Observatory Mesa Trail in Flagstaff, Arizona can be accessed the city because it is part of the Flagstaff Urban Trail System that goes completely around Flagstaff. The Flagstaff Urban Trail System is 48-miles long. The Observatory Mesa Trail takes one day to complete. The trail is not an easy one, but provides great cardio. One section is so steep that it rises some 440 feet in just over 1.5 miles. The Observatory Mesa Trail uses a variety of forest service system trails and abandoned roads. It received its name because of the Lowell Observatory that's located on the trail's southeast edge. The Lowell Observatory was established in 1894, shortly after the town of Flagstaff was settled.
Those hiking the trail will see a wide variety of trees, including what are called Wildlife Trees. These are enormous dead trees that aren't cut down but are saved to provide the local wildlife with food and shelter. Birds bore holes into the trunks for their homes. Bats roost in the branches. Dead branches on the ground are used for insects, lizards and rodents. The Observatory Mesa Trail starts by winding through ravines before become a ridge approximately half a mile into it. The trail then goes to the Lowell Observatory and then levels off. The Observatory Mesa Trail provides access to the Coconino National Forest. The Coconino National Forest is a 1,821,495-acre forest that is flanked on the southwest by the Verde River. The forest has a highest elevation of 12,633 feet. The Mesa Trail is best to hike through during the summer and fall.
