Flagstaff Travel Guide
Welcome to Flagstaff! We called this vibrant and beautiful mountain town our home for a few weeks while we were there in the spring. In fact, this was one of the first places we traveled to after we finished converting our Ram Promaster into a tiny home on wheels and we hit the road. There is plenty to enjoy about this beautiful place, and it reminded me a lot of Colorado, my hometown! If you enjoy pine forests as far as the eye can see, cool nights under the stars, and hiking trails that you can spend all day on, or you love to snowboard or ski, Flagstaff is the place for you.
History
Flagstaff is Arizona’s Mountain town, where Arizonioans learn to ski. It’s a college town (Northern Arizona University), with an eclectic downtown area with shops, cafes, food, entertainment, bookstores, and much more. Flagstaff is surrounded by the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world and also has beautiful aspen trees. The climate is high altitude low humidity, creating a mild four-season weather pattern. Notable activities include skiing at Snowbowl (Mt Humprhey’s 12,600 ft), mountain biking, hiking, fishing, camping.
Surrounded by Coconino National Forest, this whole area was teeming with beautiful free dispersed camping and paid campgrounds. We stayed near Ashurst lake, just past Upper Lake Mary if you’re coming from Flagstaff. It’s a 2 mile Forest road 82E with tons of dispersed camping. Firewood is available for forging, but there isn’t a ton of privacy brush, but there was no need for that, the spots are spaced out nicely. The forest has a sweet scent to it. Wildlife in the area ranges from skunks to elk.
It’s an outdoorsy person’s dream. Being only 80 miles from The grand canyon and near 7 national parks, Flagstaff is a hub for nature enthusiasts. In addition, the City and surrounding area are super pet friendly with dog-friendly trails, patios, parks, and hotels.
Elevation: 6909
Ndee (western apache), Hopi, Pueblo, Hohokam land
Indigenous reservations in the area
There are four reservations in the greater Flagstaff area, Hopi, Navajo, Havasupai, and Hualapai.
Hualapai
Visit the Hualapai website here: http://hualapai-nsn.gov/
You can support the Hualapai by visiting West Grand Canyon, skywalk, or rafting with Hualapai river runners. Click here for more information.
Navajo
Visit the Navajo website here: https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/
Horseback ride in Navajo Nation at Sacred monument tours!
Hopi
Visit the Hopi website here:
Visit the Hopi cultural center outside Tuba City or do a guided tour of the first mesa home to the historic Walpi Village. https://experiencehopi.com/walpi-village/
Havasupai
Visit the Havasupai website here: https://www.theofficialhavasupaitribe.com/
Visit beautiful waterfalls and camp on Havasupai land, people of the blue-green water! You’ll have to make a reservation and respect all rules and guidelines. Currently closed due to covid check status here.
Where we camped
Lake Ashurst
We spent one week at Lake Ashurst. If you want free camping, make sure you stop before you reach the campground. There are plenty of areas to choose from. The roads vary in roughness, but overall they’re very manageable. There were beautiful pine trees everywhere we looked. If you got to the beginning of the forest road, there’s a trailhead. There was a limited amount of cell service. We got 1-2 bars on Verizon and AT&T. We ended up walking around and setting up a table where we could find decent service. Firewood is available if you take the time to collect it. This campsite was very dog friendly. We saw many other campers with pets.
S Snowbowl Road
We stayed off S Snowbowl road for 3 nights. It was a nice wooded area with several spots lined along the road. If you’re coming from the south entrance, there are a few open areas for big rigs. It’s conveniently located near Snowbowl mountain making it a great spot to stay to go skiing. We stayed here both in March and May. It definitely was busier the warmer it got. There was limited cell service, the beginning of the road had better service, the farther you go the less likely you’ll have any bars. The sites are pet-friendly.
Paid campsites in Flagstaff
There is an abundance of paid campsites in Flagstaff. We didn’t stay at any paid campsites while we were here, but there were a few that came highly recommended. We will share them below in case you are interested.
Woody Mountain Campground
Woody Mountain Campground is an RV and tent campground with full amenities it even has a restaurant onsite. It costs 50-60 dollars a night or 1,000 a month. It’s a pretty area and is conveniently located near downtown. Pets must register at the office and remain on leash at all times.
Visit their website here: https://woody-mtn.com/
Fort Tuthill county campground
Fort Tuthill county campground has 101 camping sites with 8 full RV hookups. No showers are available. Pets are allowed but must be leashed at all times. There’s a disc golf and mountain bike park close by. More info in the link
Visit their website herehttps://www.coconino.az.gov/502/Fort-Tuthill-Campground
Hikes
While we were in the area, we took full advantage of the abundance of hikes that were available to us. We weren’t able to use them all, but a few of the most highly recommended hikes included:
- Horse Lake Trail– easy 7.6-mile out and back trail located at the beginning of the Forest Road It’s part of a larger trail (the Arizona Trail which is 23.4 miles from flagstaff to the TH by Mormon lake.
- Fatman’s loop – moderate 2.4-mile heavily trafficked hike. It’s beautiful and dog-friendly!
