Fort Verde State Historic Park — Attraction in Camp Verde

My husband and I are avid history buffs, and seasonal RVers, so on a 3-day, non-RV trip, where we were purposely seeking out "new" (at least to us) state park campgrounds and RV resorts at the 3500-ft level, we found ourselves winding down the mountain into the Verde Valley, specifically, Fort Verde, near the town of Camp Verde. Again, our natural curiosity drew us there, as well as the knowledge that General George Crook launched many a campaign in the late 1880s from this fort in pursuit of the Apache tribes, with the directive to either capture or negotiate their surrender to the reservations at San Carlos and Cibeque, amongst others.

When one approaches the main park building, which is one of the original ranch style barracks housing all the historical memoribilia, one is struck by the view, first, which this building and the rest of the fort affords, of the Verde River winding southward through the faded gold and rust of cottonwood and sycamore trees, with two mountain ranges rising like ramparts east and west. A good location, as the informative exhibits reminded us, because it afforded the US Army easy access to fresh water and the nearby commerce of the then town of Camp Verde and Cottonwood for food and supplies, as well as lumber to build the fort.

Inside, the exhibits portray the period Army uniforms and all the munition and armory that were used, especially period Army Colt revolvers, .50-cal carbine rifles, hunting knives, .45/70-cal rifles, with the accompanying bullets, and the everyday Army camping gear supplied to every soldier preparing for long forays and many weeks of camping out in the wilderness (see accompanying photos).

Walking around the parade grounds, then walking into the Officers' quarters where the desks, chairs, and everyday official tools of Army correspondence and communication and living were conducted, time seems to stand still; the smell of old leather, the slightly musty scent of wide plank floors, warmed by the hot sun and warped by the frigid cold, the faded carpet underneath the general's desk; and seeing the living quarters of the general in the next building, one could almost smell the faint acidic tobacco of General Crook's cigar, as he stood in the early morning surveying his soldiers' training formations and everyday maintenance duties on the parade grounds. . . .

Take at least a day to read everything; stand in front of the separate housing quarters, then step inside and listen to the stillness as you take in the rooms that housed and heard the clomp of riding boots, the jangle of spurs, the sometimes sharp bark of laughter or command from the officers to their subordinates; and see the walls that heard the sound of female voices from the officers' wives, the yells of soldiers as they filed into formation, the neighing of horses, the creak of saddles, and the clanging of pots as food was cooked and brought into the mess hall. Take at least a day, especially if it is a day like a fall day, at Fort Verde, Arizona, to step back in time and grab a glimpse of what is was like to live in this harsh land that has not changed, except to get drier as each decade passes, and which reminds us of our past individual heroisms, courage, mistakes, and ignominious triumphs of what it took to carve a future out of...

This site was amazing to explore. It was fun to imagine how it must have been like to live during this time. Jeff Mullins Photography Adventures. Happy Hiking! Fort Verde State Historic Park in the town of Camp Verde, Arizona is a small park that attempts to preserve parts of the Apache Wars-era fort as it appeared in the 1880s. The park was established in 1970 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places a year later. Settlers in the mid-19th century near the Verde River grew corn and other crops with the prospect of getting good prices from nearby Prescott, which was the territorial capital, and from nearby miners. The rapid increase in population for the mining economy disrupted the hunting and gathering environments of the local Native American tribes, the Dilzhe'e Apache and Yavapai. In turn, they raided the farmers' crops for food. The farmers requested military protection from the United States Army and, in 1865, although Arizona was still only a territory, the infantry arrived. They set up several posts over the next few years: • 1865, a small camp five miles (8 km) south of what is today Camp Verde. • 1866-1871, Camp Lincoln, a mile north of today's Fort Verde. • 1871-1873, Camp Verde, built gradually from 1871 to 1873. • 1879, Camp Verde, renamed Fort Verde • 1891, Fort Verde abandoned • 1899, sold at public auction After approximately 1,500 local natives were placed on a reservation by 1872, the army's role changed from protecting the settlers to ensuring that the Indians stayed on the reservation. The last major military engagement with uprising natives took place in 1882 at the Battle of Big Dry Wash. The fort was never enclosed by walls or stockades, and it never saw fighting on site. At its height, it consisted of twenty-two buildings, only four of which survived until 1956, when local citizens created a small museum in the administration building. They later donated the buildings and ten acres (40,000 m²) as a State Park. Some of the buildings were built with pice, which is large adobe slabs cast within wooden frames, rather than assembled from the more familiar individual...

This is a tiny museum with big dreams. The exhibits are small but packed with information. So if you only have a short amount of time in Camp Verde, this is a great place to go see. It's a wonderful resource to understand the big picture of habitation in historic sites of the Verde Valley from prehistoric times to now.

There are top-notch artifacts in the collection, and the staff and volunteers at the center are a wealth of information. There's good restaurants across the street, too. Definitely a great thing to hit up on the way to Montezuma's Castle. There's even a kids' section!

The center is currently in plans to expand in another location and create upgrades at different archaeological sites that currently have none, and to create trails around sites around Camp Verde. If you have a chance, definitely consider checking them out because their heart really is in the right place. It'll take less than an hour if you don't talk to anyone, more than one if you get into a long conversation with someone.

Admission is...