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SINCLAIR WASH & RIO DE FLAG
Flagstaff Urban Trail System
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| Rio de Flag |
Last weekend in Flagstaff, the morning air had a telling,
damp crispness to it. Shorter days
and cooler temperatures mean the summer wildflower season is winding down. But,
in the moist corridor of Rio de Flag, high country flora will be blooming
through late September. Sinclair
Wash Trail, which begins at Fort Tuthill Park and ends at the Arizona Trail off Route 66, is
a major artery of the Flagstaff Urban Trail System (FUTS). Winding through a diverse mix of
terrain and connecting with 8 other trails, the floral sweet spot of this wide,
mostly flat trail is the wetland area near Sawmill County Park. A short but
steep descent from the playground drops hikers in the middle of Rio de Flag---a
waterway created as part of the town's water reclamation program. The mile-long
segment follows the stream through a limestone canyon festooned with oak
archways and climbing vines. Where the trail approaches the I40 underpass, a
cattail-choked marsh fosters a plethora of plant and animal life. Here, the late summer wildflower
checklist includes: globemallow, wild chrysanthemum, sunflowers, clovers, wild
geranium, Red-osier dogwood, coneflowers, aquatic buttercups, New Mexican vervain
and alfalfa.
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| wetlands |
LENGTH: 5.7 miles one way. 2 miles roundtrip for the Rio de
Flag section only.
RATING: easy
ELEVATION: 6805'- 6988"
GETTING THERE:
Sawmill County Park (short hike):
In Flagstaff, go east on Butler Ave to Lone Tree, turn
right, continue to Sawmill Road on the left and follow the signs to the park.
Fort Tuthill County Park (long hike):
From I17 south of Flagstaff, take exit 337 for AZ89A and
"county fairgrounds". At the end of the off ramp, continue straight
into Ft. Tuthill Park and follow the signs to trailhead parking.
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| Prairie coneflower |
INFO: City of Flagstaff
MORE PHOTOS:
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