- Campbell Mesa Loop – easy 5.5-mile trail. Dog-friendly abundant wildflowers ( 35.200030, -111.562960 )
- Elden Lookout Trail – hard 6.3-mile out and back trail. Steep uphill hike with a beautiful view ( 35.230110, -111.579210 ) From Flag follow Santa Fe avenue past the ranger office to a trailhead parking lot off the north side of the street. Dog friendly
Best time to visit
Take it from us, the best time to visit Flagstaff is in the spring! We visited Flagstaff in March and the variety of climate was a huge bonus for us. Reed loves to snowboard and although he didn’t come into the area with the expectation of getting to get on the slopes, we made it to the end of Arazonas ski season. He got to ride for two days and even got some fresh powder on his second day on the slopes. We then visited Flagstaff again in April and it was the perfect place to escape the dry heat that was creeping into most other areas in the region. We were able to find reprieve in the trees and have a few cool nights.
Restaurants & Cafes
Josephine’s Modern American Bistro
Fancy foodies head to Josephine’s Modern American Bistro for new American cuisine. Great outdoor seating and fresh fantastic food. This restaurant has been serving the community for 20 years!
Late for the train
Late for the train was a fun coffee shop located in the middle of downtown FlagstaffOther shops and restaurants surrounded it. The coffee shop had a courtyard with plenty of space for a few large groups of people with room to spare. The interior was clean and had a cozy atmosphere. f. The staff is helpful and polite and it was a great place to get some work done.
Activities we wish we did
Lowell observatory
Space enthusiasts and star dwellers can enjoy an array of experiences and events at the Lowell Observatory one of the oldest observatories in the U.S built-in 1984. In fact, they first observed Pluto here! Flagstaff is dedicated to star gazing, it was the first “international dark-sky city”. The observatory has a wide range of experiences and events available online.
In mid-September Flagstaff Festival of Science provides a unique experience for locals and visitors alike. For more information go to https://scifest.org/
Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater- 42 miles east of Flagstaff (50 minutes) in Winslow Arizona. It’s the best-preserved meteor impact on the earth. Its surface resembles the moon and other planets. NASA has trained astronauts there for over 50 years. Visit their website here: https://meteorcrater.com/
The Arboretum Flagstaff
The Arboretum Flagstaff – open May 1st- October 31st admission is $10 humans $3 dogs. The Arb stretches across 200 acres and features over 750 species of plants native to the colorado plateau and northern Arizona. Visit their website here: https://thearb.org/
BIPOC owned businesses in the area
How to support BIPOC Owned
As fellow travelers, we believe that it is our duty to support the local communities and businesses in the areas that we visit. We understand that we are voting with our dollars and with the places we choose to spend time. We believe that it is our responsibility to give Black, Indigenous, and People of color-owned businesses our attention and support, in order to make sure that these resources are available for future travelers and locals for generations to come.
If you agree, here is a non-exhaustive list of amazing BIPOC owned businesses that you should check out in the Flagstaff area! Utilize the ‘Rez Rising’ app, it has over 600 Native businesses throughout the Southwest.
Barbershop
Jabarha “Kuttz” Nichols founded cuts in 2005. After attending a barber college in Phoenix he knew there was a need for licensed barbers in the area. As a third-generation Flagstaff native, he decided to create what is now Kuttz Barber Shop/College.
Restaurants
All the Luv wings started in 2012, this couple has been winging it ever since. They’re known for their homemade sauces and big fresh flavor. Most locations are in Phoenix but they have dozens of locations throughout Arizona
Jewelry
Nizhoni Lee is based in Flagstaff, Arizona, and was established in 2018. ” From their website. “we are indigenous-owned and operated. “Nizhoni” is the Navajo word for “beautiful”, our mission is to design leather jewelry & accessories that inspire one to be original & embrace everything that makes them unique.”
Beauty products
Lumina Botanicals offers CBD products, beauty, and personal products. This woman-owned and Navajo certified company’s mission “is to provide opportunities, educate, and craft herbal remedies available for purchase or wholesale partnership. Each item is crafted and tested with energetic intentions of bringing wellness and joy.
Also if you know of any BIPOC owned businesses in the Flagstaff area that you love, please share them in the comments!
Vanlife specific
Where to fill up water
-Fry’s Grocery store gas station spigot.
Recommended supplies to bring?
- Layers for the cold high altitude nights!
- Camping gear
- SKi’s in the winter
- Mountain bike for summer
- Hiking gear
Would we recommend Flagstaff?
Flagstaff has a lot to offer for vanlifers, travelers, and outdoor enthusiasts. We recommend strolling around downtown and doing some camping with friends! It’s an all-seasons destination, skiing, hiking, birding, hunting, flagstaff has a ton to do outdoors. You have to check out the largest pine forest in the world! This area is reminiscent of Colorado with its beautiful mountain forests, high elevation, and dry cool air. We’re definitely coming back. It’s a great place to stay or pass through on your way to the Grand Canyon or other national monuments.
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