Surrounded by pine trees and watched over by the towering San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff, Arizona sits at 7,000 feet. Unlike its sister cities throughout the state, Flagstaff’s unique elevation offers residents and visitors a true four-season destination.
This episode of “Arizona Revealed” transports viewers through Flagstaff’s stunning seasonal experiences as told through the voices of locals.
Summer in Flagstaff beams with sunny days and starry nights. Kevin Schindler of Lowell Observatory says it’s the summer nights that are most impressive — when the city’s darks skies showcase celestial wonders like the Milky Way or cascades of meteor showers. Schindler notes that Flagstaff is the world’s first International Dark Sky City, and the place where dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in 1930.
Come autumn, the green leaves of the aspens turn gold and tree-thick forests bloom into color. Harvest festivals abound at local farmers markets and places like Colton Garden at the Museum of Northern Arizona, where Hopi farmer Meg Kabotie shares the region’s bounty with the community. Meg’s favorite thing about fall: Feeling summer’s busy energy quiet into the easy rhythm of autumn.
The first winter snow arrives early in Flagstaff thanks to the high elevation, and area ski resorts — Arizona Snowbowl for downhill thrills and Arizona Nordic Village for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing — brim with wintry outdoors activity. Sydney Nieminen, manager of Arizona Nordic Village, says that after a brisk day of snow play, she relishes the retreat indoors to the warmth of a crackling fire.
Finally — spring. Trees bud with new growth. Bright sun lengthens the days. Frost melts. And, notes Matthew Nelson, director of the Arizona Trail Association, folks emerge from hibernation to set foot on Flagstaff’s abundance of trails. One of the most popular: the renowned Arizona Scenic Trail, an 800-mile stretch from the state’s southern border to its northern border.
Jessica Dunham
Jessica Dunham is a travel, food and fitness writer whose work has been published in PHOENIX Magazine, Runner's World, Phoenix New Times, Valley Guide, Phoenix Travel Guide, Modern Luxury Scottsdale and more. She is passionate about all things Arizona, especially spontaneous Saturday daytrips around the state. She can be reached at dunham-media.com.
