Prescott

On the western frontier of Prescott and in the shadow of Thumb Butte, Forest Trails puts residents halfway between a bustling downtown area and the natural splendor of the Prescott National Forest. Realtor Rose Gowen with Keller Williams Arizona Realty says, “You can find amazing views of Thumb Butte, the main hill that Prescott is known for. Depending on where you are, you could have a massive view of that rock, and it’s just overpowering and overwhelming.” People come to Forest Trails for all different reasons, but most come for the mixture of nature and urban access that this neighborhood offers. Forest Trails is immersed in nature, with the Prescott National Forest forming most back yards. Petroglyph Point, located at the entrance to the neighborhood, has long been a local attraction both due to the abundance of stones inscribed with Native American artwork and the panoramic view that this overlook offers. The most famous rock feature in Prescott, however, is Thumb Butte, which towers over Forest Trails. This finger-shaped formation is the centerpiece of the Thumb Butte Recreation Area, a vast expanse of forested trails frequented by hikers; over 3,000 visitors walk this path each month. The 1.75-mile trail leads to a viewpoint of the Forest Trails neighborhood. For more laid-back recreation, the Don Myers Memorial Park lets families and friends play basketball or tennis, as well as ample green space for picnicking. Forest Trails is located among Prescott’s hilly western suburbs, with Sierry Peaks Drive connecting this development to major shopping thoroughfares like Iron Springs Road. The Willow Creek Village retail hub sits off this main road, and residents can pick up groceries from Safeway or Walmart, buy anything from yarn to sports supplies at local shops or even treat themselves out to a Mexican meal at the colorfully decorated Lindo Mexico restaurant. Forest Trails is a relatively new neighborhood of Prescott; nearly all of its homes were built during the 21st century, many of them in the late 2010s. What shapes Forest Trails’ unique appeal is the creativity put into each home’s design. Gowen says, “Homes are custom-built and sit up and down hills. The homes can be up into the millions.” While most homes are single-story residences, they vary in aesthetics, with some featuring Spanish influences and others sporting Craftsman styles. Lush front yards offer color to the desert hills on which this neighborhood was developed, and trees provide shade over driveways and sidewalks. Forest Trails’ custom builds can fetch prices between $600,000 and $1.7 million, with differences in acreage and home size contributing to this wide range. Students start their education at Lincoln Elementary School, which receives a B rating from Niche, before going on to attend the B-plus-rated Prescott Mile High Middle School and the B-rated Prescott High School. Niche recognizes Prescott High’s strong athletics programs, which include football and softball, while this school also offers Advanced Placement and dual enrollment classes with Yavapai College. Forest Trails is a mere 10-minute drive from Prescott Courthouse Square and the shopping district of Whiskey Row, while the Mountain View Medical Professional Plaza and its healthcare resources are just a 5-mile drive up Iron Springs and Willow Creek Roads.

Situated among the hilly, western outskirts of Prescott, the gated community of Hassayampa offers a quiet suburban refuge shielded behind hundreds of verdant trees, mesquites and paloverdes. Behind this wall of nature lay several winding roads where vast, custom-built residences sit on large plots and present residents with panoramic hilltop views and shrubby back yards. With downtown Prescott and its shopping and dining scenes just 3 miles down the road and the wide-open wilderness of the Sierra Prieta mountains as a backdrop, Hassayampa is perched halfway between city and country. The Capital Canyon Club forms the green core of Hassayampa, with Ponderosa pines enclosing an 18-hole, par-71 course developed on 85 acres of former ranchland. In addition to its well-received greens, this club is home to a fitness center, sauna and pool, with the clubhouse’s location giving members a commanding view of the Prescott skyline as they work out or relax. Stricklin Park invites all members of the community to venture through the golf course and along Butte Creek by hiking its 6.2-mile trail. The Butte Creek Trail connects to the extensive trails of the Thumb Butte Recreation Area, a park that surrounds one of Prescott’s dominant natural features, the imposing Thumb Butte rock formation. While Hassayampa’s location on Prescott’s western frontier may make this community seem worlds away from downtown Prescott’s lively Whiskey Row, Thumb Butte Road and Gurley Street lead residents directly into the heart of the city. Hassayampa has no restaurants or shops of its own, but, along Gurley Street, diners can have a hearty brunch at the old-timey That Apple Pan restaurant and grab drinks and dinner at the Gurley St Grill. Both a Safeway and a Sprouts Farmers Market are located within a 3-mile drive from Hassayampa, as are the saloons, shops and other entertainment options along Whiskey Row. Hassayampa is billed as a luxury community, and its 15 communities are full of million-dollar residences and golf-course condos. Condos, many of them located next to the Capital Canyon Club, can sell for between $400,000 and $790,000, while single-story New Traditional homes with hilltop views range in value from $1 million to $2.4 million. Most New Traditional homes are custom builds, many of them incorporating intricate stonework and Modern Farmhouse-influenced interiors into their unique aesthetics. Hassayampa’s streets tend to lack sidewalks, although this neighborhood’s residential side-roads tend to have sparse traffic. Students start their education at Lincoln Elementary School, which receives a B rating from Niche, before going on to attend the B-plus-rated Prescott Mile High Middle School and the B-rated Prescott High School. Prescott High prepares its students for their post-secondary futures through offering both AP and dual enrollment classes, and the school has been recognized by the state education department as an “Excelling School” for years. Hassayampa’s location at the western edge of Prescott disconnects it from any public transportation services, but drivers are just a 3-mile journey away from Prescott’s historic downtown area, Whiskey Row, and from the Yavapai Regional Medical Center.

