When one thinks of Tucson, or really the southwest as a whole, images of saguaros, dust, and lizards are most likely what comes to mind. It would be a stretch to think that a rustic log cabin amongst a grove of Aspen and pine trees would have any connection. Nevertheless, Mt. Lemmon Cookie Cabin at the top of Mount Lemmon is a well-known stop on the edge of Summerhaven for folks who escape the heat of Tucson by making the long drive up the hill. Sitting at a dizzying 7700 feet of elevation relative to Tucson’s 2389 ft, the green and woodsy aesthetic are a welcome relief in the heat of summer and an unexpected snowy retreat in the winter. It’s a bastion of seasons and variety in the otherwise consistent desert and evokes strong nostalgia of your best summer camp memories.
For those who haven’t made the drive up the south side Mt. Lemmon, it is a sublime example of the geographic and biologic wonder that is Arizona. The area is known as a “sky island” for its unique environment juxtaposed with that of the surrounding desert. As visitors climb in elevation they will go from ocotillo and saguaro to aspen and pines. There are a handful of restaurants at the top of Mt. Lemmon, yet the unique offerings of the Cookie Cabin make it stand out. A recent addition is a branch of the local chain Beyond Bread, but member of the Cookie Cabin founding family and manager Amara Zimmerman says the competition is of a friendly variety. “Oh no, it’s completely friendly. I mean, we even bring over our cookies at the end of the day that we haven’t sold sometimes. So yeah, it’s totally friendly.”
Part of what keeps the Cookie Cabin an integral part of the Summerhaven community is its history. Vic Zimmerman, Amara’s step-grandfather, opened the predecessor of the Cookie Cabin that went by Cabins and Cookies. “[Vic] actually started it in 1990. We used to have cabins, multiple rental cabins, as well as just the cookie shack. It was just a window where you walk up to and order cookies. We didn’t have anything besides cookies and drinks.” Amara remembers working at the shack handing out cookies with her grandpa and grandma who lived right across the way. The theme of family runs through every aspect of the establishment and is a core component of the day-to-day goings on. Samantha, Amara’s aunt, is the general manager alongside a smattering of other family like cousins, including Hillary, Amanda, Jessica, and Guillaiume, and Aunt Kate does all of the repairs and maintenance. Family is a key component of both the history and future of the Cookie Cabin.
The catalyst for the transition out of the cabin rental business was an unfortunate event in 2003. The Aspen Fire burned upwards of 80,000 acres and claimed 340 homes as well as the businesses. This tragedy altered the trajectory of many lives, but the Cookie Cabin would rise from the ashes and thrive. After surviving a second fire, the Bighorn Fire in 2020, they also managed to weather the storm of COVID-19. “I think us being on the top of the mountain in a remote location, people wanted to get away and be in nature. That attracted a lot of people that were down stuck in their homes. We’re also a family restaurant, which a lot of people were wanting to support. But I really think it was the location; it just gave everybody an escape from what was going on in the world.” The familial comfort of the cabin atmosphere is perfectly complemented by the comfort food on offer.
The key component of the Cabin’s success lies in its name: the cookies. There are several varieties on offer from the traditional Chocolate Chip, to the slightly different but wholly delicious Rachel, which is named after Amara’s mother. The Rachel cookie is a scrumptious concoction consisting of coconut and butterscotch. Visitors have the option to add another level of decadence by adding a scoop of ice cream on top creating a saccharine indulgence that needs to be tried at least once. For those a bit more indecisive, the Cabin has you covered with a sampler cookie that has a little bit of each flavor on offer. The sampler consists of Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Brownie, Oatmeal Raisin, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut, and the aforementioned Rachel.
If your sweet tooth doesn’t make an appearance, the Cookie Cabin has a solid selection of pizza options and a family recipe for chili, which has been becoming a crowd favorite. A compelling facet of all the food is that it’s all made in house. “We used to not make everything homemade, and now everything is homemade. The cookies were always homemade, but the pizza crust wasn’t back then. So within the last few years, we started making the pizza crust and the sauce as well. We also recently brought back the beef and bean chili.” While it may still be a bit warm for the chili to take over, it is a welcome addition once sweater weather takes over.
The trek to get to the Cabin may be a bit daunting, but the escape into the cooler air with some tasty bites make the drive up and down worth it. For those outdoorsy types, there are a plethora of hiking trails at the top, including one that goes to a fire lookout tower. Making a stop at the Cookie Cabin to fuel up before a hike or as a reward for finishing one makes the Cookie Cabin a unique family-oriented fixture on Mount Lemmon.
written & photographed by: isaac stockton
mt. lemmon cookie cabin: 12781 north sabino canyon park, mt lemmon, az 85619