11. Challenge yourself to a rough, yet rewarding hike up Slate Mountain

Stunning mountain views along the Slate Mountain trail in Flagstaff AZ

This rigorous trek up Slate Mountain rewards with the area’s best overlook of the San Francisco mountains. It’s a challenging high altitude climb of about 4 miles total round trip with an elevation gain of nearly 1000 feet, starting around 7300 feet and slowly venturing up to 8200! It’s so quiet that you will likely not see a single hiker your entire trip. In fact, there is more evidence of wildlife in the area than people!

Surely you will get in a great workout! The amazing scenery the entire trip and super quiet natural setting make this intense fitness session well worth the effort! Bonus – no fee to park!

12. Treat yourself to a cup of coffee in one of America’s most haunted hotels

Halloween at the historic haunted Monte Vista Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona

Hotel Monte Vista has a long haunted history with many guests reporting eerie paranormal sights over the years. Even John Wayne claimed to see the vision of a ghostly bell boy! Room 305 is so haunted that it was featured on Unsolved Mysteries. Downstairs in the lobby lies a great little coffee shop called Rendezvous. This historic hotel offers the perfect vibe for enjoying a delicious espresso.

Rendezvous definitely offers the best ambiance in town as you have big windows to gaze out while sipping your drink. The historic charm of the hotel is an added bonus. Plus, after your drink you can browse the lobby and read all about the haunted history. Around Halloween time, they decorate nicely and offer specialty fall drinks. Be on the lookout for free classic horror movies Wednesday nights in October. It’s an affordable night out in an expensive area!

13. Take a colorful fall walk through towering aspens

Brilliant yellow foliage along the Inner Basin hiking trail in Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff is Arizona’s fall playground. With cool temps, lots of foliage on the trails and throughout town, and special seasonal events, it’s the best time of the year to plan a visit. Due to the many aspens found at high altitude, most of the high elevation trails offer plenty of leaf peeping. Colors usually peak the first or second week of October. For the best-of-the-best, plan a hike on the Inner Basin trail.

Other great options include Snowbowl’s Aspen Nature Loop and Kachina trail, both loaded with aspens and offering nice views of the mountains. Veit Springs, also located on Snowbowl Road, has the prime advantage of receiving little tourist traffic. Viet offers a serene woodsy setting with dense tree coverage, a nice mixture of pines and aspens. With no fees, hiking Flagstaff’s gorgeous trails is the perfect budget friendly fall activity!

14. Enjoy the holiday light show and festivities at Little America

Pretty holiday lights at the Little America hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona

Every December, the Little America hotel goes all out with over a million bright colorful lights dazzling all over the property’s pine covered grounds. This is a fun, festive, and free event, so there really is no reason not to take advantage. Bundle up, bring with a mug of hot cocoa, and enjoy the free show! If you happen to be around for the opening ceremony, free cookies, cider & cocoa, and live entertainment kick start the holiday season! Also, the property hosts a number of holiday buffets, as well as a popular North Pole experience for the kids (overpriced in my opinion).

15. Take pics of wildflowers at Bonito Meadow

Beautiful wildflowers at Bonito Meadow in Flagstaff, Arizona

Part of the Wupatki-Sunset Crater 34 mile scenic loop drive, the picturesque Bonito Meadow overlook is the perfect place to stop for photos. You’ll enjoy fantastic views of the San Francisco Peaks surrounded by colorful wildflowers during the summer season. Typically the fields are swarming with thousands and thousands of yellow wildflowers, creating the picture-perfect photo opp. In addition, wildflowers of every hue populate most other trails in town by mid August (also check out The Weatherford or Veit Springs).

16. Get an up close look at ancient pictographs via the Veit Springs hike

Ancient pictographs on the Veit Springs trail in Flagstaff, Arizona

The Veit Springs trail, located about 7 miles up Snowbowl road, is an easy, picturesque nature stroll through ponderosa pine and aspen forest. Hidden along a side trail are a couple of ancient faded pictographs. This trail is beautiful both spring and summer as both the scenery and temps are ideal this time of the year. It is also one of the top picks in fall due to the abundance of golden aspens. Offering dense tree coverage and historic charm, Veit Springs is reminiscent of a New England trail, and therefore, especially attractive to anyone missing the East coast. There is no fee to park at the trailhead.