Flagstaff

Walnut Canyon National Monument is a U.S. National Monument listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and one of the top Flagstaff attractions. The monument is located on Walnut Canyon Road southeast of downtown Flagstaff. The trail that leads from the canyon’s edge to its floor passes by 25 Sinagua cliff dwelling rooms, and visitors are able to get close up views of the unique dwellings.

The Sinagua, a pre-Columbian group that lived in the valley, were responsible for building Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot. The park there has a Visitor Center and a museum.

3 Walnut Canyon Road, Flagstaff, Arizona, Phone: 928-526-3367

Located on US-89, Wupatki National Monument is a U.S. National Monument that contains many Native American ruins found on over 35,000 acres of desert land. Established in 1924 and added to the list of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1966, the park features the ruins of ancient Native American pueblos such as Crack-in-Rock, Wukoki, and Wupatki.

Wupatki means “tall house” and it is an awe-inspiring multi-story pueblo consisting of more than 100 rooms. The park boasts other features like an ancient community room as well as a ball court. Artifacts that have been found show that Wupatki engaged in trading. Wupatki National Monument is one of the best things to do in Flagstaff AZ.

6400 US-89, Flagstaff, Arizona, Phone: 928-526-1157

Built in 1894, the Lowell Observatory is one of the oldest observatories in the U.S. Located on West Mars Hill Road, the observatory was designated as a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1965. It was in 1930 that Clyde Tombaugh discovered the dwarf planet Pluto using the Lowell Observatory telescope. Interestingly, the original telescope is used for public education.

The Steele Visitors Center offers guided tours during the day, while at night, visitors can observe the night sky using the original telescope as well as several other telescopes. The observatory has several outreach programs such as camps for preschoolers, elementary summer camp, middle school camp, and several others.

1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, Arizona, Phone: 928-774-3358

Located on South Mikes Pike Street, the Mother Road Brewing Company is well known for the Tap Room, a tasting room where visitors can enjoy some of the many brews like His Majesty’s Morning Porridge, Gold Road Kolsch Style Ale, Lemon Thyme Wheatblock, and more.

Public tours of the brewery are offered on Saturday afternoon, and guests are given two kinds of beer as well as coasters and stickers. Private tours are also available by request. The company hosts many events such as live musical performances, beer trivia nights, Mountain Top Mashers Homebrew Club Meetings, and Growler Refill Days.

7 South Mikes Pike Street, Flagstaff, Arizona, Phone: 928-774-9139

Located on Sunset Crater Road, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is the home of a 900-year-old cinder cone. From the Visitor Center there are several trails and areas in the park that visitors can explore such as the Cinder Hills Overlook, which has stunning views, the one-mile Lava Flow Trail, the steep one-mile Lenox Crater Trail, and the .2-mile Aa Flow Trail.

Visitors can also take a seven-mile hike to O’Leary Peak. In order to protect the fragile landscape, backcountry hiking is not permitted. There are several programs such as school field trips, a Junior Ranger Program, and the WebRangers available.

6082 Sunset Crater Road, Flagstaff, Arizona, Phone: 928-526-0502

Located in Fort Tuthill County Park, Flagstaff Extreme is an engaging adventure course. It offers several treetop courses where visitors move through obstacles suspended from the tall trees. The obstacles include bridges, hanging nets, rope swings, scrambling walls, and much more. The company offers several large obstacle courses at different skill levels; some are appropriate for adults and some for children.

Guests are given training sessions that last about 30 minutes before starting with the easiest obstacle course in order to become familiar with the setting. Children are given a similar briefing, and they participate in a course designed exclusively for children. Flagstaff Extreme also hosts events like the Extreme Finisher Series.

Fort Tuthill County Park, Flagstaff, Arizona, Phone: 888-259-0125

The Lava River Cave is a lava tube located on South Thompson Street within the Coconino National Forest. Discovered in 1915 by lumberman, it is the longest cave in Arizona with a length of 0.75 miles. It is sometimes called the Government Cave because of its proximity to Government Peak and Government Prairie.

Visiting the cave is an educational experience that allows visitors to learn about biology, geology, history, and caves in general. There is no front door to the cave; visitors climb down through a hole in the ground and then the adventure begins. The floor is slippery in some places, and, because it can be quite cold inside, visitors need to wear warm clothes. You might see a few animals like bats and squirrels in the cave.

Located on North Fort Valley Road, the Museum of Northern Arizona is a museum dedicated to preserving and exhibiting Native American artifacts as well as objects from the Colorado Plateau. Founded in 1928, the museum showcases collections dedicated to anthropology, art, biology, geology, and other fields.

Some of the exhibits include Reconstructing the View: The Grand Canyon Photographs of Mark Klett & Byron Wolfe and Roundball Religion: Photographs by Joe Cornett. Tours are also available, and some examples include the Collections Tours and the Museum Highlights Tours. The museum also hosts special events like the Navajo Festival and Navajo Weaving. School workshops like Prehistoric Foods and Rock Art Workshop are just a couple of the museum’s many programs.

3101 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff, Arizona, Phone: 928-774-5213

The Coconino National Forest is a nearly two million acre national forest located on North Fort Valley Road. Originally established in 1898 as the San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve, it became a U.S. National Forest in 1908. Because of its size, the forest consists of are many different kinds of landscapes such as alpine tundra, deserts, flatlands, mesas, and volcanic peaks.

Within the forest, you can find Elden Pueblo, an ancient Sinagua village. Because of its easy access, archaeologists work with the public during excavations. Another interesting feature of the forest is Red Mountain, a 1,000-foot volcanic cinder cone with an unusual “U” shape.

1824 South Thompson Street, Flagstaff, Arizona, Phone: 928-527-3600