The Seven Wonders of Flagstaff
Flagstaff in Arizona calls itself the City of Seven Wonders and these seven wonders include the Grand Canyon, Wupatki National Monument, and Sunset Crater National Monument.
One of the seven wonders of Flagstaff ought to be Flagstaff itself. At an elevation of almost 7,000 ft (2,134 m), it is not only the highest city in Arizona but one of the highest cities in the whole of the USA. The highest is actually Leadville in Colorado, a city up in the Rocky Mountains with an elevation of 10,152 ft (3,094 m).
The Seven Wonders of Flagstaff
- Grand Canyon
The first of the seven wonders that Flagstaff claims for itself is a bit of a cheat: the Grand Canyon. It’s not actually in Flagstaff, of course, but is a drive of about ninety minutes to two hours, depending on road and weather conditions. However, it’s only a slight cheat as this does mean you can easily drive there and back in a day, and Flagstaff also makes a great place to stay if you’re headed to the Grand Canyon anyway. nps.gov/grca/index.htm
photo (c) Mike Gerrard for Arizona Travel Guide
- Wupatki National Monument
The Wupatki National Monument is a 30-to-40-minute drive north-east of Flagstaff. Wupatki is a magical place, definitely qualifying as a wonder. People started living here in the 1100s AD, moving away from the devastation caused by the eruption of the Sunset Crater volcano. By 1182 there may have been as many as 100 people living here, but there were several thousand people living in the surrounding area, and this was the largest settlement.
Today you can visit the Visitor Center and then take a short trail that takes you around the monument. You can see the remains of the hundred or so rooms that existed here, along with features like an above-ground kiva, or community room, and a ballcourt. There are also lovely views of the Painted Desert. nps.gov/wupa/index.htm
Photo (c) Mike Gerrard for Arizona Travel Guide
- Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
The Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument is a 25-minute drive northeast of Flagstaff and easily combined with a visit to Wupatki National Monument, further on along the same road. This is a strange lava-filled landscape created a thousand years ago when the Sunset Crater volcano erupted. It may have been a thousand years ago but it’s still the most recent volcanic eruption in Arizona.
There are several trails taking you through the landscape, including one that is wheelchair and pushchair accessible, and you’re asked to keep to the trails as even after all this time nature is still reclaiming the seemingly barren landscape… and of course walking over lava rock can not only damage the rock but also your ankles! nps.gov/sucr/index.htm
- Oak Creek Canyon
Oak Creek Canyon is actually in Sedona, a 40-minute or so drive due south of Flagstaff, but Flagstaff still claims it as one of its seven wonders. It’s been called the smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon, which means it is still pretty spectacular. It’s about 12 miles (19 km) long and up to about 2.5 miles (4 km) wide in places, with Oak Creek running through it, one of the few water courses that exists year-round in Arizona.
Unlike the Grand Canyon, here you can actually drive through it. You can enjoy the scenery without even leaving your car but there are lots of scenic viewpoints, hiking trails, swimming holes, and picnic areas, to tempt you out. There’s also plenty to see around the canyon, making the short drive from Flagstaff well worthwhile. fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino
- Walnut Canyon National Monument
This national monument is a short and easy 20-minute drive east from Flagstaff, mostly along I-40. At about the same time that Wupatki was being settled, so too was this place, by the Sinagua people. If you speak even basic Spanish you’ll know that Sinagua means ‘without water’, and this was an arid area where the inhabitants became very adept at preserving what water there was. An exhilarating circular trail leads you around the towering rock where they built their homes, with the remains of many of them remarkably well preserved. nps.gov/waca/index.htm
- The San Francisco Peaks
The San Francisco Peaks are what you see when you look north from Flagstaff, even from downtown. The highest point is Humphreys Peak, which at 12,633 ft (3,851 m) is the highest point in Arizona. In fact six of the peaks in this range are the six highest peaks in the state. This is a volcanic range of mountains, and an aquifer in the mountains provides Flagstaff with most of its water. In an hour’s drive you can be in the mountains enjoying the hiking trails, or skiing in winter.
- Coconino National Forest
This can truly claim to be one of the seven wonders of Flagstaff, as it surrounds the city. Flagstaff is one of those places where you will discover that Arizona is definitely not all desert… especially if you visit during a winter snowstorm. Just for the record, the sub-zero winter temperatures can start as early as September in Flagstaff.
The Coconino National Forest itself proves that Arizona is far from being all desert, as it covers 1,856,000 acres (751,000 hectares) of Northern Arizona, around Flagstaff and Sedona. The forest is so vast that it does encompass areas of desert, along with the San Francisco Peaks and, of course, huge swathes of forest. As if that wasn’t enough, the Coconino National Forest is itself bordered by four other national forests: the Kaibab National Forest to the west and northwest, the Prescott National Forest to the southwest, the Tonto National Forest to the south, and the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest to the southeast. fs.usda.gov/main/coconino/about-forest
More on the Seven Wonders of Flagstaff
So those are the seven wonders of Flagstaff, and you can find out more by going to the website of Discover Flagstaff.
More on the Seven Wonders of Flagstaff
So those are the seven wonders of Flagstaff, and you can find out more by going to the website of Discover Flagstaff.
Frommer’s Arizona and the Grand Canyon
This is our recommended guide for Arizona and the Grand Canyon, if you’re thinking of planning a visit. The two authors both live full-time in Arizona and the book is therefore based on lifetime experiences of the state. It has 86% 5- and 4-star ratings on Amazon.
