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Photo: Frederick Dennstedt from los angeles, usa, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Alpine skiing. One of only three ski resorts in the state of Arizona. Despite the surrounding desert, Flagstaff is a popular skiing destination for the Southwest due to the high elevation. Interestingly, the Snowbowl is one of the first ten ski resorts established in the United States. Snowbowl is in the San Francisco Mountains, which offer pleasant high-country hiking after the snow melts, including a trail to Humphreys Peak, highest mountain in Arizona. Access to some of the San Franciscos is restricted, as they're sacred to several of the area's Native tribes.
Arizona Snowbowl is an alpine ski resort in the southwest United States, located on the San Francisco Peaks of northern Arizona, fifteen miles (24 km) north of Flagstaff. The Snowbowl ski area covers approximately one percent of the San Francisco Peaks, and its slopes face west and northwest.
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Managed by the Coconino National Forest, the San Francisco Peaks northwest of Flagstaff offer a number of hiking trails for all skill levels, as well as opportunities for mountain biking, rock climbing, camping, and skiing. The range is crowned by the 12,637-ft Humphreys Peak, and is held sacred by the Havasupai, Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni tribes. Maps and trail information can be obtained from the Coconino National Forest Headquarters (1824 S. Thompson St.).
One of the southwest's best cross-country skiing areas with over 50 km of well-groom ski trails and 25 km of snowshoe trails. In the summer the trails are open for hiking and mountain biking. Trail passes and equipment rental prices are listed here; overnight cabin rental is also available.
On the north side of town, it has displays on Native American life and the natural history of the region. A good selection of Native American folk art, particularly Navajo rugs, is available at the gift shop.
The largest gallery in northern Arizona, showcases local and regional art.
This small state museum collects, preserves and exhibits artifacts, documents and photographs of the history of Flagstaff and northern Arizona. It also hosts a number of events throughout the year.
This area is managed by the Coconino National Forest, and is an excellent starting point for exploring the area with numerous trails running up and alongside most faces of the mountain. One of the most popular trails is Elden Lookout Trail, which scales all 2800 ft (855m) from base to summit, and has access to the lookout tower at the top which looks down on the entire city. The trail can be accessed from Hwy 89 across from the Flagstaff Mall and next to the Ranger Station (35.230295, -111.579234).