Arizona's 12 Best Affordable Towns With Mountain Views

Arizona is known for its majestic outdoors because of the global reputation of the Grand Canyon, hence the nickname, "The Grand Canyon State." But Arizona doesn't just have spectacular mountain views up north around the Grand Canyon. Towns across the state feature mountain vistas that are an important part of each community.

We wanted to create a list of some of the best affordable Arizona towns with mountain views and adventure. We looked for communities with a wide range of activities that won't break your budget, such as hiking, fishing, caving, golfing, and mine tours. 

Another important factor was finding affordable lodging in each town with a great view of the local mountain range. To accomplish this, we scoured local hotel websites and larger travel websites like hotels.com and choicehotels.com. We also used local travel sites like visitarizona.com and discovergilacounty.com to ensure numerous affordable activities.

Globe, located east of Phoenix, is a town of 7,195 residents surrounded by the majestic mountains of Tonto National Forest. Upon arriving in Globe, you'll want to head to an affordable hotel, like the Days Inn by Wyndham Globe. You can find a nightly rate as low as $124, with a location surrounded by rolling desert mountains.

Visitors can explore Globe's mining past at the Old Dominion Mine Park. This park is set among the rugged peaks, with plenty of free activities to enjoy, like hiking trails, mining artifacts, and even a 9-hole disc golf course with sweeping views.

You can learn about the first civilizations in the area at the Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park, the site of a Pueblo village constructed between 1225 and 1450 CE. With the sun cascading over the mountains, this village is a beautiful example of indigenous architecture. Tickets to the park are only $5 for adults, while kids are free.

Established in 1870, Show Low, a town of around 12,000 people, rests in the White Mountains and not only showcases its extraordinary scenery but also a unique story of a card game that gave Show Low its namesake. When considering making Show Low your base camp for exploration, consider the Best Western Paint Pony Lodge along Hwy 260, which gets you beautiful White Mountain views for as low as $139 a night. 

One of the most affordable ways to appreciate the White Mountains around Show Low is walking the 1.5-mile Show Low Meadow Trail, which has paved pathways and a creek for fishing. Speaking of fishing, there are two lakes within Show Low city limits — Show Low Lake and Fool Hollow Lake, a scenic lake park known for water recreation. Both lakes are open for camping and fishing from the shore.

Considered by some as the heart of red rock country, Clarkdale is located in the Verde Valley and is home to 4,758 people. If you're looking for an underrated Arizona town with views like Sedona and no crowds, Clarkdale is the perfect stop for you. Clarkdale Lodge offers a room as low as $88.34, where you can enjoy the desert expanse and mountains in the distance. If you can afford a slightly more expensive room, the ground-floor suite is only $139 per night, but you are gifted with a great view of Sedona and Sycamore Canyon outside your window.

A great way to spend your day outdoors is by visiting the Tuzigoot National Monument. This 110-room ancient hilltop Pueblo, which the Sinaguan people called home, overlooks the Verde Valley, and you can experience it for just $10. Bird watchers can head to Tavasci Marsh, a 96-acre marsh costing only $10, and admire the rocky horizon while looking for the Belted Kingfisher, Brewer's Sparrow, or Yellow-billed Cuckoo. A unique place in Clarkdale to find something to eat is the Dream West Caboose, where you can get everything from a hot coffee for $3 to a delicious pulled pork sandwich for only $9, but make sure you're aware of their unique hours, as they're only open Thursday to Monday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Known as "cowboy country," Cave Creek is a convenient northern Phoenix suburb that's home to 5,091 residents and surrounded by a vast expanse and great mountain views north of the city. For value accommodation, try the Hampton Inn, which offers a king room for only $72 a night.

Perhaps nothing is more synonymous with Arizona than the cactus, and there are plenty to see along the Michelin Man Saguaro Cactus Trail, including the famous "Michelin Man" saguaro cactus that helps make this trail so unforgettable. Best of all, this amazing hike only costs you a $10 vehicle entry pass.

