Best Hikes and Sights in Flagstaff, Arizona

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The city of Flagstaff, Arizona juxtaposes so many lifestyles. On the one hand you have the quaint atmosphere of an outdoorsy mountain community where hikers and bikers enjoy the San Francisco Peaks, Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff Urban Trails System, and the Arizona Trail. Flagstaff is located in the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world. The city also boasts old Route 66 kitsch and pioneer history dating back to the 1800s.

On the other hand, you have the influx of students from Northern Arizona University and a hoard of wealthy second-home owners who buy up the entire market for their summer exodus from warmer climes, preventing townies from being able to plant stronger roots. Often there is a separation between cultures; college students in one corner, Indigenous in another corner, craft-beer-drinking liberals over here, Trump-supporting conservatives over there.

That being said, the overarching laid-back “live and let live” attitude, plus a true love for the land, brings us all together. Since living here, my soft spot for Flagstaff has only grown over time. As an outdoors enthusiast, Flagstaff is a treat, and I’ve often had the pleasure of exploring our trails without seeing another soul. Interesting juxtapositions even mark the landscape, where you’ll find desert shrubbery amidst alpine scenery.

Most folks breeze through Flagstaff on their way to the Grand Canyon or Sedona, but if you get a chance, The City of Seven Wonders has plenty to offer in and of itself. It is so completely unlike other cities throughout the state, particularly because it’s in a high desert environment that experiences all four seasons. There are plenty of things to do in Flagstaff, Arizona year around!

Best Hikes in Flagstaff

Kachina Peaks Wilderness

The Kachina Peaks Wilderness is an area within Coconino National Forest that includes the San Francisco Peaks, which form the jagged silhouette that welcomes me home any time I’m driving back to Flagstaff from a road trip. The Peaks are the soul of Flagstaff, and where the Hopi deities, or Kachinas, live. The highest summit in Arizona is among them, Humphreys Peak, which stands at 12,637ft. If you’re a peak bagger, I can already sense the wheels turning in your head!

Note that trying to bag all of The Peaks presents challenges; for example, it is illegal to hike above treeline on Agassiz because they are trying to protect the fragile ragwort habitat. You can only reach the Agassiz summit in winter when it’s covered in snow, but that time of year can also have avalanche danger. In the winter this area is also part of Snowbowl, a popular skiing and snowboarding destination. Most people want to hike The Peaks after the snow has melted off, though you’ll need to keep monsoon in mind in late summer. Below are some of the best Flagstaff hiking trails in the San Francisco Peaks:

Bear Jaw/Abineau Loop

7 mile loop | AllTrails | USFS

Bear Jaw/Abineau Loop is one of the best hiking trails in Flagstaff for fall foliage. The aspens are gorgeous in autumn, and true to its name, there are black bear sightings here occasionally! Bear Jaw/Abineau Loop is a good alternative to Inner Basin because the road to Inner Basin is skinny and not conducive to two-way traffic; I have a giant Toyota Tacoma with a poor turn radius and hate roads like that.

Inner Basin

3.5 miles out-and-back (*Update: now 10 miles because of closure) | AllTrails | USFS

Inner Basin is probably the most popular and oft-recommended trail in Flagstaff for fall foliage because of the colorful aspen leaves around Lockett Meadow. It’s a relatively easy hike with a slight incline, though the drive to get there is a little sketchy.

*Please note that as of June 2023, part of the drive to the trailhead is closed indefinitely because of the Pipeline Fire. Reaching the trail now requires an additional 3 mile walk from the parking area, which translates to an additional 6 miles roundtrip.

Weatherford Trail

14 miles out-and-back | AllTrails | USFS

*UPDATE: Trail closed indefinitely due to damage from Pipeline Fire 🙁

Weatherford Trail is one of the best hiking trails in Flagstaff for scenic mountain views. I took Weatherford Trail to Doyle Saddle – or is it Fremont Saddle? The names are often switched depending on the map. Technically you could continue on and connect this trail to Humphreys and other off-shoots.

The view of The Peaks from the saddle is fascinating to me. The ring of serrated points is actually what remains of a dormant volcano, and when you’re at the saddle you’re almost in the central crater between them. Just before the saddle there’s also an abandoned car down in the trees, which seems to make no sense since there’s no road now, but the Forest Service says the Weatherford Trail is what’s left of “an old road that once took Model T Fords to the top of the San Francisco Peaks.”

Kachina Trail

10.5 miles out-and-back | AllTrails | USFS

Kachina Trail is another good Flagstaff day hiking trail for fall colors and possible black bear sightings, plus ancient lava flow and volcanic debris. This is a good alternative to Inner Basin if you’re looking for something more difficult.

