Yarnell, AZ

Yarnell sits on State Route 89 in the Weaver Mountains of Yavapai County, with Peeples Valley three miles north and Granite Mountain rising into the surrounding horizon. Gold drew the first rush here: Charles Genung found gold around 1865, and prospector Harrison Yarnell gave the community its name after discovering the Yarnell mine in 1873. Ranching, mining, traveler services, and retirees still shape the local economy, but the town's setting does as much work as any industry.

ATTRWikimedia Commons

South of town, Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park marks the 19 firefighters lost in the 2013 Yarnell Hill Fire. The trail looks back toward Yarnell Valley, so the memorial remains connected to the town and its landscape. In town, the Yarnell Regional Community Center serves breakfast and lunch, delivers Meals on Wheels, and supports residents across Yarnell, Peeples Valley, Congress, Kirkland, Skull Valley, and Wilhoit. Yarnell's local rhythm is mountain weather, Highway 89 traffic, old mining stories, and a community that keeps its memorial and daily life side by side.