The Flagstaff Urban Trail System connects more than 50 miles of trails throughout Flagstaff. Discover four stand-out sections to explore this fall

ON THE FUTS SIDE Highlights along the Flagstaff Urban Trail System

Frances Short Pond draws fi shers and wildlife alike to its waters. Photo by Jake Bacon

MACKENZIE CHASE

Winding its way throughout the neighborhoods and open spaces of Flagsta , the Flagsta Urban Trail System is one of the city’s crown jewels, providing its users with well-maintained trails for non-motorized recreation like bicycling, running, hiking or casual walking. There’s likely a portion of the trail near you, so why not take the time to explore and take advantage of this important resource. Even a brief 30-minute walk once a day can make tremendous improvements to your health, both physical and mental.

With that in mind, here are some highlights along two of the more than 30 trails that make up the FUTS. Explore one section, or explore them all—you can start pretty much anywhere, as all 50-plus miles of the trail system are interconnected and widely accessible. Just remember, it’s about the journey, not the destination; there are plenty other features along these trails worth appreciating, and you never know what might catch your eye. Visit www.fl agsta .az.gov/1763/ FUTS-Trail-Descriptions for more information.

Frances Short Pond

Just half a mile along the Karen Cooper Trail, which begins at Wheeler Park on Birch Avenue, lies Frances Short Pond, a Watchable Wildlife site near Thorpe Park. Ducks, great blue herons,

Ducks and other wildlife call tFrances Short Pond home, or at least a place to stop for a meal. Photos by MacKenzie Chase

Joshua Meyer’s Flagstonian, grasping a custom walking stick, waves at passersby on the Karen Cooper Trail. Abert’s squirrels, rainbow trout and even bats utilize this riparian habitat during di erent times of the day—if you sit long enough, you’re guaranteed to see a number of other birds, mammals, reptiles and more.

The pond, colloquially referred to as the Duck Pond, is regularly stocked by Arizona Game and Fish. Families and seasoned fi shers alike often settle in along the shore with fi shing poles to see if they can get a bite, just know that a state fi shing license is required to fi sh at the pond.

Former National Biology Teacher of the Year Jim David helped save the pond from being paved over in the mid-1960s, with subsequent improvement projects e ectively turning it into an environmental classroom. Today, interpretative signs are placed around the perimeter and schools regularly schedule visits to provide students with a fi rst-hand biology lesson during a typical school year. Whatever your age, spending some time at the Duck Pond is a relaxing way to learn something new about this local ecosystem.

Getting there: Walk or bike north along the Karen Cooper Trail portion of the FUTS. The pond is located about half a mile away from Wheeler Park down a dirt trail that follows the Rio de Flag. Or, by car, drive north on Aztec Street from West Cherry Avenue. A small parking lot is located at the south end of the pond.

The Hiking Flagstonian

It’s a familiar sight to those who frequent any sort of trails around Flagsta : a fellow hiker, biker or stroller gives a courteous nod of the head, wave or quick greeting as they pass. Typically, these exchanges are with other people—or even dogs. But for those who continue exploring what the FUTS has to o er north of the Duck Pond, they’re met by a di erent sort of creature, one forged from iron and volcanic rock: a Flagstonian.

This Flagstonian, dubbed “The Hiker,” is one of artist Joshua Meyer’s creations in a series he plans to continue installing

throughout Flagstaff. The minimal design— two different-sized malapai rocks and wiry steel limbs—allows passersby to use their imagination, although the smaller rock’s resemblance to a face is uncanny and the larger rock, representing the torso, has the perfect hump to suggest the presence of a backpack as the Flagstonian stands in an aspen grove. Be sure to stop by once the fall colors make an appearance.

“My hope,” Meyer wrote in a blog post on his website, “is that [the Flagstonians] reawaken a playful side in us all, and that as I continue to install more over the coming years that their small tribe grows with us and engages our community, draws us into nature, encourages adventure, invites curiosity while ultimately keeping us real and being a source of pride for us all!”

Getting there: Travel north along the Karen Cooper Trail portion of the FUTS and you’ll find the cheery hiker on the west side of the trail just beyond Coconino Estates Park, north of Meade Lane. www.joshuameyerart. com

Flagstaff Community Labyrinth

Around 15 tons of lichen-covered andesitic basalt, gathered from a nearby lava river that flowed through downtown one million years ago, outline a short, winding path overlooking a wide section of the FUTS just south of Willow Bend Environmental Education Center. This is Toe of the Flow Labyrinth, or Flagstaff Community Labyrinth, as it’s more commonly known. Built using a pattern recorded in 1480 by German humanist and Augsburg councilman Sigmund Gossembrot, the labyrinth offers a single path that leads to the center, allowing walkers a moment of reprieve to slow the mind and engage in walking meditation.

It typically takes about 20 minutes to reach the center, reflect for a few minutes and then head back out. The path can be walked as quickly or slowly as necessary, and visitors shouldn’t feel obligated to complete the journey if they get bored halfway through.

People often leave a variety of trinkets at the center of the labyrinth. If you see something that can fit in your pocket and you feel was meant for you, it was; take it and leave someWildlife sightings at the labyrinth. Photos by MacKenzie Chase

The Flagstaff Community Labyrinth invites all to walk its path.

A wind chime hung in a nearby tree dances in the breeze during a recent visit.

Sinclair Wash Trail is one of the wider portions of the FUTS.

thing in return if you’d like. Recent trinkets seen at the center include key chains, seashells, dolls, jewelry and a note of encouragement for anyone who might be struggling with their mental health.

Getting there: Along the Sinclair Wash Trail/Arizona Trail just o of Lone Tree Road, look for a sign on the west side of the path that reads “Labyrinth” with an arrow pointing toward a trail up a small cli . The labyrinth can also be accessed from Willow Bend Environmental Education Center. Park at the facility on East Sawmill Road and take a brief stroll through the Multicultural Art and Nature County Park. Several fl at paths at the corner of Sawmill and South Lone Tree Road will lead you to the labyrinth. www.fl agsta abyrinth.com.

Sinclair Wash Trail

One of the things that makes the FUTS—and Flagsta in general—so unique is the variety of landscapes through which it passes. Busy city streets, grasslands, meadows, forest, Flagsta has it all. But one particular section of the Sinclair Wash Trail stands out. Granted, the 5.7-mile trail in its entirety is varied enough, beginning at Fort Tuthill County Park before passing through the commercial Woodlands Village area and winding its way through the south end of the Northern Arizona University campus, but east of South Lone Tree Road, it takes a dramatic turn.

A verdant limestone-walled canyon transports visitors to a landscape that would not be out of place in the Pacifi c Northwest. Like other sections of the FUTS abutting neighborhoods, many residents have their own personal entrance to the trail from their backyards—makeshift stone steps leading down steep hills spark daydreams about the possibilities of having such an oasis in one’s backyard.

Runners, bicyclists, hikers and walkers alike all share space on this eight- to 10-foot wide trail, but any amount of time spent in the canyon can still provide a deep sense of solitude not commonly found in the middle of a city.

Getting there: Continue northeast along the Sinclair Wash Trail after you’ve visited the labyrinth. Admire the lush greenery lining the trail as it follows the Rio de Flag and later arrives at several seasonal ponds at the eastern end.

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