Day trip · Flagstaff

An observatory, a museum
and two national monuments,
at the top of I-17.

Lowell Observatory and the Museum of Northern Arizona sit on the west side of Flagstaff. Walnut Canyon is east of town off I-40, and Sunset Crater Volcano is north on U.S. 89. Each one runs its own hours and charges its own entry, so plan the day around them.

Doug Palmer, AZ REALTOR® · My Home Group Real Estate · Published 20 October 2026

In town

Mars Hill, Fort Valley Road and the train station

Lowell Observatory: noon to 10 p.m., closed Tuesdays.The observatory sits at 7,250 feet on Mars Hill, 1400 W. Mars Hill Road, and calls itself the home of Pluto's discovery. General admission is $35 for adults, $30 for seniors 55 and older and $20 for ages 6 to 17, and covers guided tours, the exhibits, the historic buildings, Lowell Universe Theater shows and stargazing. A rooftop Dark Sky Planetarium show is $5 more. On-site ticket sales end at 9 p.m., and general admission needs no reservation. It is also closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Day. Pets are not allowed on campus; service animals are welcome. Lowell Observatory tickets
Museum of Northern Arizona: daily, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.Last admission is at 4 p.m. Admission is $18, $16 for seniors 65 and older, $13 for Native Americans and for ages 10 to 17, and free for ages 9 and under. The 200-acre campus at 3101 N. Fort Valley Road holds more than five million Native American artifacts, natural science specimens and fine art pieces. It is closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving and December 24 and 25. Mountain Line Route 5 stops there. Plan your visit
Start at the visitor center in the train station.The Official Flagstaff Visitor Center is in the historic downtown train station at 1 E. Route 66, with free guides and maps. It is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Phone 928-213-2951. Flagstaff Visitor Center

Walnut Canyon National Monument

Cliff dwellings, east of town

Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.The trails and the canyon views close with the gates at 5 p.m. Entry to the Island Trail closes at 4 p.m., and the Park Service asks you to start the Rim Trail by 4:30 p.m. The park is closed December 25 and January 1. Hours
$25 per private vehicle, good for 1 to 7 days.A walk-in or bike-in visitor 16 or older pays $15; under 16 is free. The visitor center takes cards only. An America the Beautiful pass is the only entrance pass you need. Fees and passes
Rim Trail. Easy.0.7 mile round trip, about 30 minutes, fairly level. Two overlooks look down on the canyon and the cliff dwellings, and a partly rebuilt pithouse and pueblo sit back from the rim. The first stretch, to the first overlook, is paved and accessible. Leashed pets are allowed. Rim Trail
Island Trail. Strenuous.1 mile round trip, about an hour. It drops 185 vertical feet into the canyon and climbs back the same way, at about 7,000 feet, past 25 cliff dwelling rooms. It is paved, but stairs and steep terrain keep it from being wheelchair accessible, and no pets are allowed. It can close for snow or ice in winter; call 928-526-3367 for conditions. Island Trail

Order: the Park Service's own difficulty rating for each trail. Lengths and times are its figures. Backcountry hiking is not allowed; stay on the designated trails.

Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument

A lava flow, north of town

Roads and trails open around the clock.The visitor center is open daily, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Roads and trails close now and then for fire season or winter weather. The Park Service calls the eruption here, about a thousand years ago, the most recent in Arizona. Hours
One $25 vehicle pass covers Sunset Crater and Wupatki.Good at both monuments for 1 to 7 days. A walk-in or bike-in visitor 16 or older pays $15; under 16 is free. Cards only at the visitor center. Fees and passes
A'a Trail. Easy.0.25 mile round trip, about 15 minutes, past jagged blocks of a'a lava.
Bonito Vista Trail. Easy and accessible.0.3 mile round trip, about 20 minutes, paved, across a cinder field to a view of the Bonito Lava Flow.
Lava Flow Trail. Easy.1 mile loop, about an hour, at the base of the volcano. The upper 0.25-mile loop is paved and accessible, and pets are welcome on the paved part.
Lava's Edge Trail. Moderate.3.4 miles round trip, about 2.5 hours, over loose cinders and rough basalt along the edge of the flow. Pets are allowed only on the Forest Service section, 2 miles round trip.
Lenox Crater Trail. Moderately strenuous.1.6 miles round trip, about 1.5 hours, through ponderosa pine to a summit with views of the San Francisco Peaks. Hikes and trails

Order: the Park Service's own difficulty rating for each trail, then length. Lengths and times are its figures. Lava is brittle and sharp, and hiking is allowed only on the designated trails.

Getting there

From the Valley to Flagstaff

How far it is.About 123 miles in a straight line from Phoenix City Hall to Walnut Canyon National Monument, 123 miles from Mesa City Hall and 118 miles from Scottsdale City Hall. Road miles and drive times run longer and change with weather.
The way up.Northbound I-17 leads to Flagstaff and ends at the I-40/I-17 interchange there. ADOT on I-17 to Flagstaff
Walnut Canyon: I-40, exit 204.About 7.5 miles east of Flagstaff. Take exit 204, turn south, and the visitor center is at the end of the 3-mile road.
Sunset Crater: U.S. 89 north.From Flagstaff, 12 miles north on U.S. 89, then right on the Sunset Crater-Wupatki Loop Road for 2 miles to the visitor center, about 30 minutes in all. The visitor center is at 6082 Sunset Crater Road; GPS units often send drivers onto dirt roads, so stay on the paved road. The full loop through Wupatki is 35 miles, about an hour. Directions

Sources

Lowell Observatory hours, admission, add-ons, elevation, address, pets and holidays: Lowell Observatory, Buy Tickets, Visit and Visit FAQs. Museum of Northern Arizona hours, admission, closures, campus and transit: Museum of Northern Arizona, Plan Your Visit and FAQ. Visitor center: City of Flagstaff, Discover Flagstaff, Official Flagstaff Visitor Center. Walnut Canyon hours, fees, trails, pets and directions: National Park Service, Operating Hours, Fees and Passes, Rim Trail, Island Trail and Basic Information. Sunset Crater hours, fees, trails and directions: National Park Service, Operating Hours, Fees and Passes, Hikes and Trails and Directions. I-17: Arizona Department of Transportation, ADOT starts I-17 project to improve travel to Flagstaff. Distances: straight-line miles from each city hall's Maricopa County address point to the National Park Service's published coordinates for Walnut Canyon National Monument. Photo: Sunset Crater from the air, National Park Service (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons). All checked 20 October 2026. Hours, prices and road conditions change, so confirm with each site before you go.

All guides

An observatory, a museumand two national monuments,at the top of I-17.

Mars Hill, Fort Valley Road and the train station

Cliff dwellings, east of town

A lava flow, north of town

From the Valley to Flagstaff

Thinking about the Valley as a home base?

An observatory, a museum
and two national monuments,
at the top of I-17.