Arizona’s Snowiest City Has Volcanic Fields, Dark Skies & the World’s Largest Pine Forests

Flagstaff, Arizona

Back in 1876, some dudes stripped a pine tree, raised it as a flag pole on the 4th of July, and boom – a town was born. Flagstaff blew up after the railroad rolled through, then hit the big time when Route 66 cruised in.

Now this four-season mountain town lets you escape the desert heat while being just 80 miles from the Grand Canyon. Plus, the stargazing’s so good here that astronomers found Pluto at the local observatory. Definitely add it to your Arizona bucket list.

You Can See the Milky Way from Downtown Streets

Flagstaff became the world’s first dark sky city on October 24, 2001. Back in 1958, they passed the first-ever outdoor lighting law to protect stargazing.

Their special amber-colored lights cut sky glow by 90%, and they limit light to 35,000-70,000 lumens per acre in business areas.

Even though 76,000 people live here, you can still see the Milky Way clearly from downtown, something that’s nearly impossible in most cities.

The Lava Cave Stays 40 Degrees Year-Round

Just outside Flagstaff, you’ll find Arizona’s longest lava tube stretching 0.75 miles through Coconino National Forest. Inside, it’s always about 40°F, even when it’s 90°F outside.

Lumbermen found it in 1915, and early settlers used it as a natural fridge, actually harvesting ice from inside. It formed when hot lava cooled on the outside while the inside kept flowing.

If you want to explore, you’ll need three light sources per person since it’s pitch black inside.

All Moon-Walking Astronauts Trained in This Mountain Town

Every astronaut who walked on the moon, including Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, trained in Flagstaff. NASA made Cinder Lake Crater Field in 1967 by setting off 354 explosions to exactly copy part of the Sea of Tranquility on the moon.

They built the Grover moon rover prototype right here in Flagstaff for just $1,900 in 90 days and tested it on nearby volcanic areas. You can see Armstrong’s actual handprint and the original Grover at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center.

Ponderosa Pines Create the World’s Largest Pine Forest

When you visit Flagstaff, you’re in the world’s biggest connected ponderosa pine forest, covering 1.9 million acres of Coconino National Forest. If you put your nose to the bark on a warm day, you’ll smell a sweet vanilla scent.

This massive forest is home to over 325 kinds of wildlife, including the rare Mexican spotted owl. The trees naturally space themselves 18-24 inches apart through fire adaptation, giving the forest an open, park-like feel.

Furniture Lovers Can See America’s Largest Stickley Collection

Riordan Mansion houses over 80 original Gustav Stickley furniture pieces, making it the biggest public collection anywhere. Built in 1904 for $14,500, this 13,000-square-foot home has a clever design.

It’s actually a duplex for two families with a shared common area. The Riordans ran the Arizona Lumber and Timber Company, which employed 40% of Flagstaff’s workers.

You can tour the mansion with all its original furnishings, including unique copper light fixtures.

Pluto Was Discovered at This Famous Observatory

The famous Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was found in 1930, opened a new $53 million Astronomy Discovery Center in October 2024. The 40,000-square-foot building features the Universe Theatre with a 4K system showing real-time space data.

Six working telescopes, including the historic 24-inch Clark Telescope used for Apollo moon maps, are available for viewing. You can join nightly stargazing sessions with professional equipment under some of the darkest skies in America.

You Can Ride a Horse Along an 800-Mile Trail

The Arizona Trail runs 800 miles from Mexico to Utah right through Flagstaff, with a special horse-friendly section along Walnut Canyon. This 7-mile stretch follows old Native American paths and gives you amazing views across northern Arizona.

The trail crosses six different ecosystems, with Flagstaff sitting right in the middle. Three local stables offer guided horseback rides from 2-hour trips to full-day adventures, plus special sunset and moonlight rides from May to October.

High-Altitude Plants Thrive at the Mountaintop Arboretum

At 7,150 feet up, the Arboretum at Flagstaff grows 750 types of plants that survive in mountain environments. Set on 200 acres of pine forest since 1981, it has gardens with 95 rare and endangered plant species.

You’ll see medicinal plants used by Hopi, Navajo, and Apache tribes for generations. Their nursery grows threatened plants like the Flagstaff pennyroyal, which grows nowhere else except within 25 miles of the city.

Hawks and Owls Fly Inches Above Your Head

At Bearizona Wildlife Park, just 30 minutes from Flagstaff, hawks, falcons, and owls fly freely over your head during the Raptor Free Flight program. These 20-minute shows happen three times daily, with birds flying just 3-4 feet above you.

Unlike typical shows, these birds aren’t doing tricks – they’re showing real hunting behaviors. As they hunt for food placed near the audience, staff explain each bird’s conservation status and natural habits.

Local Scientists Help Protect Earth from Asteroids

Flagstaff astronomers track dangerous near-Earth asteroids using special equipment. Their Discovery Channel Telescope, built in 2012 for $53 million, has found 27 objects that could potentially hit Earth since 2015.

Scientists here made the first detailed maps of Mars, Venus, and the Moon. The Minor Planet Center credits Flagstaff astronomers with discovering 728 asteroids and minor planets.

You can attend weekly talks where working scientists explain these ongoing discoveries.

The City Museum Was Once a Hospital for Poor Patients

Flagstaff’s Pioneer Museum was originally the Coconino County Hospital for the Indigent, built in 1908. TB patients came here for the clean mountain air.

The two-story stone building cost $25,000 and treated patients until 1938. Now it houses an 1880s steam locomotive weighing 165 tons that hauled lumber, a 1929 iron lung for polio patients, and over 20,000 items showing northern Arizona’s history.

You can learn about the timber industry that started when the railroad reached Flagstaff in 1882.

Visiting Flagstaff, Arizona

You’ll find the Flagstaff Visitor Center at 1 E Route 66, open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, where you can get free maps and personal travel advice. Most attractions stay open all year, though some high spots close from November to April.