To even the casual observer, these adjoining towns quickly reveal their distinctiveness from one another. While Cave Creek enjoys a reputation for celebrating and preserving its illustrious past, Carefree's growing prominence as a hub of contemporary southwestern art and culture is equally deserved. Over time, the communities have become living complements to one another-each with its own lore and legend, each with a singular stake in the vibrant historical and cultural record that marks the region, as distinct as the two communities might be, however, they also share a great deal in common. Visitors are often struck by the natural grandeur and sheer physical beauty of their setting. En-route to the towns, the stark, open-to-sky country common to the lower desert regions is replaced by rolling hills, deeply etched desert washes and craggy mountain vistas that characterize the "Desert Foothills", as the area surrounding Carefree and Cave Creek is known.

The Sonoran Desert-the broad southwestern plain on which the towns are set-is typically arid, but due to the gradual, 2,500-foot elevation of the towns, visitors find themselves in the midst of a surprisingly lush landscape: great towering stands of saguaro cactus, brilliant green palo verde, the light luminescence of teddy bear cholla, sturdy tangles of mesquite and ironwood trees, spidery ocotillo, and a host of other flora dot the roadsides and surrounding hills.

With natural phenomena such as these in and around Carefree and Cave Creek, it's easy to understand how the great power of the desert can utterly captivate visitors. By day, the brilliant, azure-blue skies set in sharp relief the dusky tans and ochres that color the land. The view in nearly any direction reveals living postcards of basin and range, valley and hills. Light shifting on distant mountain slopes changes the perspective from one moment to the next, with each new vista more spectacular than the last. And at night? Suffice it to say that nothing can quite compare with the sight of a full moon rising silently over the open desert.

The towns are bordered on the north by the Tonto National Forest, a sweeping wilderness area that showcases the great Arizona frontier in its most natural state. Rugged, hilly terrain with deeply carved arroyos and high mesas make for wonderfully scenic drives, hikes, horseback rides and picnicking.

Cave Creek Color

The fiercely independent Arizona pioneers who eked out a hardscrabble living in the area around Cave Creek could hardly have imagined that today, its abundant scenery and vivid history would be a beacon for travelers the world over.

The town, which roughly traces the northern fringes of Phoenix and Scottsdale, has a well-preserved pedigree as an Arizona historical landmark. Its reputation began to grow in the mid-1800s, when the lure of the gold, and later, copper drew a colorful cast of characters to Cave Creek: hardy frontiersmen rough-and-tumble pan "sluicers," career explorers and able-bodied adventurists all made their way to "Cave Creek Station", as it was then known, drawn by the smell of gold and the age-old dream of striking it rich. The mines they staked claims to were given names as colorful as their founders: Mormon Girl, the Golden Star, the Blue Boy, the New Hope, and the Cave Creek Mistress were just a few of the makeshift quarries where men toiled tirelessly, seeking their fortunes. Today, the ruins of many of these long-abandoned mines offer visitors endless hours of exploration.

In fact, exploring, hiking and sight-seeing are the orders of business nearly anywhere in the vicinity. Cave Creek's historic Spur Cross Ranch, a former guest ranch that was established in the 1920s, was a welcoming destination for visitors from all over the world. Today, its more than 1,000-acre expanse offers avid outdoorsmen and women a gateway into the Tonto National Forest's scenic network of paths and trails.

Although more than a century has passed, the town of Cave Creek is still inhabited by the rugged spirit of the old west in which it was founded. Along its quaint main street, visitors can while away many happy, hours rummaging through quirky old antique and curio parlors, touring the history-laden exhibits at the Cave Creek Museum, dining on authentic southwestern food in of over 20 restaurants, or simply taking in the splendid view in the shadow of Black Mountain, the town's most notable geologic landmark. The town's annual Fiesta Days celebration faithfully honors the pioneering spirit of the old west with several days of rodeos, dances, parades and other activities that offer visitors an accurate glimpse into a legendary past.

Visit Soon. and Often

Education

Cave Creek Unified School District No. 93 offers an excellent education to children living within the boundaries of its 144-square mile school district. Located in northern Maricopa County, the District includes the town of Carefree, most of the town of Cave Creek, portions of the cities of Scottsdale and Phoenix, and areas under country jurisdiction. It is bounded by portions of the Tonto National Forest on the north, 136 th Street (Gilbert Rd.) on the east, Jomax Road to the south, and 40 th Street to the west.

Cave Creek's first school dates back to the late 1800's and was located at Schoolhouse Road. It was discontinued in 1913, because of a lack of children, but reorganized in 1930. A little white painted school house served students in 1950m and it was soon expanded to a new four-room school and one room of the old school house and designated to house the Cave Creek Branch Library in 1960. The newly expanded school was complete with a corral for the students' horses.

The district is composed of five elementary schools, two middle schools, a high school, and a Fine Arts Center and District Offices. The serene, rural atmosphere provides high quality educational experiences to all students with personalized attention designed to develop the potential of each student.