Payson Arizona Homes
July 21, 2008 by Carl Chapman
Filed under Arizona Homes
Payson is in Eastern Arizona . It is in Gila County. The town is located below the Mogollon Rim making it a cool and comfortable retreat. Surrounding Payson is the Tonto National Forest, which holds the largest stand of Ponderosa pine in the world. The town is located on State Highway 87, at the junction of State Highway 260.
Payson is the geographical center of Arizona and is a great place to start your adventures along the Mogollon Rim. It is one of the oldest communities in the state and has grown to become a very popular mountain cabin retreat area. Today Payson’s population is 24,500. The town sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet. The climate is cool and mild all year round with the winter low temperature of 23 degrees and summer high temperature of 92 degrees. The town does receive 10 inches of snow a year and 15 inches of rain. Payson is known for its numerous festivals and events held year round from rodeos to a fiddlers contest to a logging competition. It is a mountain community where visitors will find every kind of outdoor activity including hunting, fishing, camping and hiking.
Showing properties
1 - 15 of 425.
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city of Payson real estate.
(all data current as of
3/13/2010)
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$9,500,000 : 901 N Indian Paintbrush Circle, Payson7 beds, 10 full bathsSize: 16,000 sq ftLot size: 4.90 ac
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$4,900,000 : TRACT Y Of Chaparral Pines --, Payson0 beds, 0 bathsSize: n/aLot size: 31.42 ac
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$2,990,000 : 0000 E Del Chi Drive, Payson0 beds, 0 bathsSize: n/aLot size: 81.16 ac
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$2,495,000 : 2902 E Lions Pocket --, Payson3 beds, 3 full bathsSize: 3,840 sq ftLot size: 43,559 sq ft
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$2,200,000 : 1705 E Desert Mimosa Drive, Payson3 beds, 4 full bathsSize: 4,828 sq ftLot size: 43,559 sq ft
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$2,200,000 : 500 S Rim Club Drive, Payson0 beds, 0 bathsSize: n/aLot size: 11.96 ac
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$1,999,999 : 132 W White Drive, Payson4 beds, 3 full bathsSize: n/aLot size: 10.00 ac
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$1,595,000 : 2100 E Rim Club Drive, Payson4 beds, 5 full bathsSize: 5,300 sq ftLot size: 1.90 ac
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$1,570,000 : 105 S Rim Club Drive, Payson0 beds, 0 bathsSize: n/aLot size: n/a
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$1,570,000 : 105 S Rim Club Drive, Payson0 beds, 0 bathsSize: n/aLot size: 8.00 ac
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$1,500,000 : 811 S Mclane Road, Payson0 beds, 0 bathsSize: n/aLot size: 8.50 ac
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$1,500,000 : 712 N Foot Hills East Circle, Payson3 beds, 4 full bathsSize: 3,400 sq ftLot size: 4.90 ac
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$1,390,000 : 2104 E Rim Club Drive, Payson4 beds, 4 full bathsSize: 4,185 sq ftLot size: 1.90 ac
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$1,375,000 : 3005 E Thunder Point, Payson4 beds, 4 full bathsSize: 3,663 sq ftLot size: 24,000 sq ft
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$1,300,000 : 408 S Decision Pine Pine, Payson4 beds, 5 full bathsSize: 5,506 sq ftLot size: 1.90 ac
Listing information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Read full disclaimer.
There are many attractions you won’t want to miss during a visit to Payson. The Museum of the Forest must be your first stop when arriving in town. The museum has lots of information on Payson’s history, with its focus being on what life was like as a forest ranger in the early years. The museum has artifacts, displays and historic buildings, all of which make the museum an interesting stop. The Strawberry Schoolhouse is just north of Payson, in the town of Strawberry. This schoolhouse is the oldest one in Arizona , built in 1885. It has been restored and is full of unique pieces revealing what education was like long ago.
The Shoofly Indian Archaeological Site is just minutes from town. This site once held more than 80 rooms built of wood, stone and adobe. The interpretive trail gives visitors an opportunity to learn more about the village. The Payson Exotic Zoo is a small zoo filled with special animals. Many of the animals living here have been in movies. They are trained wild animals and are accustomed to human contact. It is one zoo you will want to visit. Mazatzal Casino is located just south of Payson. This is where gaming fun can be found. The casino has over 300 slot machines, bingo, keno and a card room. Mazatzal Casino is known for a “Hot Time in the Cool Pines”.
Since Payson is set in the middle of the forest where there are numerous outdoor activities available to visitors. The Tonto Natural Bridge State Park is a spectacular sight. The park has picnic areas, a historic lodge and hiking trails down to the 400-foot natural travertine tunnel. It is a natural wonder that must be one of your top places to see.
Fishing is a very popular outdoor activity. If you would like to learn more about these fine fin friends, then you will need to head out to the Tonto Fish Hatchery. Here you will see brown, brook and rainbow trout growing to maturity. The interpretive walk is full of fish facts. The Fossil Springs Wilderness Area is just a short drive north of town, near Strawberry.
The 12,000-acre wilderness area has pools of water along the creek, which are ideal for taking a cool dip. There are also hiking trails throughout the wilderness area. If camping is your thing, then a visit to Woods Canyon Lake is the place for you. The lake offers two campgrounds, a store and hiking trails. It is the perfect mountain getaway.
Events:
Spring Pro Rodeo May
June Bug Blues Festival June
Loggers and Sawdust Festival July
World’s Oldest Continuous Rodeo August
State Championship Fiddlers Contest September
In 1876, the town of Payson began when Bill Burch constructed a cabin. Then in 1882, John and Frank Hise opened a store in the area. The community began to grow due in most part to the lure of gold.
Later, a fort was built to protect the settlers from the Apache raids. The community was called Union Park, however the town had other names such as Big Valley and Green Valley
The town finally received its name from an Illinois senator named Louis Edwin Payson. In 1884, Payson passed the recommendation for a post office to be established in town. In honor of Payson’s help, the town decided to change the name to Payson.
Most of the town’s first residents were miners searching the nearby mountains for precious minerals. Soon the fact that nobody was going to strike it rich became a reality. Nevertheless, many of the residents decided to stay on. They enjoyed the wonderful four-season climate. Soon the residents switched their occupations and became loggers and ranchers.
Throughout Payson’s history, it has been a real cow town. During many years when ranches in the area fought over land and livestock, Payson became a neutral ground or retreat.
One of Payson’s most famous residents was Zane Gray. During the 1920’s, Gray lived outside of Payson in a log cabin where he wrote many books. He loved the pines and the beauty of the Mogollon Rim, which reaches above the town of Payson. This environment became his inspiration for his western books. Unfortunately, his cabin burned in 1990 and can no longer be seen.
Payson continued to be an isolated mountain town until 1959, when the Beeline Highway (State Highway 89) was built linking it to Phoenix. Today Payson is a popular tourist hangout because of its proximity to Phoenix and its ideal climate.
