Beautiful aspen trees on the Veit Loop trail in Flagstaff, Arizona

Flagstaff is home to a number of beautiful hikes, ranging in difficulty from a “no sweat 2” mile fitness loop around Buffalo Park, to an incredibly intense all day adventurous 9 mile trek up to Humphrey’s Peak, which at 12,637 feet, is the highest point in Arizona. For those seeking an easy nature stroll accompanied by beautiful views, Veit Springs, a flat hike of only 2 miles with gorgeous Aspens along the route, is the way to go.

A beautiful walk through aspens and pines at Flagstaff's Veit Springs loop trail

Veit Springs – an easy & short trek through pines & aspens

The easy terrain and short distance makes Veit a good choice for hikers of all levels, even kids. Just be sure to take into account the high elevation (8648 feet) and drink extra water and eat salty snacks. The trail itself is very scenic, as is the 4 mile drive up Snowbowl Road. If you are not paying attention, you can easily miss the trailhead parking area as there is no sign. Once you drive about 4.2-4.3 miles up Snowbowl road, you will see a parking area on the right. This is where you will start the trail. Upon starting, you will see the trail map pictured below.

Lamar Haines Wildlife Memorial Area - Veit Springs Loop trail in Flagstaff, Arizona

Beautiful Greenery

This hike takes you through a dense forest of beautiful pine and aspen trees. At times, I was reminded of the beautiful nature walks I took while living in New England. If you visit on a weekday or early in the morning, the trail will be desolate.  In fact, we didn’t see a single person during our visit.

The beautiful Veit Springs Loop trail in Flagstaff, Arizona

A leaf peeping hotspot

Fall is the premiere time to plan your hike as the abundance of aspen trees make it one of the region’s top leaf peeping destinations. The beautiful golden hues are typically in full force by early October. Take a look at some pictures of the Veit trail during leaf peeping season.

Aspens and pines lining the Veit Springs Loop in Flagstaff, Arizona
An attractive mix of golden aspens and green pines line the Veit Springs Trail in Flagstaff come fall.

Summer is wildflower season

Hiking Veit Springs in the summertime is still a great experience due to a combination of attractive mild daytime temperatures (upper 70’s-low 80’s on average) and beautiful colorful wildflowers everywhere. Take a look below at all the beautiful varieties of flowers seen along the trail.

Pretty wildflowers at Lamar Haines Wildlife Memorial area - Veit Springs loop in Flagstaff, Arizona
Pretty wildflowers at Lamar Haines Wildlife Memorial area - Veit Springs loop in Flagstaff, Arizona
Pretty wildflowers at Lamar Haines Wildlife Memorial area - Veit Springs loop in Flagstaff, Arizona
Pretty wildflowers at Lamar Haines Wildlife Memorial area - Veit Springs loop in Flagstaff, Arizona

A walk along the Veit Springs trail is a peaceful and quiet experience if you visit at the right time. You won’t find many people around, which allows you to totally immerse yourself in nature. You can easily forget all your worries on this hike as you listen to nothing but the wind rustling through the trees.  Depending on the time of day you visit, you may see some wildlife.  Elk and deer are very common, especially during the early morning and evening hours.

A little bit of history…

Aside from the wonderful views, Veit Springs offers a few interesting sights for history buffs. One of these sites is an old abandoned cabin, built in 1892 by Ludwig Veit. As you can see from the photo below, the cabin has been cut down in size to prevent further vandalism.

The Ludwig Veit cabin built in 1892 at Lamar Haines Wildlife Memorial Area in Flagstaff, Arizona

Hidden pictographs/petroglyphs

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the trail is seeing 1000+ year old pictographs and petroglyphs by early Native Americans.

How to get to the pictographs and petroglyphs

You will need to take a short detour off the trail. Once you see the Lamar Haines dedication plaque (the park was recently renamed in the Flagstaff conservationist’s honor), you will stay to the left and keep going towards the escarpment. You will see the cabin and an old stone shed. From here, there is a small hill where you will come across 2 dried out springs (Veit and Canadian). Once you come to the rock wall, you will want to search for these faint markings. Although we found the pictographs, we were unable to find the petroglyphs (unfortunately, our evening visit meant limited time to explore!).

Lamar Haines memorial on Veit Springs loop trail near Flagstaff, Arizona
Old stone cabin on the Veit Springs loop trail near Flagstaff, Arizona

The 2 pictographs are a faint red color and consist of a handprint and what looks to be 2 people near a stream.

An ancient red pictograph seen on the Veit Springs loop trail near Flagstaff, Arizona
A faint red handprint pictography on the Veit Springs loop trail in Flagstaff, Arizona

Why you should hike Veit Springs

Veit Springs is a wonderful hike for all ages and skill levels. It happens to be one of my favorites in the area due to the abundance of trees, easy terrain, and absence of crowds. Whether you visit during the colorful fall season or during the summer to take in the beauty of the wildflowers, you are sure to enjoy the peaceful woodsy setting.

Directions/Parking

The Veit Springs trail is located at: 9300 N Snow Bowl Rd Flagstaff, AZ 86001. There is no fee to park.