OBSERVATORY MESA NATURAL AREA

OBSERVATORY MESA NATURAL AREA

Flagstaff

Observatory Tank along Forest Road 515

Wavyleaf thistle and guests

Allow me to introduce A-1 Mountain, ruler of magma, queen of ashes and Mother of the Mesa. This dramatic introduction—admittedly inspired by a certain fantasy franchise—is an accurate description of the 300,000-year-old cinder cone located on the urban-forest interface west of Flagstaff. A-1 Mountain is the source of volcanic materials that built Observatory Mesa and other nearby geological features. Rising to 8,300 feet, the pine-cloaked mound is just one of many visual goodies dished out to visitors of the Observatory Mesa Natural Area.

A-1 Mountain is a 300,000 -year-old cinder cone volcano

The 2,251-acre site was acquired by the City of Flagstaff in 2013 to preserve native ecosystems and an essential wildlife corridor while allowing for  recreation.  Rich in biodiversity, the landscape is a mix of pine-oak woodlands, grasslands, shrubby range, tiny drainage areas and seeps that foster wetland species like willows, frogs, wild roses and salamanders.

Observatory Mesa

 

Hikers can access the area on dirt forest roads or by way of the Flagstaff Urban Trails System (FUTS) trailhead at Thorpe Park near downtown. Either way, both options merge at a hub in the middle of the mesa where the Mars Hill, Tunnel Springs, Flagstaff Loop and Observatory Mesa trails spin off in different directions.  Although both access points are close to town, the trailhead along Forest Road 515 has more of a woodsy feel than its city-inflected counterpart. 

Slash piles 

Beginning at the FR 515 trailhead requires some route finding. The side road at the kiosk is Forest Road 515D which is one of several non-motorized dead-end roads that wander through meadows, wetlands and forests replete with antelope, porcupines, fox and squirrels. You can wander along these scenic roads for hours, but if you want the most direct route to the FUTS hub, hike 2.6 miles farther up FR 515 (the road you came in on) from the parking spot at the kiosk. At 1.1 miles, go right at a fork and then stay straight on the main road at a second fork. Continue to a cattle guard and gate at the 1.3-mile point where Forest Road 9113C crosses, pass the gate and continue hiking on FR 515 to a hub of trail signs. From here, you can pick up the FUTS or return the way you came. 

Logs ready for transport

While hiking on the mesa, you'll see fresh-cut tree stumps and slash piles (stacks of branches). These products of forest thinning efforts are part of the Flagstaff Watershed Protection Program that's designed to reduce the threat of devastating wildfires and post-fire flooding while improving forest health to promote diverse habitats for sensitive species like the Gunnison’s prairie dog, boreal chorus frog and Mexican spotted owl. Signs at the hub have information about the program. During logging operations, heavy equipment is in use on and around the dirt roads, so stay alert and be sure to park well out of the way.

Yellow Salsify

LENGTHS:

Forest Road 515 hike to hub: 2.6 miles one-way, 7400' - 7560'

Observatory Mesa Trail: 1.6 miles one-way, 7070’ – 7370’

Mars Hill Trail: 1.9 miles one-way, 6933’ – 7402’

Tunnel Springs Trail: 1.9 miles one-way, 7014’ – 7404’

RATING: moderate

GETTING THERE:

Forest Road 515 Trailhead:

From the Interstate 17/40 interchange in Flagstaff, go 4.8 miles west (toward Williams) on I-40 to A-1 Mountain Road exit 190. Follow A-1 Road (Forest Road 506) 1.8 miles and continue straight on Forest Road 515. Pass a cattle guard and go 0.2 mile and park at the kiosk. No facilities. 

Thorpe Park Trailhead:

From downtown Flagstaff, go north on Humphreys Street to Cherry Avenue, turn left and continue to North Thorpe Park Road, turn right and drive a short distance to the parking area near the ball fields.  Pick up the Observatory Mesa Trail across the road near the disc golf course.

INFO & MAP: http://www.flagstaff.az.gov/index.aspx?NID=3081

TUNNEL SPRINGS TRAIL

TUNNEL SPRINGS TRAIL

BNSF trains pass by about every 15 minutes

The multi-faceted hiking network of the Flagstaff Urban Trails System (FUTS) is the perfect complement to the hundreds of miles of wilderness and national forest trails surrounding the city.

FUTS (say, "foots") uses sidewalks, gravel roads and dirt single tracks for a seamless web of hiking/biking routes that link in-town strolls and meanders through suburban wetlands to more rigorous peripheral trails. Although many of the system's offerings appeal to those looking for a quick way to burn some energy without having to drive miles to a trailhead, several routes located at the

urban-woodland interface mimic the feel of more remote locations.  Tunnel Springs Trail is sort of a city-rural-wildland hybrid hike melding the convenience of easy access just off busy Route 66 with a moderate climb through Ponderosa pine forests.  Passing under and above BNSF railroad tracks, the trail's companion cacophony of metal-on-metal screeching and mournful freight car rumbling is the hike's signature characteristic. The clamor of wailing rails fades as the trail ascends Observatory Mesa along a smooth, gravel road.

Trail signs are few and unmarked crossroads can cause confusion. Here's the plan. From the trailhead, follow the walkway between the private homes down to a road paralleling the railroad tracks.  Turn left here, pass through the tunnel and veer left again. Pass a gate and go right to stay on the widest road heading uphill. At the green tanks (Lowell Tanks), go left and continue to another gate at the (unsigned) Mars Hill Trail junction. Return the way you came or continue 1.6 miles to Thorpe Park.

LENGTH: 1.9 miles one-way

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 7014' - 7404'

GETTING THERE:

From Flagstaff, travel west on Route 66 to Railroad Springs Blvd. (just before mile post 194,Chevron station on corner), turn right and go 0.4-mile to a "T" intersection with Adirondack Ave. The trail begins on a path between two residences directly ahead. Park along the street.

INFO:

City of Flagstaff

http://flagstaff.az.gov/index.aspx?NID=1814

F.U.T.S. Map:

http://flagstaff.az.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/8550

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