Flagstaff stands at about two thousand one hundred metres, in a ponderosa forest at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks, and the air has the thin, clean taste of altitude. Humphreys Peak, the tallest mountain in Arizona at over 3,800 metres, is the old volcano that looms over the town, and in winter its slopes are white while the desert below is warm. That contrast is what makes Flagstaff a favourite for riders heading to the Grand Canyon: they start in cool pines and end in a gorge a mile deep.
The town has always depended on movement. The railroad came through in the 1880s, and then Route 66 followed, and the old road is still the main street, lined with neon motels and diners that look the part. Lowell Observatory, on a hill above town, is where Pluto was found in 1930, and the dark skies that attracted astronomers are still a draw. Telescope nights are worth planning around if you stay over.
The riding out of town is good. The road to the Grand Canyon's South Rim runs north through pine forest and then across open high desert, with long straights, some gentle bends, and the Peaks rising behind you. Another option is the winding Oak Creek Canyon road toward Sedona, which falls through red cliffs in a series of hairpins. Weather changes quickly at this height, and snow can arrive as early as October and as late as May, so check the forecast. Afternoon thunderstorms in July and August are common and intense.
Flagstaff has seventy thousand people, so fuel, repair shops, outdoor stores and plenty of places to eat are easy to find. Local breweries and coffee roasters give the downtown a lively feel, and a pizza or a burger after a long day at altitude is just right. Elk and deer visit the edges of town at dusk, so keep an eye out on the outskirts. Nights are cold even in summer, so pack a warm layer.