continue along Highway 260 as it turns into the scenic mountain road passing along the Rim, through Pine and Strawberry, and then into Payson.
 

From Flagstaff...

Coming down from Flagstaff, travel along Interstate 17 south approximately 53 miles, to the Town of Camp Verde where you'll find the Highway 260 turnoff. Exit east onto 260, and continue on for approximately 30 miles to the mountain communities of Pine and Strawberry. Continue along Highway 260 into Payson.

Travel By Air...

Arizona's Rim Country is accessible by air through the Payson Regional Airport, located just two miles north of the center of town. The lighted 5,500-foot runway sits on a mesa at an elevation of 5,256 feet, and offers fueling, maintenance, hangars, and a restaurant. The airport features an industrial park and residential area with taxiway access, and even a "fly-in campground" located adjacent to the runway.