Humphreys Peak

10 miles out-and-back | AllTrails | USFS

Hiking Humphreys Peak, the tallest mountain in Arizona, is steep, rocky, and no joke. Choose your season carefully for the best weather and be prepared for any conditions, including lightning and afternoon thunderstorms in the summer. It will likely be windy and chilly at the top regardless of the season, and some hikers even encounter hail. There may still be snow patches depending on your timing.

Mount Elden Dry Lakes Trail System

Mount Elden is part of the greater San Francisco Peaks “volcanic field”, although it’s not one of “The Peaks” and the drive to get there is vastly different. The trailheads are very easily accessible right off of a main road which also leads to the Flagstaff mall and movie theater. You could actually connect all of these trails to create much longer day hikes.

I gained a lot of appreciation for this area when researching John Elden, the pioneer who settled it and leant his name to the Elden Murder Mystery.

Elden Fire Lookout

6 miles out-and-back | AllTrails | USFS

Elden Fire Lookout is one of the best day hikes in Flagstaff if you’re looking for a challenging workout close to town. It’s three miles from the trailhead to the fire lookout tower, where you can climb the tower stairs for a great view, and then three miles back. It starts out with a gradual incline but becomes steeper as you go; I usually take a good amount of breathing breaks! This area suffers wildfire damage some years, and you’ll see the residual effects in burnt out trees.

Fat Man’s Loop

2.5 mile loop | AllTrails | USFS

Fat Man’s Loop is a shorter and easier nature walk from the same trailhead as Elden Fire Lookout if you don’t have time for 6 miles of ascent and descent. If you’re interested in the flora and fauna of northern Arizona, Fat Man’s Loop is a good introduction.

Forces of Nature Trail

4-7 miles out-and-back | AllTrails | Hiking Project

The Forces of Nature trailhead is further down the road in a neighborhood. This trail doesn’t ascend Mount Elden in any way, instead staying low in elevation and tracing its base. This is how you find the old Elden homestead and the gravesite of the boy who died there mysteriously.

The two GPX tracks linked above show slightly different starting locations and there are many interconnecting trails, so you can add or subtract mileage depending on your chosen route.

Sandy Seep to Little Elden Spring

7 miles out-and-back | AllTrails | USFS

I’ve yet to hike Sandy Seep to Little Elden Spring, but it’s another option that takes in the scenery of the surrounding area rather than focusing on the mountain alone. Sandy Seep Trail can connect you to tons of other trails, the Heart Trail being one of the most popular.

FUTS (Flagstaff Urban Trail System)

Flagstaff has implemented a ton of fantastic community initiatives to honor residents’ love of outdoor recreation. The city really tries to keep our values of sustainable growth in mind when it comes to city planning. The Flagstaff Urban Trails System connects different areas of the city via nature trails:

The Flagstaff Urban Trails System (FUTS, say “foots”) is a city-wide network of non-motorized, shared-use pathways that are used by bicyclists, walkers, hikers, runners, and other users for both recreation and transportation.

At present there are about 56 miles of FUTS trails in Flagstaff. The overall master plan shows about 75 miles of future trails, to complete a planned system of 130 miles. About half of the miles of existing trails are paved, either in concrete or asphalt, and half consist of a hard-packed, aggregate surface. FUTS trails are generally eight or ten feet in width.

The Arizona Trail is an 800 mile thru-hike that intersects with the FUTS.

Mars Hill

One of my favorite areas to walk the FUTS is Mars Hill.

The vast Ponderosa pine forest area behind Lowell Observatory has a trail system and disc golf course. It’s easy to park your vehicle near Thorpe Park and walk to the Mars Hill trailhead from there. Many trails criss-cross with Mars Hill Trail, so it’s a choose-your-own adventure experience. There is some up-and-down, but it’s mostly inoffensive as far as elevation goes. Mars Hill is simply a nice, shaded walk in the woods.

If you prefer hikes like this that are less strenuous, I hear that Buffalo Park and Sandys Canyon to Fischer Point are other good alternatives for relaxed, easy hikes in Flagstaff.

Street Art in Flagstaff

Downtown Flagstaff has a ton of character. Cafes, clothing shops, crystal gemstone sellers, bookstores, and music stores mingle with historic buildings and modern street art. Hunting for the best street art is one of the most rewarding things to do in Flagstaff, especially since some of the most impressive pieces are hidden away in little alleys. You can find a walking map of downtown Flagstaff murals and fun articles about some of the artists here and here. I like the artist Chip Thomas aka Jetsonoramo’s website, where he posts photos of beautiful murals from throughout the state.

Historical Sites in Flagstaff

The coolest things to see in Flagstaff are related to Native American and pioneer history. These are the ancestral lands of the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, and Sinagua people, and their influence is literally written in stone.

