Coconino National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
14,243 acres145.9 mi of trail
Flagstaff Loop TrailAirport loopAZT - Walnut CanyonCampbell Mesa Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: SearchNet Media from Tucson, Arizona, USA · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Flagstaff
More than half of Flagstaff’s land is conserved: 52%
52% of Flagstaff’s land is conserved, about 22,140 acres. 329 miles of mapped trail cross Flagstaff, 5.0 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Coconino National Forest (145.9 mi), Buffalo Park (1.5 mi), Bushmaster Park (1.5 mi).
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns · #12 of 140 in Arizona. What drives it
Conserved land
52%
22,140 acres · of 66.0 sq mi of land
Trails
329 mi
5.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,185 ac
16 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
86%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
144 mi
76 mi lanes · 59 mi paths
Highest peak
7,375 ft
Sheep Hill
Lakes & rivers
22
What kind of outdoors town is Flagstaff?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Flagstaff have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Flagstaff is ahead of 94% of U.S. towns, #12 of 140 in Arizona. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Flagstaff’s overall grade.
Conserved land52% of the land · typical AZ town 14% · U.S. 4%A+Trails5.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (329 mi) · AZ 1.1 · U.S. 0.4A+Park land16 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,185 acres) · AZ 8 · U.S. 13BParks close to home86% of residents within a half mile of a park · AZ 56% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 94%
LessMore
Arizona towns of 2,500+ (140)Ahead of 92%
Arizona towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 14%; the U.S., 4%), so Flagstaff’s 52% is ahead of 86% of Arizona towns, while its trails per square mile lead 99% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A to A+. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Coconino National Forest, with 145.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
McPherson Park
Park
53 acres0.9 mi of trail
Switzer Canyon Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Thorpe Disc Golf Park
Park
62 acres0.8 mi of trail
Thorpe Park Gravel Track
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Foxglenn Park
Park
18 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Fort Tuthill County Park
Park
14 acres0.5 mi of trail
Soldier
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 25 parks & preserves
Coconino National Forest14,243 acres · 145.9 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsBuffalo Park247 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsBushmaster Park23 acres · 1.5 mi of trail
DirectionsMcPherson Park53 acres · 0.9 mi of trail
DirectionsThorpe Disc Golf Park62 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsThorpe Park26 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsFoxglenn Park18 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
Fort Tuthill County Park14 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsContinental Park13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsSawmill County Park11 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · Coconino County Parks & Recreation
DirectionsMcMillan Mesa Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCheshire Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWheeler Park3 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBarkmaster Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSmokerise Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Walnut Canyon National Monument113 acres · United States National Park Service
Arroyo Park14 acres
DirectionsPonderosa Trails Park8 acres
Riordan Mansion State Historic Park7 acres · State of Arizona
DirectionsColton Park2 acres
DirectionsAdrian Garcia Sr. Field1 acres
DirectionsBow and Arrow Park1 acres
University Highlands Park1 acres
Old Town Spring Park1 acres · City of Flagstaff
DirectionsCleo Murdoch Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
22,140 conserved acres
52% of Flagstaff’s land. Who manages Flagstaff’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service14,274 ac
State Department of Land7,239 ac
Town or city1,115 ac
National Park Service115 ac
State fish & wildlife8 ac
State parks6 ac
County3 ac
National Forest · 14,274 acState Resource Management Area · 7,239 acLocal Park · 605 acLocal Conservation Area · 474 acConservation Easement · 115 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coconino National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 14,274 | Open |
| State Trust Land State Resource Management Area | State Department of Land | 7,239 | Restricted |
| Picture Canyon Natural And Cultural Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 474 | Open |
| Buffalo Local Park | Town or city | 249 | Open |
| Thorpe Local Park | Town or city | 121 | Open |
| Mcpherson Local Park | Town or city | 40 | Open |
| Thorpe Softball Complex Local Park | Town or city | 38 | Open |
| Thorpe Disc Golf Course Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 35 | Open |
