The Fatman’s Loop trailhead was recently congested with vehicles.
This is a common sight on many of the most popular trails in and around Flagstaff. But now, a new city program is encouraging tourists and locals alike to get off the beaten path and revisit less-traveled trails, while also pouring money into trail management. there is
This spring, Discover Flagstaff launched a new “Trail Passport” website.
The website ranks 30 trails according to difficulty and level of use, so visitors can find the least traveled trails, according to Discover Flagstaff marketing expert Sabrina Beard, who helped create the passport. It is said that it encourages you to choose a path that does not exist.
“We know some trails are very congested, and we want to spread the congestion on the less-trafficked trails,” Beard told the Arizona Daily Sun. . “Give love to some less-trafficked trails, protect and preserve some of the more popular trails, and try to bypass their traffic.”
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Beard said Discover Flagstaff has also stopped promoting some popular trails, such as Fatman’s Loop and Lava Tube.
Beard said trails are ranked between one and three points based on difficulty and level of use.
Recreationists can check-in on these trails and earn an allotted number of points for the designated trail.
If passholders earn enough points, they can win prizes such as stickers and postcards, and if enough, Beard said, Discover Flagstaff will partner with the organization Pledge for the Wild. The partnership will donate $5 to the Flagstaff Trails Initiative.
The Flagstaff Trails Initiative (FTI) is one of several organizations working with Discover Flagstaff on the program. FTI worked with the Flagstaff Bicycle Association, Coconino National Forest, and other trail-related departments in the city and county to provide a list of lesser-used trails in and around Flagstaff, said FTI’s board chairman. Debbie McHarhon said.
“With this passport, people can go out and find unconventional hiking sites like Fatman’s Loop. Here’s another hike: Sandy Sheep is as close as Fatman’s Loop and has plenty of parking. rice field.
1 point ranked trails include sections of the Arizona Trail through Picture Canyon and the Campbell Mesa Trail System. Meanwhile, examples of 2-point ranked trails include the Kachina Trail and the Little Elden Springs Trail.
The 3-point trails, on the other hand, include sections of the O’Leary Peak Trail, Kendrick Mountain Trail, and Mars Hill’s Urban Trail.
And the funds FTI makes through this program will not only help the fledgling FTI organization overcome its proverbial skiing, but will also help maintain and build the existing trail infrastructure in and around Flagstaff. McHahon said it would help.
And given how utilized so many trails around Flagstaff are, and the relative difficulty of funding trail construction and trail maintenance, this is very important.
It can cost thousands of dollars to maintain just one mile of single-track trail, McHarhon said. The same is true for gravel and paved trails such as the Flagstaff Urban Trail System.
“People don’t realize how expensive it is,” McHarhon said. “Trails are expensive and need funding for their maintenance and construction.”
An FTI-written grant received funding to support Coconino National Forest, which will fund three more seasonal trail crew positions this year, and another grant representing the City of Flagstaff was successful, adding additional trails. McHarhon said he was able to pay for the signs.
McHahon also said he hopes the FTI can provide education on trail etiquette to reduce conflicts between hikers, cyclists, equestrians and others who enjoy the same scenery.
Beard said the program has already been successful so far.
There are about 200 registered passport holders, most of them in Arizona, but some as far away as South Carolina.
And all trails listed within the program have check-ins, Beard said. Additionally, Beard said the top five most checked-in trails are all within the He 2 and He 3 point categories.
More trails are coming to the passport system.
Discover Flagstaff hopes to include information about dedicated vehicle trails next, Beard said, and is looking forward to seeing how the metric changes after those trails are added. added.
