Aspen Nature Loop — Attraction in Flagstaff

This is one of our favorite, short Fall hikes when the aspens have all turned yellow! It is at a higher altitude with some uphill throughout and at the end, so be prepared for that. It definitely gets really busy during peak season, especially on the weekends. Be prepared for long waits since 180 is the only major road in and out. The drive up to Snowbowl is really beautiful as well with all the aspens along the way once you get to the entrance.

Make sure to bring water because even though you may not feel thirsty you get dehydrated more quickly at higher altitudes. Sunscreen on sunny days since the atmosphere is thinner is also recommended even on cool days. The wind in the trees sounds like they are talking to one another and is such a calming sound. We saw some folks with hammocks and that looked super relaxing.

Bring your camera and enjoy! Some photos from...

Beautiful trail! I was lucky to catch the fall colors, which don’t last long. I caught them on 10/9/23 (Monday) so this review is about a year late🫣.

If you can get there on a weekday, do so, because weekends are unbelievably busy! The peak season is busy even on weekdays, but slightly milder than weekends (if that makes sense)

The trail itself is considered “easy” and about 2 miles with very little elevation gain.

I did see young children hiking, which is always cute. I did not see any dogs though.

Parking is vast, and it does take a little time to get to the trail head. There’s about a 15 minute drive with all elevation, and then you walk about a 1/2 mile to the trail head from the parking lot. There are scenic views at every turn, so you will have lots...

This hike used to start through one of the most beautiful and unique aspen groves. It was much wetter than the surrounding groves, and had maidenhair ferns, lupine, and other flowers growing inside the grove. This week I found the people at Arizona Snowbowl have ripped out the grove to make room for more ski lifts. This grove was treasured by the thousands of people that come to do this hike, but that doesn’t seem to matter to them. I have a hard time believing they couldn’t have found a way to add more lifts AND preserve something that was special and loved by so many. Now it’s lost forever. Below is a photo I took in the grove earlier this July, and a video of what it...