Last Updated: May 2, 2026
Prescott, Arizona sits in the north-central part of the state at about 5,400 feet elevation — high enough to be noticeably cooler than Tucson, and blessed with four mild seasons that have made it one of Arizona’s most consistently popular places to live and visit. It was once the capital of the Arizona Territory, and that history is still palpable in the architecture and character of the downtown. We stayed near Watson Lake, enjoyed hiking the trail along the lake’s remarkable granite shoreline, and used Prescott as a base for one of the most scenic drives in the state — up through the pines to Jerome and down into the Verde Valley. From here we continued on to Petrified Forest National Park.
