Scavenger Hunt in Flagstaff: Route 66, Ponderosas, and the Grand Canyon's Basecamp
Flagstaff sits at 7,000 feet elevation in the world's largest ponderosa pine forest, at the intersection of Route 66 and the gateway to the Grand Canyon, 80 miles to the north. The combination of the historic downtown's Route 66 heritage, the Lowell Observatory (where Pluto was discovered in 1930), the San Francisco Peaks volcanic backdrop, and the Northern Arizona University campus gives the city a character completely different from the desert cities of Phoenix and Tucson.
A city scavenger hunt in Flagstaff works on the downtown Historic District, where the Route 66 commercial buildings from the 1920s-1950s, the Victorian-era railroad depot, and the walkable streets give the city a density of discovery material unusual for a city of 75,000.
Best Areas for a Flagstaff Scavenger Hunt
Historic Downtown / Heritage Square, the Route 66 commercial core, centered on the restored Santa Fe Railroad Depot (1926, now the Amtrak station and a visitor center) and the surrounding blocks of 1920s-1950s commercial buildings, is the primary scavenger hunt area. The Weatherford Hotel (1900, Flagstaff's oldest hotel, where Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and Zane Grey all stayed), the Orpheum Theater (1917, the oldest movie theater in Arizona, still operating), and the concentration of independent restaurants and bars on Leroux Street make this one of the most walkable historic commercial districts in the Southwest.
Lowell Observatory, the hilltop observatory west of downtown where Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto on February 18, 1930, offers evening viewing programs and daytime tours. The 1894 refractor telescope used for the observations that supported the expansion of the universe theory is on the grounds.
What a Flagstaff Scavenger Hunt Reveals
The Questo city quest in Flagstaff covers the city's history as a railroad junction (established when the transcontinental railroad reached Arizona in 1882), the Route 66 heritage (the downtown is one of the best-preserved Route 66 commercial districts remaining), and the astronomical heritage that gave Flagstaff the title of the first International Dark Sky City in the world (the dark sky ordinances that protect Flagstaff's observation conditions have been in place since 1958).
The Museum of Northern Arizona (north of downtown on Fort Valley Road) has the finest collection of Ancestral Puebloan, Navajo, and Hopi cultural artifacts in the country outside the Smithsonian.
Flagstaff Scavenger Hunt Tips
Flagstaff is the most practical base for Grand Canyon South Rim visits, 80 miles north on Highway 89 to the East Entrance or US-180 to the South Entrance, both about 90 minutes. The Flagstaff Farmers Market (Sunday mornings, year-round at Heritage Square) is excellent. Brix Restaurant (in a 1930s garage building) and Tinderbox Kitchen (modern American in the historic downtown) are the best post-quest dining options.