Another great way to appreciate mountain life in Arizona is to visit the Cave Creek Museum. For just $10, you can walk the outdoor exhibits, like the Golden Reef Stamp Mill & Tramway, which is an operational mining stamp mill, or a 1920 tubercular cabin, built for people recuperating from the lung disease, for which the desert air was believed to help. If you prefer beauty over history, check out the museum gardens to appreciate native Sonoran Desert vegetation, like blue sage, palo verde, or creosote bush, all while surrounded by mountains dotted with cacti.

Known as "The Heart of Arizona," Payson is a high-elevation sanctuary from Arizona's desert climate. The central mountain town is home to one of the largest Ponderosa pine forests in the world and the Mazatzal Mountains to the west. Hotel Kohl's Ranch Lodge provides commanding views of both the pine trees and the Mazatzal range. You can find a studio room with a king bed for well under $100 or a standard room for $136.

The Mogollon Rim is a must-see when in Payson, as you'll find small cooling lakes throughout, including the centerpiece, Woods Canyon Lake, which is 55 surface acres and a great spot for rainbow trout fishing. One of the best parts is that most of the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest is free, aside from renting kayaks, canoes, or boats. 

Another memorable and completely free experience around Payson happens when the sun goes down. Stargazing along various trailheads in the Tonto National Forest, Rim Road, or Green Valley Park lets you take advantage of the clear desert air and see the Milky Way with your naked eye, and maybe a meteor shower if you're lucky.

Pine is a tiny mountain town of around 1,740 people south of Sedona that has all the small-town charm and mountain town activities that make it an affordable getaway with plenty of entertainment. A great way to experience an Arizona vacation with great mountain views is to surround yourself with them at all times. Pine Creek Cabins allows you to stay in traditional cabins with up-to-date amenities for just $149 a night. 

The best part about your cabin stay is when you step foot outside your cabin and see the Mogollon Rim with pine forest-covered mountain views everywhere you look. Just south of Pine is Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, and it is arguably the most beautiful spot in the area. Access costs $10 for adults and $5 for kids, and the crown jewel is the 183-foot-high bridge over a 400-foot-long tunnel. 

You should also head north of Strawberry, Pine's twin town, to Fossil Creek, which offers spectacular views and adventure in a remote, challenging Arizona canyon. You'll need to be ready for a rugged drive from Strawberry or Camp Verde; high-clearance vehicles are suggested for the 14-mile dirt road from Camp Verde. Hiking the Bob Bear Trail from Strawberry during the summer should only be tried by experienced hikers. In terms of cost, it depends on when you go, as the $10 parking permit is required from April 1 to October 1, while fall and winter seasons are free.

Home to over 4,000 residents, Pinetop-Lakeside is a great mountain town that sits at an elevation of over 7,000 feet, surrounded by the Ponderosa Pine Forest. The Pinetop Studio Suites are a convenient and affordable stay, with pricing as low as $84.54 a night and towering Ponderosa pines enveloping the area outside the front door, giving you a true mountain stay.

One of Arizona's favorite pastimes is definitely golf, which allows you to slow down, get close to nature, and enjoy the views around you. However, the one negative is that the cost can be exorbitant at some courses around the state. Pinetop Lakes Golf & Country Club is the best of both worlds, as you'll experience the mountain landscape while paying an affordable $38 for 18 holes, depending on the day of the week and time of day. If you're looking for a great breakfast or lunch with a mountain view on a patio, check out Darbi's Cafe, where until mid-afternoon you can get everything from biscuits & gravy for $9.99 to a basket of hot wings for $13.99.

Located close to the Mexican border is where you'll find Bisbee, a small town of 4,977 people surrounded by the Mule Mountains. When you're looking for places to stay down in Bisbee, a great option is the Mile High Ranch, which offers spacious studios for $135 per night, 5,600 feet up in the Mule Mountains. 

One of the most impressive features of Bisbee is the mountain views; however, a popular attraction to visit lies in the mountains themselves. Spend time at the Copper Queen Mine Tour, costing only $16 for adults and $8 for children under 13 years old. This tour takes you into a mine over 150 years old, featuring seven levels and 143 miles of passageways, to see what the life of a miner looked like in the 19th and 20th centuries. 

