Running trails in Flagstaff, AZ
Flagstaff has 20 trails in the directory — 1 paved and 8 on crushed gravel or dirt, 16 loops that return to the trailhead, 7 with a stated distance, 2 shaded, and 3 open 24 hours. 13 of them post opening hours, so you can check the gate before an early start. They're ranked here by rating weighted by review volume, across 10,813 Google reviews. Filter by surface, loop, distance, shade or lighting to get to the run you're actually planning — no made-up difficulty score, just the facts you'd check before driving out.
Fort Tuthill County Park
4.7 ★★★★★ 3,775 reviews
Sprawling area with archery & equestrian facilities plus trails, fairgrounds & an adventure course.
Buffalo Park
4.8 ★★★★★ 2,307 reviews
215-acre park offers a 2-mile hiking loop trail, picnicking space, wildlife & scenic mountain views.
Lava Flow Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 938 reviews
Paved trail through a volcanic landscape featuring a lava flow formation and views of Sunset Crater.
Humphreys Peak Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 870 reviews
Highest peak in Arizona with a demanding hiking trail, plus panoramic views.
Fatmans Loop Trail
4.6 ★★★★★ 681 reviews
Walking trail featuring scenic overlooks with city views, volcanic rock formations & more.
Picture Canyon Natural and Cultural Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 348 reviews
478-acre nature preserve featuring hiking, biking & horseback riding, plus wildlife & petroglyphs.
Picture Canyon Trailhead
4.4 ★★★★☆ 325 reviews
Easy trails to a waterfall in a canyon, plus petroglyphs and pictographs.
Kendrick Park Watchable Wildlife Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 280 reviews
Park featuring two trails, one paved, passing through varied habitats populated by wildlife.
Ponderosa Trails Park
4.6 ★★★★★ 208 reviews
Small neighborhood park with a playground, picnic/BBQ shelter, walking path & portable restrooms.
Mt Elden Lookout Trail
4.8 ★★★★★ 156 reviews
This trail leads up to the summit of Mt. Elden & offers views of the city & surrounding area.
Fort Valley Trailhead
4.5 ★★★★★ 104 reviews
Hikes and dispersed camping are available at this kid-friendly forest area.
Sandy Seep Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 84 reviews
Natural area with forested hiking trails that are suitable for families and dogs.
Veit Springs Trailhead
4.7 ★★★★★ 78 reviews
Popular area with kid-friendly hiking trails, bouldering, and petroglyphs.
Griffith Spring Trailhead
4.6 ★★★★★ 79 reviews
Relaxed loop trail through the forest, plus picnic tables and a pond.
Schultz Creek Trailhead
4.8 ★★★★★ 73 reviews
Hills for biking and hiking with vistas and various terrain.
Arizona Trail
4.9 ★★★★★ 13 reviews
No trails match those filters.
How to pick a trail in Flagstaff
- Match the surface to your legs. Flagstaff gives you a choice: 8 natural surface, 1 paved, and 1 mixed. Asphalt and concrete are fast, predictable and runnable year-round but the least forgiving; crushed limestone and dirt take the sting out of high mileage; boardwalk is flat and scenic but slick in the wet. If your shins or knees are complaining, the fix that actually works is varying the surface you run on rather than chasing one "best" one. More natural surface trails →
- Loop or out-and-back? 16 trails here are loops, so you finish back at the car with no backtracking — the easiest way to run a set distance without thinking about it. On an out-and-back you turn round at half your target distance, which makes any trail fit any run. The longest stated distance in Flagstaff is Inner Basin Trailhead at 10 mi. 2 trails are long enough for a 5-mile-plus run without repeating yourself.
- Check the hours before a 6am run. 3 trails in Flagstaff are open 24 hours — the rest can sit inside a park that gates at dusk and doesn't unlock until well after sunrise. 13 of the 20 listings carry posted opening hours — worth a look before you set an alarm. 4 are lit, which is what you want for winter evenings.
- Long run? Check water and restrooms first. 18 have trailhead parking and 11 have restrooms in Flagstaff. Anything over an hour and those stop being nice-to-haves — and in summer, shade counts double.
- The small things that decide it. 2 shaded, 4 with mile markers, 5 that runners describe as quiet, 6 dog-friendly, and 2 smooth and wide enough for a stroller or a wheelchair. Busy or quiet isn't a good-or-bad thing here: a busy path is the safer choice for a solo run at dawn, a quiet one is better for intervals.
More on all of this in the trail-running guides.
Browse Flagstaff trails by type
Running trails near Flagstaff
Worth the short drive — the closest towns with trails in the directory.