The ASU Outdoor Club strikes again…except this time we are taking a trip to Jerome, Arizona most famously known for its mines and rich history.

Towards the end of February, the ASU Outdoor club decided to take a trip up north again. This time this time going to Jerome, a secluded town of around 465 people.

After driving for 1.5 hours up to Jerome, our group stopped by the Audrey Headframe mine shaft which is 1900 feet deep. This mineshaft is deeper than the Empire State Building, the Eiffel Tower, the Chrysler Building and the Ancient Egyptian Pyramids. This mine shaft was mainly used in the 1920s to increase the quantity of high grade-ore extracted and minimize the risk of fire. Finished in 1918, this shaft was able to bring many people down using an elevator to extract copper from the mines, one of the minerals popular to Jerome’s town. The town of Jerome was incorporated into a town in 1899, 15 years before Arizona became a state!

While in Jerome, the outdoor club walked around the many tourist shops and stopped for coffee and ice cream. They had a theater upstairs in one of the shops that explained the history of Jerome. One of the most known things about Jerome, other than its copper, is the major fires that burned through the city. Between 1894 and 1898, four major fires erupted into the town causing most of the business district and community homes to burn down. There are many stories from Jerome talking about its Grand Hotel which is haunted by the original people who lived there. Despite this insane history, the outdoor club had a great time walking around and exploring the shops. Not only were the shops wonderful to walk around in, the views from up in the mountain were breathtaking.

After going to Jerome, the outdoor club drove to the campsite, 30 minutes south of Sedona. In a small area surrounded by mountains, we set up camp for the night. Grilling burgers and sitting by the fire was the main event of the night. We were up until the early hours of the morning either talking, trying to sleep, or sitting by the fire if we couldn’t sleep. Once again, away from all of the light pollution, we were able to see vast amounts of stars lighting up the night sky as well as the moon shining down on our campsite.

Early in the morning, around 7am, a few of us decided to hike Bell Trail, a 7.5 mile round trip hike. At first this hike was a bit boring because of its easy terrain and walkable area, making it feel like an everyday walk, but quickly turned into a fun hike exploring the Oak Creek river and wonderful red rocks of Sedona. The three of us that went were constantly in awe of the wondrous views the higher in elevation we got and great picture spots we stopped at. Around mile 3 was when the hike got difficult. Between that time and the end of the trail, we gained 700 feet in elevation and were climbing over many rocks. 

The end of the Bell Trail was what made this hike especially worth it. Known as The Crack, Sedona, Bell Trail led us straight into it. The trail ended over these huge rocks that looked over Oak Creek. Climbing down the rocks, you’re able to swim in the river, a popular place to go in the summer, or cliff jump (at your own risk). This hike was amazing and made the rest of the outdoor club jealous that they decided not to join us.

After stopping to take some pictures and videos of this place, we decided to head back. The hike back went quickly but once we saw our car, we were especially happy to sit down and relax. When we got back, a few people from our group were still left so they made us breakfast.

Getting on the road back to​​ Tempe, we stopped at Rock Springs Cafe for the famous pie that it is known for. Each of us relaxing with our slice of pie, we reminisced on the crazy adventures we had on this trip.

We invite you to watch our journey on our YouTube channel and hope it inspires you to embark on your own adventure. Whether it’s Jerome and Sedona or your local hiking trail and historic town, adventure is out there, waiting for you!