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RIO DE FLAG NATURE TRAIL
Flagstaff
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| Inside the canyon |
Another in my series of “who knew” hikes, this one hides behind Flagstaff’s Museum
of Northern Arizona. After
shrugging it off for years, I finally made the detour this weekend and was
pleasantly surprised. Instead of
the dull “edutainment” trail I was expecting, this one is free of signs and packed with interest. The trail
begins on the rim of a 50-foot-deep, sheer walled canyon, then descends via a
set of stone stairs into a beautiful riparian corridor cluttered with arroyo
willows, brambles and Rocky Mountain irises. Winding among enormous volcanic boulders and Ponderosa
pines, the route cuts a figure-eight path with a couple of fun detours. First, look for another stone staircase
that leads up to the canyon’s west rim, here, you’ll follow a rambling,
leaf-littered path to an aspen-ringed cove and the stony harbor of an
intermittent spring. Also, on the
east rim near the museum, a simple path paralleling US180 leads to a wooden
observation deck with a pond and green swale fed by the trickling waters of
Flagstaff’s only “river”.
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| Rio de Flag |
LENGTH:
0.6-mile loop
RATING: easy
(rocky, uneven surface)
ELEVATION: 7048’ – 7120’
GETTING THERE:
From Phoenix, go north on I17 to Flagstaff. Continue through town and connect with
US180 (Fort Valley Road). Go
roughly 3 miles north on US180 to past milepost 218 and turn left into the
parking lot for the Museum of Northern Arizona. Trail begins near the museum entrance.
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