Among the Bradshaw Mountains of central Arizona and next to the regional hub of Prescott, The Ranch at Prescott offers quiet living just around the corner from nature and urban life. The Ranch at Prescott may have been founded in 1987, but its growth has never stopped. Homes built as recently as 2023 offer hillside views of the city and the surrounding mountains, while the neighborhood’s main boulevard links to State Route 69 and a major retail hub. Realtor Rose Gowen with Keller Williams Arizona Realty, who has sold extensively in the area, says, “It’s suburban in the fact that it’s like a neighborhood, but the lots are larger. The homes are bigger and custom-built, and you could probably see a 90- to 180-degree view depending on where your home is.” Students can start their education at the Taylor Hicks School, which receives an A-minus from Niche, before going on to attend the B-plus-rated Prescott Mile High Middle School and the B-rated Prescott High School. Not only does Prescott High have strong athletics programs, which include football and softball, but Prescott High also offers Advanced Placement and dual enrollment classes with Yavapai College. The Ranch at Prescott is surrounded by opportunities for outdoor exploration. At the community’s western end is Badger Mountain, which offers hikers a strenuous workout as they climb to its peak to take in the panoramic views of Prescott. Plus, there's the “Prescott ‘P’” landmark, an assemblage of white rocks visible from passing planes. To the east of the Ranch, hundreds of acres of Forest Service land and nearby trails provide nature lovers with near-limitless opportunities for camping. At the heart of this wilderness is Lynx Lake, a locally popular venue for fishing, camping, swimming and hiking. Though The Ranch at Prescott may seemingly be surrounded by nature, one cannot enter the neighborhood without passing by the Pine Ridge Marketplace, one of the largest retail hubs in the Prescott area. The Trader Joe’s at this mall and the neighboring Costco ensure that grocery runs are hardly a chore, while residents can treat themselves to a meal at WZ Poke and Ramen or one of the mall’s brand-name dining options. The mall is not only a popular venue for shopping, however. “There’s a sports center at the mall, including indoor and outdoor pickleball,” Gowen says. “The Sears department store has been converted into a sports center, and the center of the mall has a food court and a beautiful rock fireplace where people gather.” The Ranch at Prescott is a recent development, with its first homes dating to the late 1980s, and a significant number of them being less than two decades old. Only The Oaks community is gated off, and the rest of the neighborhood is connected by winding mountainside roads that offer commanding views of the surrounding countryside. Gowen says, “It’s very hilly there, so, the higher the elevation, you’re going to be seeing a lot more views of mountains, cities and open plains.” This neighborhood’s suburban lanes have dozens of ranch-style, bungalow and custom-built houses with great variety in both price and size. Homebuyers can expect to spend between $540,000 and $1 million for a ranch-style home or between $915,000 to $1.625 million for a larger and newer custom build. Not only does The Ranch at Prescott have an HOA, but it also offers annual subscriptions to the Ranch Social Club, which hosts social activities such as card games, dinner groups, hiking trips, book clubs and quilting. The Ranch at Prescott is connected to State Route 69 by Lee Boulevard, enabling commuters to reach downtown Prescott – a regional center of employment and healthcare – within a 6-mile and 15-minute drive. Prescott Regional Airport, which offers daily flights to Denver and Los Angeles, is 12 miles to the north.