The climb up Yarnell Hill is one of the most breathtaking stretches of highway in Arizona, soaring 2500 feet up the side of Table Top mountain in a scant four miles. At the top is Yarnell; a quiet, friendly village nestled in a gently sloping dell sandwiched between two towering ridges of the Weaver Mountains, overlooked by Antelope Peak. Twenty five miles north of Wickenburg and thirty three miles south of Prescott, it is far from city pollution and frenzy, yet within convenient reach of larger metropolitan areas. The scenery is a picturesque patchwork of green and gray, with mammoth granite boulders throughout the verdant growth of Oak, Hackberry and Chaparral, as if strewn in casual disarray by a giant and artistic hand.
Three miles to the north lies the lush, rolling pastureland of Peeples Valley, with horses and cattle grazing among the giant Cottonwood trees and wandering brooks (during rainy seasons). Pinion Pine and Black Walnut trees dot the hillsides. Among the many ranches scattered throughout the area, are the Peeples Valley subdivisions with a smattering of full time residents and weekend/summer people. Immediately south of Yarnell looms "The Hill" and the limitless miles of desert carpet stretched out beIow. A scenic overlook on Highway 89 two miles south of town offers a view of Wickenburg, Congress, gold mines and the ghost towns of Stanton and Octave - a stunning expanse 2500 feet below. Majestic sunsets can be enjoyed from this desert view.
Altitude and location give Yarnell--Peeples Valley year-round climatic advantages not found elsewhere. Its 4800 feet is high enough to ward off the searing heat of the desert, yet low enough to escape the rigorous winters of the higher mountain country. Cool summers result from the desert breeze encountering the mountain air. Snow blankets the area a few times during the winter season, but seldom sticks more than a few hours or days. Annual rainfall averages fourteen inches, keeping the landscape lush and green. Yarnell--Peeples Valley can be enjoyed year-round. Many people from the desert areas find this a great place for week-end and summer homes. This unique valley is an ideal place to relax, a restful area for retirement or year-round living. Drinking water in Yarnell--Peeples Valley is pure and soft, coming from cold, natural, spring- fed wells needing no additives and it is approved by the State Board of Health.
Wildlife abounds in the natural surroundings. Scampering through the bushes are rabbits, gray foxes, skunks, ring-tailed cats, chipmunks and squirrels. Deer can be seen grazing throughout the area in pastures, peoples yards or wandering through town. Javelinas, porcupines, bobcats and coyotes are often glimpsed as you hike the trails. Hummingbirds play in the spray of sprinklers or flit among the flowers. Cardinals, Grosbeaks, Meadowlarks, Redwing Blackbirds, Orioles, Phainopeplas, Oregon juncos, Rufous Sided Towhees and an array of other colorful birds are observed here. Fifty-nine different varieties migrate through or reside year-round. Watch Red Tail Hawks, Turkey Vultures, Crows and many other raptors soar above, catching the wind currents as they glide, twisting, drifting, endlessly searching the earth below.
Hidden Springs Ranch, located on Highway 89 in Peeples Valley, is owned by Bob and Mary Ellen McKee. The ranch is a breeding and training facility for thoroughbred race horses. It was built on property once owned by pioneer Charles B. Genung. Hays Cattle Company owned and operated by John Hays, was established in Peeples Valley in 1912. John Hays was an Arizona Senator.
Rex Maughan, Entrepreneur has bought several cattle ranches in the area and is keeping them as working cattle ranches. He has repaired the ranch houses and built new fences, along Highway 89. Cattle and horses can be seen from the highway, grazing in various pastures on the ranches year around.
Businesses are here to serve the residents and visitors. They include a grocery store, a bank, a library, a TV service with video rentals, a saddle shop, a senior center, 3 realty firms, 2 service stations/convenient stores, antique shops, motels/lodging, a well stocked hardware store, beauty salons, art & gift shops, a health clinic, a chiropractor, a massage therapist, trailer parks, bars, a veterinarian, american legion, several churches, a bakery, eating establishments, cable TV service (yarnell only), storage rentals and much more.
In Yarnell, the beautiful Shrine of St. Joseph of the Mountains is in a tree shaded grotto amid oak trees and granite boulders. This park-like area on Shrine Road, features larger than life statues along a trail where visitors pray or meditate in a natural atmosphere of serene tranquility. The statues tell the story of the life of Christ and were sculptured from reinforced concrete by Felix Lucero of Tucson, veteran of World War I, who was employed for this project by the Catholic Action League of Arizona.
