In 2006, renowned rock climber Roxanna Brock McDade was looking for a new place to call home. She and her fiancé chose Flagstaff because of an abundance of what she calls “good rock” but she says the best gift turned out to be the people who make up the large climbing community.

“The climbers are highly motivated and very down to earth,” said Brock McDade. After living in cities throughout the country, she says Flagstaff is her clear favorite.

And she’s not alone. Flagstaff and the surrounding landscape draws outdoor enthusiasts from around the world with its abundance of climbing, bicycling, hunting and fishing, among a long list of other activities. As a result, the business side of outdoor recreation in Northern Arizona has blossomed and grown with it.

Brock McDade believes the local climbing gym, Vertical Relief, contributes to the good feeling among climbers in the community. She says the facility is well run which helps people just starting out in the sport.

Vertical Relief is one of many Flagstaff businesses catering to outdoor recreationists. Owner John Doskicz says it’s unusual for a town of this size to have such a nice climbing gym. “I think it’s a testament to the outdoor population we have in Flagstaff to support Vertical Relief and how we can keep growing after 13 years,” said Doskicz.

In addition to providing indoor climbing opportunities, Vertical Relief offers professional guide services. A long-standing agreement with the Forest Service allows the business to serve about 250 people each year at 3 different climbing locations, an arrangement Doskicz would like to see expanded.

Businesses are required to obtain permits to provide recreation services on national forests. Anthony Quintile, General Manager of Absolute Bikes, says many people who come into his store would like to take a bike tour but can’t. He says there are no permits being issued by the Coconino National Forest who is in the process of creating an outfitter guide plan.

In the decade Quintile has managed Absolute Bikes he’s seen Flagstaff evolve as a destination for outdoor recreationists, including mountain bikers. “People come here and they ride and they’re surprised at how much single track riding we have so for mountain biking in particular I see us growing as an alternate Mecca if you will,” said Quintile. He has also observed an influx of people moving to Flagstaff because it’s an outdoor recreation-based town.

Local businesses have catered to the outdoor community for years. Doskicz says some of his sales reps think Flagstaff has one of the greatest number of outdoor shops per capita than any other town in the country. Steve Chatinsky says he can believe it. In 1976 he began selling outdoor equipment and clothing when he opened Peace Surplus in downtown Flagstaff. While Chatinsky says he plans to be in business for many years to come, he thinks the future will bring big box retailers to Flagstaff forcing some stores to close.

That idea is supported by the Outdoor Industry Association. Statistics from April, the most recent month available, show $138 million dollars in sales at specialty outdoor retail stores in the United States. While those stores are posting a four percent decline from the previous April, outdoor retail chain stores posted an 18 percent sales increase.

In Arizona, sales of fishing and hunting licenses are down, reflecting a nationwide trend. Shelly Shepherd, from the Flagstaff branch of the state Game and Fish Department, estimates sales will remain flat or decrease slightly in the short term. Despite the downturn, it’s still big business; the Arizona Game and Fish Department says hunters and anglers spend $958 million each year in the state.

“People in Arizona are pretty outdoor-minded, “said Grant Tibbetts, who works at Babbbitt’s Flyfishing Specialists in downtown Flagstaff. He says northern Arizona is a unique place for fishing with Oak Creek Canyon and Lees Ferry as some of his customer’s favorite spots. Tibbetts recognizes anglers contribute significantly to the local economy, but says it’s pretty affordable once you’ve purchased your equipment.

The City of Flagstaff doesn’t have a statistical category for outdoor sales but staff recognizes outdoor recreation is a major economic driver for the region.

“With Flagstaff being in the middle of some of the best hunting opportunities in the state, we see the largest influx of sportsman’s and sportswoman’s dollars being spent between August and February, more than any other small town in Arizona, says Steve Favour, owner of Signature Taxidermy in Flagstaff. “These people spend thousands of dollars on supplies and services in Flagstaff every day.”

He added that most spend an average of five days in town, even if they are camping.

“This contributes a large amount of revenue for all the retail stores and shops in Flagstaff, not to mention food and fuel sales,” says Favour. “The sportsman’s and sportswoman’s dollars have long been overlooked as a source of revenue in Flagstaff even though we do get our fair share of the industry.”

Jessica Stephens with the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau says many tourists are coming to Flagstaff for the great outdoors. “We are assuming, based on the number of walk-ins and the questions asked at the Visitor’s Center that people are coming up here for outdoor recreation,” said Stephens. She says the majority of questions are hiking related, followed by people seeking information about mountain biking and disc golfing. Most of the approximately 100,000 people who come to the Visitor’s Center each year arrive during the summer months.