The people who call Flagstaff home don’t have to renew their passport to see this natural wonder.
Visitors from around the world plan trips of a lifetime to see things like Grand Canyon National Park in this part of our state. The people who call Flagstaff home don’t have to renew their passport to see this natural wonder. They can do it with a 90-minute drive.
March and April are the ideal time to make that trip for Flagstaff residents. There’s still a chance of snow along the jagged canyon cliffs, which is one of the few things that can improve upon the stunning scenery. Park visitation increases through the summer, peaking in July, the height of summer road trips. That means Grand Canyon National Park is less crowded now than it will be for months to come, and it will be November before Flagstaff residents again have the park this much to themselves.
A presidential declaration last year designated three separate tracts of land around Grand Canyon as the Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. One of the areas included in the new monument is the land around Tusayan near the entrance of the South Rim.
The U.S. Forest Service offers a guide to historic places within the new monument that might be new to locals. The list includes locations such as Red Butte, a prominent landmark that is central to multiple Tribal creation stories. If the forest roads are dry, this spot offers a short but steep hike to a fire lookout tower. Historic sites like the Hull Cabin, the oldest surviving cabin near the Grand Canyon’s south rim, and the former Apex Logging Camp also are within the new monument. Learn more here: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/kaibab/home/?cid=FSEPRD1129246&width=full
While Arizona is getting national attention for designating a new national monument to honor indigenous history, Flagstaff has a commendable record of recognizing sacred places with the Wupatki and Walnut Canyon national monuments.
Both sites offer rich history of indigenous culture, and the rare opportunity to walk among the rooms where ancient people laid their heads at night. Modern residents of Flagstaff who live with contemporary conveniences like heated homes can marvel at the ingenuity it required to build the stone rooms and thrive in the Northern Arizona environment without such amenities. Visiting these sites with children during spring is an ideal time to ask them questions such as how they think people were able to get along without things like heated cars and down jackets. The Junior Ranger programs at the monuments offer children a chance to explore such questions about these serene landscapes where ancient people settled.
The next stop on the Seven Wonders tour is Oak Creek Canyon, where the Manzanita Campground has been open since February and the Pine Flat Campground West opens April 12. This is another site people travel from afar to see. Enjoy the ability to take a 40-minute drive through one of the state’s most picturesque canyons to see it from Flagstaff.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument also ranks among the city’s wonders, and like Grand Canyon, can be among the most breathtaking landscapes in the region this time of year if you’re lucky enough to catch it with a dusting of snow.
The San Francisco Peaks still offer downhill skiing and snowboarding this time of year, but spring also is the time to start getting in shape for those who plan to hike Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona, sometime later this year once the hiking trails are passable.
The seventh and final wonder of our city is the enchanting ponderosa pine forest that envelopes our community, helps us rank among the cleanest air in the country and offers hiking, biking, snowshoeing and other recreational opportunities. Be sure to make the most of it this spring. FBN
By Ryan Randazzo
For additional information, please visit the official Visitor Center in the historic train station at 1 E. Route 66, or visit discoverflagstaff.com.
Ryan Randazzo is the media relations and project manager for Discover Flagstaff.