| Foxglenn Local Park | Town or city | 30 | Open |
| Bushmaster Local Park | Town or city | 19 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
46 places to go in Flagstaff
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Flagstaff
36 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Flagstaff
Thorpe Bark ParkIn Thorpe Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Flagstaff
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Flagstaff
City Overlook
DirectionsPetroglyph Overlook
DirectionsPeaks in Flagstaff
Sheep Hill7,375 ft elevation
DirectionsWildcat Hill7,008 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Flagstaff
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Flagstaff
Canyon Vista CampgroundIn Coconino National Forest · USFS
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Flagstaff
Juniper Street Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 22 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 63.7 miHorses · 59.1 miUnpaved · 168.1 mi
Flagstaff Loop Trail10.3 mi
Airport loop5.8 mi
AZT - Walnut Canyon3.6 mi
Tom Moody Loop Trail3.1 mi
Campbell Mesa Loop3.0 mi
Walnut Meadows Loop3.0 mi
Rio de Flag Trail-West2.5 mi
Fay Canyon2.5 mi
Forest Service Road 5152.4 mi
Forest Service Road 515C2.4 mi
15 more trails
Forces of Nature
2.4 miCampbell Mesa
2.3 mi867A
2.3 miSkunk Canyon
2.3 miForest Service Trail
2.2 miObservatory Mesa
2.0 miLittle America Trail
1.9 miAZT - Fisher Point
1.9 miAZT - Walnut Canyon (Equestrian Bypass)
1.9 miContinental Loop
1.7 miArizona Trail-Flagstaff
1.6 miForest Service Road 00003E
1.4 miSandys Canyon
1.4 miCountry Club Trail
1.3 miAZT - Mt Elden
1.3 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Dollar Mark TankreservoirDry TankreservoirFisher Guzzler Trick TankreservoirFlagstaff City ReservoirsreservoirFrances Short PondpondHassel TankreservoirHoffman TankreservoirHumphrey LakelakeInterstate TankreservoirKeith TankKellam TankreservoirLake ElainereservoirLang TankreservoirLimestone TankreservoirLog Cabin TankreservoirLowell TankreservoirMatson TankOld Duck PondpondSinclair TankTuthill TankTwo Ace TankWalnut Canyon Lakes
Biking & sports
144 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
76 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
59 mi
off-road bike paths
9.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Arizona TrailBike route
14.2 miCoconino LoopBike route
5 miCourts & fields
34Golf
30Tennis
28Baseball
23Basketball
15Soccer
10Pickleball
5Football
4Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →37 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 9 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Homestead, TheBuilding · listed 1975
About itBank HotelBuilding · listed 1977
About itWeatherford HotelBuilding · listed 1978
About itRiordan EstateBuilding · listed 1979
About itRailroad Addition Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1983
About itAshurst HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itMilligan HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itJ. M. Clark HouseBuilding · listed 1984
About itLa Iglesia Metodista Mexicana, El Divino RedentorBuilding · listed 1985
About itBrannen-Devine HouseBuilding · listed 1986
About itC & M GarageBuilding · listed 1986
About it25 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Flagstaff: April to July
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.0 | 10.9 | 11.9 | 13.0 | 14.0 | 14.5 | 14.3 | 13.5 | 12.3 | 11.2 | 10.3 | 9.8 |
| High (°F) | 45 | 48 | 54 | 61 | 70 | 81 | 84 | 81 | 76 | 65 | 54 | 45 |
| Rain (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.5 |
June is the driest month (0.3 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 3.1 inches fall in August, the wettest month. The climate in Flagstaff →
Next door
Flagstaff and its neighbors
Flagstaff has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flagstaff | 52% | 5.0 | 16 | 86% | A |
| Fort Valley | 88% | 3.3 | under 1 | 18% | B |
| Doney Park | 54% | 3.3 | 4 | 15% | B+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Flagstaff
Where can I hike in Flagstaff?
The longest trail networks: Coconino National Forest, 145.9 miles; Buffalo Park, 1.5 miles; Bushmaster Park, 1.5 miles; McPherson Park, 0.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Flagstaff is conserved land?
52% of its land, against a typical 14% for an Arizona town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Flagstaff’s trails?
Coconino National Forest and Buffalo Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Flagstaff?
144 miles of bike routes are on the map: 76 of painted or protected lanes, 59 of off-road paths and 9.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Arizona Trail and Coconino Loop.
Is there public land near Flagstaff?
298,169 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Flagstaff or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,731 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Flagstaff have?
Ahead of 94% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #12 of 140 in Arizona. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Flagstaff neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →