With its mountain location and climate, the Flagstaff area is a hiker’s utopia – Spring through Fall. Flagstaff area hiking trails in the San Francisco Peaks (Arizona’s highest range) lead to wildflower filled meadows, immense fern gullies, glistening aspen groves, pine filled expanses, and impressive summits. Easy hikes wind across foothills. While ambitious trails conquer high peaks – including Mount Humphreys, Arizona’s tallest. Thunderstorms roll in quickly in Summer. So come weather prepared. In winter many trails close due to seasonal snow. Mileage noted below, is one way.

Scroll down to explore Flagstaff hikes by difficulty. Click hike names for full details.


Easy Flagstaff Area Hikes

 

Young Hiker, Rocks, Flagstaff, Arizona, Fatmans Loop Trail, Flagstaff Area, Hiking Flagstaff AZ, Arizona Hiking Trails Flagstaff★★★★☆ Fatmans Loop Hiking Trail / San Francisco Mountains / 2.5 mile loop

Oversized rock-formations and fun-filled nooks-and-crannies beg to be explored. Have a blast scooching between the immense boulders of Fatmans Pass or climbing into large recesses on trailside boulders.

 

Landscape, Purple Lupine, Wild Flowers, Flagstaff, Arizona, Kachina Trail, San Francisco Mountains, Aspens, Flagstaff Area, Hiking Flagstaff AZ, Arizona Hiking Trails Flagstaff★★★★☆ Kachina Hiking Trail / San Francisco Mountains / 5.4 miles

An almost overwhelmingly beautiful hike. Spring and Summer fill huge trailside meadows with fragrant wildflowers or ferns. While Aspens shimmer in Fall.

 

A family standing on the boulders outside the opening of the Lava River Tube, on the Lava River Tube Trail, near Flagstaff, Arizona. Easy Arizona hiking trails. Flagstaff area hiking trails. Arizona family friendly hiking trails. Copyright azutopia. No use without permission.★★★★☆ Lava River Tube Trail / North of Flagstaff / 1 mile

Headlamps required – on this naturally refrigerated hike through a short underground tunnel. Turn off the lights for an extra thrill.

 

Landscape, Family, Hikers, Flagstaff, Arizona, Red Mountain Hiking Trail, Red Rock Mountain, Flagstaff Area, Hiking Flagstaff AZ, Arizona Hiking Trails Flagstaff★★★★★ Red Mountain Hiking Trail / North of Flagstaff / 1.5 miles

The maze of colossal Cinder Cones at the end of this trail is amazing (hee hee). Thousands of these unusual formations make hikers feel like ants, in a sprawling city of hyper-high anthills. Let the exploring begin!

 

Hiker, Arizona Hiking Trail, Tall Cliffs, Flagstaff, Arizona, Walnut Canyon, Sandys Canyon Hiking Trail, Flagstaff Area, Hiking Flagstaff AZ, Arizona Hiking Trails Flagstaff★★★☆☆ Sandys Canyon Hiking Trail to Walnut Canyon / South of Flagstaff / 2.7 miles

“Twisted” cliffs, punctuated with small caves, make this hike seem a bit surreal. Following a level canyon, this trail leads to Fisher Point where a Dali-esqe cliff looms, gnarled and frozen.

 

Hiker on the Schultz Creek Hiking Trail; Pathway, along Schultz Creek Road, Flowers, tall grass and Ponderosa Pines; Dry Lake Hills; Flagstaff; Arizona; Easy to Moderate Hiking Trails; Dog Friendly Hiking Trails; Northern Arizona Hiking Trails; Copyright azutopia.com; No use without permission.★★★★☆ Schultz Creek Hiking Trail / Flagstaff / 4.25 miles

This shady trail follows the curvilinear banks of beautiful Schultz Creek, at the base of Dry Lakes Hills. Summer wildflowers line the path in a patchwork of green, gold, purple and red.

 

Veit Hiking Trail; Flagstaff; Arizona; Spring; Historical Structure; Mountain; Northern Arizona Hiking Trails; Easy Hiking Trails; Family Friendly Hiking Trails; Dog Friendly Hiking Trails. Copyright azutopia. No use without permission.★★★☆☆ Veit Springs Hiking Loop Trail / Flagstaff Area / 1.7 mile loop

This short little alpine hike is loaded with history and is a blast to explore. It passes Native American pictographs, early pioneer structures and a babbling spring.


Moderate Flagstaff Area Hikes

 

Hikers, Flagstaff, Arizona, Bear Jay & Abineau Loop Trail, Snow, Mount Humphreys, Flagstaff Area, Hiking Flagstaff AZ, Arizona Hiking Trails Flagstaff★★★★☆ Bear Jaw & Abineau Hiking Trail Loop / San Francisco Mountains / 6.8 mile loop

Just chillin’ in the shadow of Mount Humphreys, the upper tier of the Bear Jaw and Abineau Hiking Trail Loop sustains crisp patches of snow through late June. Even post thaw, the trail’s cool mountain air refreshes.

 

Landscape, Green Grassy Mountain Meadow with Purple Lupine flowers in foreground and Pine covered Peaks behind, Brookbank Hiking Trail, Flagstaff, Arizona, Moderate Hiking Trails, Dog Friendly Hiking Trails, Copyright azutopia.com, No use without permission.★★★★☆ Brookbank Hiking Trail / San Francisco Mountains / 3.7 miles

Ascend treelined slopes to a stunning inner meadow, on one of the Dry Lakes Hills area’s steepest trails. Pretty views over Flagstaff and Mount Elden blend with a patchwork of char left over from the 2019 Museum Fire.

 

Landscape, Wildflowers, Inner Basin,Flagstaff, Arizona, San Francisco Mountains, Inner Basin Hiking Trail, Flagstaff Area, Hiking Flagstaff AZ, Arizona Hiking Trails Flagstaff★★★★★ Inner Basin Hiking Trail / San Francisco Mountains / 3.9 miles

Stunningly beautiful, this trail is extra-ordinary. It’s filled with summer sunflowers, fairytale-esque groves of shimmering Aspens and a high-mountain meadow (where elk graze beside high-altitude runners in training).

 

Hikers, Views, Summit, Peak, Flagstaff, Arizona, Kendrick Peak, Kendrick Mountain Hiking Trail, Flagstaff Area, Hiking Flagstaff AZ, Arizona Hiking Trails Flagstaff★★★★☆ Kendrick Hiking Trail / North of Flagstaff / 4.6 miles

This trail offers lots of elevation gain with very little pain! The trail’s hyper-long switchbacks allow a gentle climb to an impressively high summit, ending in “Wowza!” views.

 

Hiker; Backpacker; O’Leary Lookout Hiking Trail; Flagstaff; Arizona; Moderate Hiking Trails; Views; Humphreys Mountain; Dog Friendly Hiking Trails. Copyright azutopia.com. No use without permission.★★★★★ O’Leary Peak Hiking Trail / North of Flagstaff / 4.85 miles

Epic views of Sunset Crater earn this hike favorite status. Just 20 miles north of Flagstaff, it follows a primitive road to the top of a huge lava dome.

 

A landscape view of a hiker, standing on top of a fallen tree trunk on the Pumpkin Hiking Trail, with long views of the Flagstaff area peaks in the background. Moderate Arizona hiking trails. Flagstaff area hiking trails. Copyright azutopia. No use without permission.★★★★★ Pumpkin Hiking Trail / North of Flagstaff / 4.8 miles

This back-door trail to Kendrick Peak crosses devastatingly beautiful hills. Fallen tree trunks, from a 2000 fire, line the trail like giant pick-up-sticks – offering a creepy-cool glimpse into the beauty of natural regeneration.

 

Landscape View of Strawberry Crater; north of Flagstaff; Arizona; from the Strawberry Crater Hiking Trail Loop; with flowers in the foreground. Copyright azutopia. No use without permission. ★★★★☆ Strawberry Crater Hiking Trail Loop / North of Flagstaff / 2.2 mile loop

Black “sand” and killer views of the Painted Desert rock this exotic hike. Looping around an ancient volcanic cinder cone, this little-known trail crosses hills of granular black lava, frozen volcanic formations and stunning fields of flowers tucked in between.


Difficult Flagstaff Area Hikes

 

Hikers, Mountain Top, Flagstaff, Arizona, Elden Lookout Hiking Trail, View, Plains, Flagstaff Area, Hiking Flagstaff AZ, Arizona Hiking Trails Flagstaff★★★☆☆ Elden Lookout Hiking Trail / San Francisco Mountains / 3 miles

This cardio lovers dream hike makes a heart-pumping ascent up a series of tight, Ponderosa lined, switchbacks. The soaring views from the summit lookout tower make hikers feel like the King or Queen of the mountain.