The Arboretum at Flagstaff

Although it's called an arboretum, this Flagstaff botanical garden is more than just trees.

The Flagstaff Arboretum is famous for having one of the largest collections of high country wildflowers in the United States as well as over 2,500 species of high elevation plants.

A view of the San Francisco Peaks from the arboretum

What makes this 200-acre Flagstaff botanical garden and nature preserve different from other Arizona botanical gardens?

The Flagstaff Arboretum specializes in plants found on the Colorado Plateau - that vast, scenic land of deep red rock canyons, forest-covered mountains and broad valleys that stretches over portions of Arizona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.

We first visited the Arboretum during a late August Arizona vacation.

Here, at 7,150 feet, it was already the end of summer for the garden and everything was winding down as autumn approached the high country.

The garden is southwest of Flagstaff and surrounded by a beautiful swath of ponderosa pine forest.

Driving along the unpaved road to the gardens - appropriately named Woody Mountain Road - we felt like we were a world away from the bustle of the busy college town.

Colorful sunflowers flourish in the summer at the Flagstaff botanical garden

Here and there, the tall ponderosas opened up to suddenly reveal bright green meadows and gorgeous views of the nearby San Francisco Peaks.

The air smelled fresh and fragrant in the way that only high country forests seem to - like the pines had scrubbed the air clean with their resinous scent.

We stopped the car and heard only the sigh of the breeze through branches.

We love The Arboretum at Flagstaff for its colorful and serene gardens and its laid back atmosphere.

It doesn't have the structure of the formal gardens that one sees in botanical gardens in other parts of the U.S.

Here, the diffuse plantings blend into one another, complimenting their natural surroundings.

The Flagstaff Arboretum feels more like a nature preserve than a typical botanical garden, providing one of the most relaxing and tranquil settings in all of Flagstaff.

The Arboretum at Flagstaff's wood and basalt rock visitor center was once the ranch home of Frances McAllister

Frances loved flowers and wanted to recreate her parents’ garden where she had spent many happy childhood days.

Over the course of several years, she began to transform the ranch into the garden of her dreams.

In 1981, Frances McAllister donated the 200 acres that the Arboretum now occupies.

The Penstemon Garden and Wildflower Garden surround the Horticultural Center

The Arboretum at Flagstaff's winding, gravel paths lead through relaxed gardens and diffuse plantings of woodland plants, spring-flowering bulbs, wildflower meadows and native grasses.

Several of the gardens are devoted to special themes.

The Penstemon Garden showcases this colorful, tubular flower that attracts hummingbirds and hawkmoths to its abundant nectar.

The Arboretum at Flagstaff’s instructive Water Conservation Garden teaches homeowners how to plant attractive home landscapes using low water use principles.

Because you’re in a forest, conserving water may not seem necessary.

However, water conservation is very important in areas like Flagstaff that have a dry climate subject to frequent droughts.

A bench in the Shade Garden invites you to pause and relax

This garden demonstrates how homeowners can harvest water from the landscape, how to use native plants and how to grow plants in different zones - such as dry canyon, ephemeral stream and hot dry zone - each with its own unique environmental conditions.

The Horticultural Center is a model of energy and resource conservation.

It's central feature is a passive solar greenhouse which primarily uses solar energy for heating.

There is also a water harvesting system which collects rainwater and snowmelt in a 3,500 gallon underground cistern via the roof, gutters and rainspout.

The bright red and yellow Western columbine is well-adapted to northern Arizona climate

Look for native flowers such as blanketflower, scarlet gilia and lupines.

Beebalm, thyme, feverfew and catnip will also be in full bloom in the Herb Garden.

There are more than 200 species of cooking and medicinal herbs here.

The bright colors, fragrance and nectar of these plants attract bees, hummingbirds and butterflies, making it a good spot for wildlife watchers.

In the fall, The Arboretum at Flagstaff’s many quaking aspen, oak, ash, box elder and maple trees turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange and red.

These groves provide some of the best autumn color in the state.

A nature trail allows visitors to explore the native plant communities that occur around Flagstaff.

We enjoyed watching golden-mantled ground squirrels, cottontail rabbits, Steller's jays and northern flickers foraging during our visits to the gardens.

Over 100 bird species that call the Flagstaff Arboretum home. Look for hairy woodpeckers and mountain chickadees near the ponderosa pine forests.

You may hear the chickadees distinctive chick-adee-dee-dee call before you see them.

The pond and riparian areas are good places to spot Cordilleran flycatchers, cliff swallows, belted kingfishers and yellow-rumped warblers.

The Flagstaff Arboretum pond is a good place to sit and watch for wildlife

Keep an eye out for Western bluebirds, Western meadowlarks, rufous hummingbirds and broad-tailed hummingbirds in the wildflower meadows and at the hummingbird feeders in the Courtyard Garden.

The Arboretum's pond has one of the world's few captive populations of the Little Colorado spinedace (Lepidomeda vittata).

This small fish species is threatened in its native habitat due to dams, road construction, agricultural chemical runoff and non-native fish that have been introduced into its environment.

Garden visitors may see a Harris hawk up close during one one the wildlife programs

This program gives you a rare opportunity to see and learn about native birds, reptiles, and mammals up.

After the program, the animals you can see the animals up close, ask questions of the handlers and take photos.

It’s an event not to be missed!

This program is free with Arboretum admission and offered at noon and 2 pm Wednesday through Sunday.

The Arboretum also has plant sales, guided tours, and a variety of special events during the summer.

Brilliantly colored wildflowers in the Flagstaff arboretum meadow

• Woody Mountain Road is not directly accessible from Interstate 40. To reach The Arboretum from Interstate 40, take Exit 191 to Route 66 eastbound. Drive roughly two miles to Woody Mountain Road. Turn right and continue 3.8 miles to The Arboretum.
• Part of the road to The Arboretum is hard-packed gravel. Almost any vehicle can drive the road but watch for potholes and washboard bumps in places.
• There are no restaurants or stores near the gardens.
• The Arboretum does not allow pets or smoking on the grounds. Assistance dogs are allowed if leashed.

Location: West side of Flagstaff, 3.8 miles south of Route 66

Address: 4001 S. Woody Mountain Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001-8775

Contact: Phone: 928-774-1442
Web: http://www.thearb.org

Hours: Open Thursday through Sunday, May 1 through October 31. Call for hours.

Closed November 1 through April 30.

Snow Schedule: The Arboretum at Flagstaff is closed on days that the Flagstaff Unified School District has declared a snow day. If it snows on a day that the schools are not normally in session, call to determine if the garden is open.

Admission Fee: Yes. Call for current prices.

Amenities: Visitor's center, gift shop, picnic tables.

You can purchase water and other drinks and snacks in the gift shop. The Arboretum does not have a restaurant.

Activities: Guided tours include wildflower walks and bird walks. The Arboretum at Flagstaff also offers art, cooking and gardening classes, and seasonal special events.

Note: This Flagstaff Arboretum information was accurate at the time of our visit. All contact information, availability, access, directions and prices should be confirmed directly with the garden before making reservations and/or travel plans.