If you want a taste of a European vacation without the cost of international travel, head to the Old Bisbee Neighborhood. Cobblestone pathways, narrow streets, and 19th-century architecture all laid out against the backdrop of the Mule Mountains during sunset will have you appreciating Arizona's "best downtown."

Located in the central Arizona highlands, Chino Valley is home to around 13,000 residents and is gaining a reputation as a great place for off-roading, hiking, camping, and other activities that get you closer to the mountains at an affordable price. When thinking about lodging with a view, the Days Inn by Wyndham Chino Valley has a great view of the mountains in the distance and affordable prices as low as $106.25 for a night's stay. 

One free option for experiencing the mountains and big sky around Chino Valley is hiking the Peavine Trail. If you head far enough south on the trail while admiring the staggering size of the granite rock formations, you'll come across Watson Lake just south of town.

Head north of Chino Valley, and you'll find a couple of interesting attractions that blend the beauty of the mountains. Del Rio Springs is a historical landmark, as Arizona's first territorial capital, with wide open spaces everywhere you look. Next, head farther north to the Upper Verde River Wildlife Area, where you'll find the river with rocky cliffs jutting out above, bird watching as far as the eye can see, and diverse populations of fish species in the river for fishing.

Florence is a mountain town steeped in history. Boasting 25 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, Florence lets its visitors know the mountains aren't the only old features around town. The Quality Inn Casa Grande off I-10 features offers nightly rates starting at only $99 a night. 

A great way to appreciate mountain life and the views around Florence is to hike northwest of town to the monument atop Poston Butte. Named after the first Arizona delegate to the U.S. Congress, Charles Poston, this Apache ruin on the hilltop gives you a history lesson as well as mountain views, all for free. Looking for more mountain views with a side of history at no cost? Head west of Florence to the Casa Grande Ruins, an Ancestral Sonoran peoples farming community, where you can view canals and larger structures used during prehistoric Arizona.

Springerville sits on the eastern edge of Arizona near the New Mexico border. Resting on the northern tip of the Apache National Forest and part of the White Mountains, this quiet town of 2,008 residents is known as "Arizona's gateway to the White Mountains." One great option to recharge while visiting Springerville is Reed's Lodge, a historical motel that used to welcome John Wayne while he played cards with ranchers. Today, Reed's Lodge offers rates as low as $115 per night with a view of the White Mountains to the south.

One of the first spots you'll want to visit is the Becker Lake Wildlife Area, which sits at 6,000 feet of elevation and has 107 acres of surface area to explore. You can try the 1-mile-long Lakeview Trail, or try the 1.5-mile-long River Walk Trail with mountain views. Truly, a can't-beat location for mountain views and dramatic scenery is Flat Top Mountain, the peak of Murray Basin Trailhead. If you find yourself at the peak, you'll appreciate a view of the basin with grassland and juniper forest dotted throughout.

The namesake of this next town, Sierra Vista, literally translates to "mountain view" in Spanish, so it only makes sense that it is on our list for mountain towns in Arizona. Home to slightly over 45,000 residents, Sierra Vista is a city that not only offers plenty of activities to take advantage of stellar mountain views at affordable prices, but the lodging doesn't disappoint either. Garden Place Suites is a great option during your stay. Most days, you'll find a king suite starting at $119.99, and the excellent views of the rolling Huachuca mountain range built up from north to south on the western side of town are there every day of the week.

Arizona is one of the best states in the country for star watching because of the clear desert air and low sign illumination codes. So, if you're lucky enough to be in Sierra Vista when there is a new moon (the only time open to the public), then head up to the Patterson Observatory for a free viewing of nebulas, planets, and distant galaxies through the 20-inch Patterson Telescope. 

Another affordable activity that will give you unique views of the mountains is Kartchner Caverns State Park. For $10 per vehicle or $20 for a multi-person vehicle, take a tour of this enormous limestone cavern and admire this underground world with stalactites and more. If you want a more spacious view, try the Ocotillo Trail and Foothills Loop that winds three miles around the Coronado National Forest and offers the Sonoran desert and Dragoon Mountains off in the distance.