Pioneer Legends

Be sure to read my post about Flagstaff’s folklore, legends, and mysteries! Many of the places included there can still be visited today, like Commodore Perry Owens’ grave at the Flagstaff Citizens Cemetery, Veit Spring where outlaws supposedly buried treasure, or the Elden homestead and gravesite:

Join a fun Flagstaff history segway tour!

Flagstaff Museums

The Museum of Northern Arizona has exhibits on archaeology, paleontology, and modern cultural history, including dinosaur and plant fossils excavated locally, Native American artifacts, and when I was there, a temporary exhibit of art that students from nearby schools created to fuse pop culture and Native culture. Every summer they also have a Heritage Festival featuring dancers, artists, and craftsmen.

You could also check out the Pioneer Museum in Flagstaff or Riordan Mansion State Historic Park.

Flagstaff’s Namesake

I drove up and down the streets around Thorpe Park one afternoon and for the life of me could not figure out where the flagpole was. It’s a replica of the flagpole erected by Boston settlers in 1876, which gave our town its name. Whatever website I used at the time had vague directions about it being “west” of this street and “south” of a bush or something, but come to find out Altas Obscura has exact coordinates. You’re welcome.

Lowell Observatory

Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff is where the planet Pluto was discovered in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, but plenty of other discoveries have also been made at Lowell. Today you can take guided tours, join stargazing experiences, and attend educational events. Flagstaff is an International Dark Sky City!

If you’re into stargazing, there is a guided stargazing night tour available in Flagstaff that involves a Stellina mobile astrophotography machine and an 8” Celestron 8SE telescope.

Where to Eat in Flagstaff

These are my personal favorite places to eat in Flagstaff as a local; take it as you will. Obviously I haven’t eaten at every single dining establishment in the whole town!

*If you’re reading this and you have a suggestion of where to get authentic Navajo tacos or frybread in Flagstaff, or know of Indigenous-run restaurants, please comment and let me know. I’m only aware of places like the Cameron Trading Post too far north, and also the Navajo frybread stand too far south.

Best Restaurant in Flagstaff

The best restaurant in Flagstaff is Nomads Global Lounge, a cozy enclave that serves tapas inspired by cuisine from around the world. You can order a Spanish dish, an African dish, and a German dish all during the same meal. Unfortunately they’ve been closed due to COVID, but only temporarily, I hope. The lounge is connected to my favorite affordable place to stay in Flagstaff, Motel DuBeau. It’s an old Route 66 hotel. It’s not the fanciest option, but it has character.

Tourist Home, once a 1920s boarding house, serves quality meals that make you feel like you’re making healthy choices. They’re not necessarily vegan like the Red Curry Vegan Kitchen, but I’m easily impressed when an American restaurant offers a hash bowl with beets and yams, instead of some kind of Diners and Drives gut-busting monstrosity (which also has its place, don’t get me wrong!). They have a large outdoor patio seating area, so this was the first restaurant I revisited after COVID mandates started to lift.

Honorary Mention: I haven’t been to Cornish Pasty Company yet but I am thrilled we have one; my British food obsession remains strong after hiking Hadrian’s Wall and marathoning Great British Bakeoff. Honestly I mainly want to order the sticky toffee pudding.

Best Route 66 Diner in Flagstaff

Galaxy Diner has the old school 50s/60s/jukebox/James Dean/Rat Pack/”do the twist” vibe you’re hoping for when you make a Route 66 stop. Breakfast all day is my kryptonite, but I’ve also been eyeing their milkshakes.

Honorary Mention: Downtown Diner looks cute and is in the more walkable downtown shopping area; I haven’t stopped in yet.

Best Coffee Shop in Flagstaff

Kickstand Kafe is my favorite coffee and breakfast/lunch spot now that Lux has closed. Most coffee shops just throw some crusty week-old muffins on the counter because they think it’s obligatory to have a food option, even if that option tastes like cardboard. This is why I don’t enjoy a lot of the top-rated coffee/bakery combination cafes listed on TripAdvisor for Flagstaff. Meanwhile, Kickstand actually puts effort into the menu.

Honorary Mention: I also enjoy Late for the Train, mostly for their cute outdoor patio seating.

Best Food Truck in Flagstaff

Sugar Skull Rolling Cafe has menu items with names like “Mac Daddy”, “Trash Fries”, “Texas Burger”, “Skull Buster”, and ‘“Fat Elvis” and their business model of parking outside drunk college students’ apartment complexes is genius.

Seasonal Things to Do in Flagstaff

June-September, Wednesdays: Downtown Community Market

May-October, Sundays: Farmers Market

June-October, second Saturdays: Urban Flea Market

October: Haunted Walking Tours or Haunted Segway Tours

July weekends: Heritage Festival

Winter: Skiing at Snowbowl

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