Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve

PICTURE CANYON NATURAL and CULTURAL PRESERVE

Bridge over the Rio de Flag

On the industrial side of the tracks a few miles east of Downtown Flagstaff, a tiny preserve set between the unglamourous footprints of a wastewater plant and public works facility interrupts the churn of municipal infrastructure with a surprising corridor of green.

Deep water pond near wastewater treatment plant

Mt. Elden (left) and Sheep Hill cindercone viewed from the trails

Picture Canyon Natural and Culture Preserve protects a swath of rare habitats and human history huddled around a perennially moist branch of the Rio de Flag watershed, a natural stream system with headwaters at the base of the San Francisco Peaks and Mount Elden that flows in ephemeral tendrils through Flagstaff.

Slimleaf lima bean blooms May - October

Mountain tansy mustard bloom July - August

Named for panels of petroglyphs (rock art) etched into stone along one of the site’s three trails, the 478-acre parcel protects sensitive terrain, Native American heritage sites and wildlife habitats.

Along with a 1.2-mile section of the 800+-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail that bisects it, the preserve’s Tom Moody and Don Weaver trails provide easy walking tours that tie in visits to a deep-water pond, historic railroad trestle, waterfall, pithouse, petroglyphs and a crossing of the Rio de Flag waterway by way of a wooden bridge. For longer hikes, the trails also connect with the 44-mile, city-circling Flagstaff Loop Trail.

Pine-oak woodlands: one of several eco zones in the preserve

Preserve trails link with the AZT and Flagstaff Loop

The compact preserve on the drier, leeward (a.k.a. “rain shadow”) side of San Francisco Mountain packs in an amazing snapshot of Northern Arizona’s biodiversity in an ordinarily semi-arid environment.

Signs at the petroglyph site detail their significance

Buffalo gourds bloom May-Aug along the Rio de Flag

Basalt canyons, slopes and a variety of soil types create niches that foster myriad microclimate zones including meadows, pine forests, floodplains, and riparian corridors rife with willow and reeds.

A perennially flowing segment of the Rio de Flag

The preserve also serves native wildlife by providing a contiguous land bridge that allows elk, deer, and other animals to circumvent urban areas and safely cross between grasslands, forests, and wetlands.

Colorful layers of Sheep Hill cindercone

Prairie coneflower bloom Jun-Oct

Tom Moody trail traces the Rio de Flag floodplain

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and designated as both a Northern Arizona Audubon Bird Sanctuary and an Arizona Game & Fish Department Arizona Watchable Wildlife Experience site, preserve visitors may spot waterfowl, large mammals, raccoons and more than 200 species of year-round and migratory birds.

Rock art panels decorate basalt cliffs

A map kiosk and brochures available at the trailhead give information about the site’s archeology, wildlife, and history to enrich the hike through this living sanctuary and outdoor classroom.

A waterfall trickles through a basalt canyon

LENGTH:

Tom Moody Trail: 3.9-mile circumference loop

Don Weaver Trail: 0.7-mile

Arizona Trail: 1.2 miles

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 6,587 – 6,849 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Downtown Flagstaff, go 4 miles east on Historic Route 66, turn left on El Paso Flagstaff Road and continue 1 mile to the trailhead on the right.

INFO:

https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/2881/Picture-Canyon-Natural-Cultural-Preserve