Arizona conjures up images of desert washes, enormous saguaro cacti with arms stretching to the sky, and endless sunshine regardless of the season. But if you travel north to Flagstaff, the environment changes dramatically. Situated at nearly 7000 feet elevation, Flagstaff is surrounded by Coconino National Forest. The many varieties of evergreen trees in the forest color the area green, even in the winter: spruce, fir, pine, cypress, and juniper – multiple types of each. Snow falls in abundance here, as evidenced by the blizzard of 2023. 

From a national park perspective, this area is dominated by the Grand Canyon in many people’s minds. But a plethora of other National Park Service sites fill this part of the state. 

Nestled on the outskirts of Flagstaff is a pair of national monuments accessed for a single entrance fee. Located seventeen miles apart, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Wupatki National Monument preserve two vastly different worlds: cinder fields versus limestone and sandstone pueblos. 

Written by Lauren Eisenberg Davis

Hosted by Jason Epperson

Sponsored by LLBean www.llbean.com/guide