Cemeteries of the Verde Valley, Part 1: Camp Verde

The Verde Valley, which encompasses Sedona, Cottonwood, Jerome, Camp Verde, Clarkdale and other smaller hamlets like Cornville & Middle Verde, is an area known for its diverse offerings such as hiking & biking, kayaking, wine tours, art galleries and more.

For those seeking quieter activities, i.e. cemetery touring, the Verde Valley has multiple sites which offer a glimpse into the region's history.

Camp Verde's layered history

Camp Verde is best known for Montezuma Castle National Monument cliff dwelling site, which predates the town's colonial history by thousands of years.

The Yavapai and Apache, who've lived in the area for hundreds of years, are now settled on reservation lands across Camp Verde, Clarkdale and Lake Montezuma.

Camp Verde's premier historic cemeteries, Clear Creek and Middle Verde, both date back to the late 19th century, when the first families began to settle. They were either exploring the area for mining or had connections to Fort Lincoln, which is known today as Fort Verde.

It's interesting to consider the multiple layers of human history while visiting the area; one can juxtapose the "old" with the ancient and see how this evolutionary process has shaped the town.

The cemeteries

Though there are multiple cemeteries in Camp Verde, I chose to highlight Clear Creek and Middle Verde not only because they are the town's oldest, but also because of their rural location, walkability and overall uniqueness of some of the graves.

I was also struck by the majesty of the surrounding mountain landscapes at these sites and was compelled to imagine what life must have been like for the early settlers who established them; the vastness of the area must have been both exiting and intimidating to them.

Let's begin with Clear Creek:

Clear Creek Camp Verde

Note the ominous-looking sky in the first several pics, which were taken at the height of the 2022 monsoon season. During last year's monsoon, just about every afternoon, huge storm cells swelled overhead before unleashing their fury upon the land. As you can see, the grounds of Clear Creek are well maintained and quite accessible. One could easily spend at least an hour strolling among the graves, which are ensconced in various types of cacti and desert shrub.

For information about the history of the cemetery, check out this newspaper clipping I obtained from the Camp Verde Historical Society:

Directions

Clear Creek Cemetery and church are easy to find and just a short drive from Downtown Camp Verde. To access it from there, I recommend taking the scenic route, which takes you past old-growth cottonwood trees, pecan orchards and horse farms:

Take AZ 260 E to Quarterhorse Lane. Follow Quarterhorse for about a mile or 2, until you reach a fork, where you will turn left and continue on until you reach a stop sign at Old Church Road. From there, take a right and drive about 3/4 of a mile until you reach the cemetery on the left. The road's namesake old church is located just across the street from the cemetery.

Here is a link to Find a Grave's page for Clear Creek, which includes additional directions, in case you get lost. However, it is very easy to find no matter which direction you're coming from.

While the church is not open to the public, it is available for rent for weddings and other events. The gate to the church grounds is kept open, however, so you can wander around the outside of the building and take a peek inside the windows.

The overall views of the grounds are rugged but quite splendid. There are near-panoramic views of the landscape despite the area being in a residential neighborhood; residential, but rural. You definitely get the sense that you have traveled down a country road.

There are no facilities at the grounds, so plan ahead. As I mentioned before, the cemetery is only a couple of miles from Downtown Camp Verde, where there are various cafes, a grocery store and more.

Middle Verde:

I was truly impressed with the diverse and artistic graves at Middle Verde. Coupled with the panoramic views, the site is quite humbling to behold. Like Clear Creek, there are no facilities at Middle Verde, so plan ahead and prepare to spend at least a couple of hours if you want to see the entire space.

Managed by the Middle Verde Cemetery Association, this lovely and sizeable property is located off Middle Verde Road and Reservation Loop Road, approximately 6 miles from Downtown Camp Verde by way of Montezuma Castle Highway. It is also accessible from the 1-17 N.

Again, I suggest using Find a Grave's locator to help you find the best route.

According to the Middle Verde Cemetery's Facebook Page:

"The Middle Verde Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in the Verde Valley...The first burial was in 1876, when the infant son of James and Mary Human was buried there which was one of the first deaths among the early settlers. Parson Bristow selected the location for the cemetery because they thought it would never be needed for any other purpose and where floodwater would never cover.

The Middle Verde Cemetery Association was first established in the early 1950’s as a community cemetery for the pioneer families of both Camp Verde and Lake Montezuma/Rimrock areas.

On January 5th, 1953, the Middle Verde Cemetery Association incorporated as a limited liability corporation (LLC) through the State of Arizona Corporation Commission...Since it’s inception, the Middle Verde Cemetery Association was designed and is still today, to be managed by volunteer community members who have no pecuniary interest in the cemetery."

During my visit, I was surprised at the size of the cemetery; it's bigger than it seems at first glance. I'd already spent about 45 minutes walking around and taking pictures when the afternoon monsoon clouds started to get a little too close for comfort. At that point, I'd only seen about a third of the graves.

A culturally diverse cemetery, some of the graves at Middle Verde belong to Hispanic families and are beautifully decorated with silk flowers and statues of the Virgin Mary. Others appear to be Native American, and feature artfully crafted representations of departed loved ones. These struck me as being filled with symbolism that I could only ponder and not fully understand.

I definitely felt like I was on hallowed ground and found myself becoming very self-conscious taking photos once another person arrived- which brings me to conclude with a note about cemetery etiquette, something I found myself embarrassingly in violation of a number of years ago as a foolish young voyeur.

After perusing the internet looking for official etiquette guides, I came across several helpful articles, including one from the popular travel company Lonely Planet, which lists its top tips for visiting cemeteries:

1. Read about cultural norms: Historical context is useful, and if you’re planning to leave offerings or take photos then you need to know local attitudes.

2. Don’t touch: Yes, Oscar Wilde’s tomb is already covered in lipsticked kisses. But don’t contribute to eroding or staining someone’s grand gravestone.

3. Lower the volume: According to some western European superstitions, whistling in a graveyard summons the devil. Perhaps it’s a ruse to ensure visitors maintain a respectful volume.

4. Talk to your travel group: That friend or family member, known for their zany selfies? Reset their expectations (or pocket their phone).

5. Be safe: Shadowy activity isn’t unknown in cemeteries (drug taking, illicit encounters) so take appropriate safety precautions if you’re somewhere remote.

I would like to elaborate on number 1 first. Growing up near New Orleans, LA, I was surrounded by some of the most beautiful and grand cemeteries in the world. Long before Dark Tourism became a trend, visitors, including myself, were to be found taking photos of the above-ground graves and sculptures. However, after attending a funeral at one of these cemeteries (St. Louis #1), I became aware of the level of grief that some people experience while visiting these places, which can be easy to forget when you are a mere visitor. It's important to be aware of this and to use discretion, and maybe put the camera away when you are near others, or wait for them to leave, or simply go to another area of the cemetery to give them space.

Regarding number 2, as Arizona State Parks points out in their etiquette guide, even grave rubbing can be considered a form of defacement, so perhaps pictures are best when in doubt.

3 and 4 should go without saying.

When it comes to number 5, I will agree that safety is paramount, especially if you're by yourself. I once had a scary encounter with a homeless man who had been asleep in a cemetery. I didn't notice him at first and got a little too close for comfort, and he started screaming at me. Thankfully that was the extent of the encounter, but it was enough to make me aware that anything can happen and to be aware of my surroundings at all times.

I hope you find part 1 of Cemeteries of the Verde Valley informative, as I enjoyed researching and photographing these sites. If you live in the region and have any recommendations for other sites, please send me a note, I'd love to hear from you!

Article & images copyright Lo Frisby 2023.

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