Mayhew Lodge Ruins

We flew back to Sedona in the morning and got out for a some sightseeing and a short hike in the afternoon. On our hike we came across the ruins of the Mayhew Lodge. It didn't start out as a lodge. It started as a hunter's cabin in the 1870's. Zane Grey's travels through the canyon inspired his novel, "Call of the Canyon." In 1923, a Flagstaff photographer named Carl Mayhew came to this site to work on a film of Grey's novel. Mayhew purchased the property, added on to the existing cabin, and opened Mayhew Lodge to guests in 1926. The Mayhew family operated the lodge through 1968. The resort gained international fame and catered to many famous guests, including President Herbert Hoover, Jimmy Steward, Clark, Gable, and Walt Disney.

The forest service acquired the property in 1968 but closed it to the public, lacking funds for restoration. In 1980 a fire burned the entire place, leaving only the pieces parts that don't burn, such as in this photo. There are a lot more ruins NOT in the photo. Visit yourself to see the whole thing.