The Lowdown Verdict: Best free overlook in Jerome. 15-minute stop, no facilities, no admission. Go at sunset — the Verde Valley turns copper-gold below you and the San Francisco Peaks appear on the northern horizon.
Audrey Headframe Park sits at the top of Hull Avenue — about a five-minute walk from Jerome's Main Street strip, or a one-minute drive to a small free parking area. The park preserves one of Jerome's original above-ground mine headframes: the steel tower that guided the hoisting cable for the Audrey Mine shaft, a secondary shaft in the United Verde copper complex. The town converted the site into a public park and installed a viewing deck. The whole visit runs about 15 minutes. It's one of the best things in Jerome that costs nothing.
The Headframe
A headframe (also called a headstock or gallows frame) is the above-ground structure at the top of a mine shaft that supports the sheave wheel — the large pulley that guides the hoisting cable down into the earth. The Audrey headframe is original industrial equipment, not a replica. It's made of steel, rises approximately 30 feet above the hillside, and still retains the industrial scale that defined Jerome's mining operations.
Most visitors to Jerome State Historic Park see photographs of headframes and the underground shaft network in the 3D mine model. The Audrey Headframe gives you the actual object — standing next to something that once lifted ore from hundreds of feet underground clarifies the scale of Jerome's industrial operation in a way that photographs don't.
The View
The viewing deck faces west and south, looking directly over the Verde Valley from Jerome's 5,000-foot vantage. On a clear day the panorama covers:
- Verde River corridor: The cottonwood canopy along the Verde River is visible as a green-gold ribbon cutting through the valley below — especially vivid in October and November.
- Sedona red rocks: The distinctive red formations around Sedona are visible to the southeast, roughly 25 miles out, on clear days.
- San Francisco Peaks: The highest point in Arizona at 12,633 feet shows on the northern horizon on clear days — about 55 miles from Jerome. The snow cap is visible October through May most years.
- Clarkdale and Cottonwood: The towns of Clarkdale and Cottonwood in the valley below are visible; you can trace AZ-89A switchbacking down the hillside below Jerome.
Sunset timing: The park faces west-southwest. Summer sunsets occur 7:30–8 PM MST; winter 5:15–5:45 PM MST. Arrive 20–30 minutes early — the valley below illuminates before the sun actually sets. Clouds on the western horizon create the most dramatic colors.
Practical Information
Admission
Free
Open at all hours
Location
Top of Hull Ave, Jerome AZ
~5-min walk from Main St
~1-min drive
Parking
Small free lot on-site
4–6 spaces
Fills on busy weekends
Time Budget
15 minutes typical
No facilities on-site
No shade at midday
No facilities: There are no restrooms, water fountains, or shade structures at the park. If you're visiting at midday in summer (June–August), the exposed hilltop can be uncomfortably hot. Early morning and sunset are both better temperature windows.
How It Fits Into Your Jerome Day
The Audrey Headframe Park works best as a standalone 15-minute add-on rather than a primary destination. A few natural pairings:
- Opening move: Park at the headframe lot, walk downhill into downtown Jerome, explore Main Street, and walk back up — the uphill return is the workout, not the visit itself.
- Sunset finale: After dinner at the Haunted Hamburger or The Asylum, drive up to the headframe for the sunset before heading back down the switchbacks.
- Self-guided walk integration: The Jerome self-guided walking tour route passes nearby — include it as stop 6 on your circuit of downtown.