Little America Trail, AZ

PRIVATE ACCESS ONLY

Overview
This little hike is on the grounds of the Little America hotel. It provides an opportunity to stretch your legs and enjoy a pine forest, likely some squirrels, and lava rocks.


Hike
The trail begins just east of the pool. Signs along the well-graded and graveled path inform the hiker that he or she is traveling through a pine forest that was part of a fire in 2010. Almost no signs of the fire remain, indeed the area looks much like a park. Expect to see Abert's Squirrels along the trail. They are medium-sized, have cute little tufted ears, and feed exclusively on the Ponderosa Pines along the trail.The trail offers 2 loops. The A loop is approximately 1.65 miles. If you combine both loops into a figure 8 the total distance is almost 3 miles with a total elevation change of 440 feet. The western leg of the A loop runs along and just below an ancient lava flow. The southern intersections of the loops provide a nice vantage point for the Rio de Flag, a small stream that runs through Flagstaff. Deer are often spotted in the mornings or evenings grazing in the riparian area.

You will hear traffic noise from the nearby I-40, but it is easy to forget you are this close to the city as you stroll this pleasant little trail.

2014-10-22 AZWanderingBear