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Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff Arizona is centrally located for diverse adventures from high mountains to deep canyons. Many already know that Flagstaff is a base camp for vacations to Grand Canyon National Park, but few know about the other outdoor gems near this city of 70,000 folks that sits at about 7000 feet above sea level. At an elevation like that and being located on a huge flat plain known as the Colorado Plateau, it’s hard to believe that mountains tower over this city. The volcanic San Francisco Peaks rise to nearly 13,000 feet and are covered with trails, viewpoints, and a ski area. This high plateau has a sharp cliffy edge to the south known as the Mogollon Rim and it’s not far from Flagstaff. The red rocks of Sedona are close as are ancient native American archaeological sites in Walnut Canyon. Other attractions include many volcanic craters and even a meteor crater. Flagstaff comes with a cool downtown with old hotels, a wide selection of restaurants, and a well-known brewery. It’s the perfect base camp for so many discoveries.

Recent Articles

  1. Finding the Lost City of the Lukachukais

    By Soren Bowie in Backpacking, Canyoneering, Exploration, Featured Articles, Hiking

    Lost cities don’t exist. They are confined to the bottoms of oceans and 19th-century jungles. As children, we all eventually give up on looking for buried treasure in backyards, or undiscovered, ancient ruins down the block because at this point humanity has been around long enough to stumble over most of them. Long before I […]

  2. Rafting the Grand Canyon – Permit Lottery Explained

    By Josiah Failing in Whitewater

    Grand Canyon Permit Process – Noncommercial Trips The current procedure for obtaining a much-coveted noncommercial permit to raft the Grand Canyon is in the form of a weighted lottery. This system began in 2006, when the previous “wait-list” system became an impractical method for hopeful rafters. The first-come, first-serve waiting list had grown to over […]

  3. Rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon

    By Sage Stowell in Whitewater

    The Grand Canyon in all its glory. Truly is the trip of a lifetime. Photo: Josiah Failing The Colorado River through the Grand Canyon does not need much introduction. It is a 16-28 day trip depending on the time of year. Peak season is in the spring and summer, but there is a 16 day […]

Maps

  1. How to Reach the Alien Blue Waters and Waterfalls of Havasu Creek

    Water is scarce in the desert. What little you do find is usually seeping from a tiny crack in the bright red sandstone or a murky, stagnant puddle of rainwater lazily evaporating into the arid heat. Rivers can be clear but are quick to muddy after any precipitation. The Colorado River is, more often that […]

  2. Map of the Highest Points in Each of the 50 States

    Many have heard about the state highpoints quest and contemplated it over a beverage or two. An experienced mountaineer or even someone who is fit and very determined could do most of the peaks. You could even get a little help, like on Rainier where climbers often use a guide service. Denali in Alaska however, is in […]

Featured Mountains in Flagstaff

Mountain Approx. Elevation
Walnut Canyon Loop Trail 6,460 ft (1,969 m)
Lava Flow Trail 6,959 ft (2,121 m)
O’Leary Peak 8,871 ft (2,704 m)
Humphreys Peak (State High Point) 12,633 ft (3,851 m)
Fremont Peak 11,969 ft (3,648 m)
Elden Mountain 8,569 ft (2,612 m)
Cinder Hills 6,880 ft (2,097 m)
Agassiz Peak 12,356 ft (3,766 m)
Mogollon Rim 3,163 ft (964 m)
Fisher Point 6,873 ft (2,095 m)