Trailhead / site map
Green Valley Park, Payson
The Town of Payson's lakeside park: three small lakes, walking paths, a playground and fishing docks, with the Rim Country Museum and Zane Grey Cabin on the same parkway. No legend attached. It's the ledger's town stop for Rim country days.
Access
Town of Payson park. Park hours (as of Oct 2026, check the AZGFD or town site): 6 a.m.–10:30 p.m. The map pin is the Arizona Game & Fish Department's own GIS point for “Green Valley Park Lakes” (34.23150074, −111.34386406). For driving directions, AZGFD uses a nearby point at 34.23080070, −111.34392175. The Rim Country Museum and Zane Grey Cabin are at 700 S. Green Valley Parkway and keep their own hours.
Safety & respect
Swimming, wading and any full-body contact are prohibited: the lake receives treated effluent (AZGFD). Watch children near the water. Boating only between sunrise and sunset, no gas motors, and flotation devices required on board. Glass containers and littering are prohibited, and animals must be leashed. Payson sits at about 5,000 ft; summer sun is strong and monsoon storms bring lightning.
Lore note
None. No paranormal or legend claims are attached to the park itself. It's here as the base for Rim country folklore trips (Shoofly Village, the Mogollon Rim, Tonto Natural Bridge).
Map links
Approx. 34.2315, -111.3439 (public reference only — verify on official maps before travel)
Sources
- Arizona Game & Fish Department — Payson community fishing waters (location, hours, lake sizes, rules; checked 4 Oct 2026): https://www.azgfd.com/fishing-2/where-to-fish/community-fishing/payson-fishing-waters/
- Arizona Game & Fish Department GIS, Fish&Boat Arizona fishing-waters layer, record “Green Valley Park Lakes” (point 34.23150074, −111.34386406; directions point 34.23080070, −111.34392175; queried 4 Oct 2026)
- Rim Country Museum and Zane Grey Cabin (official site): https://www.rimcountrymuseum.org/
Green Valley Park is Payson’s town park, built around three small lakes. Arizona Game & Fish lists it as a community fishing water: about 12 acres of water in all, with an upper lake of 2 acres, a middle lake of 1 acre and a main lake of 10 acres that reaches 21 feet deep. There are walking paths, a playground and fishing docks. The Rim Country Museum and the Zane Grey Cabin replica are nearby at 700 S. Green Valley Parkway.
Why it’s on the ledger
There’s no ghost here, and the ledger doesn’t invent one. The park is the easy town stop at the end of a Rim country day: somewhere to stretch your legs after Shoofly Village and the Mogollon Rim Visitor Center and Rim Lake Vista Trail, or before Tonto Natural Bridge. The whole route is on the Payson and Mogollon Rim day trip.
About the pin
The map pin is Arizona Game & Fish’s own GIS point for “Green Valley Park Lakes,” from the layer behind its Fish&Boat Arizona map. Don’t confuse it with the USGS place name “Green Valley,” which is the natural valley a little to the west, not the park.
Safety callouts
No swimming or wading. The lake is fed by treated effluent, so full-body contact is prohibited. Keep children and dogs out of the water.
Sun and storms. Payson is high and sunny, and July–September monsoon storms bring lightning. Get off the open lawns and away from the water when thunder starts.
Archivist’s margin
Not every stop needs a mystery. This one has shade, water and a museum next door.