Hualapai Mountain Park is the surprising green escape within easy reach of Kingman. The Hualapai Mountains rise sharply to over 8,400 feet from the Sonoran Desert floor, and the upper elevations are covered in ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, and alligator juniper — a world away from the cactus and creosote bush on the valley below.
The park has about 10 miles of hiking trails ranging from easy walks through the pines to more demanding ridge climbs with views across the Colorado River valley into Nevada and California. The Potato Patch campground offers sites among tall pines, and the park's stone-and-timber cabins — built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s — can be rented for overnight stays. Take the Hualapai Mountain Road south from Kingman; allow about 40 minutes to reach the upper park.