• Barrier-free hiking on Flagstaff’s McMillan Mesa
    Posted by at May 17th
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    McMILLAN MESA
    Flagstaff Urban Trails System/Arizona Trail
     
    I’ve decided to call this one a sandwich hike. Like the great American lunch staple, the good stuff of this trek happens in the middle while the scenic equivalent of white bread bolsters the fringes.   The hike takes off near the main entrance of Buffalo Park, swinging south onto a route that’s now part of the most urban passage of the Arizona Trail where there’s a large sign with a tribute to Flagstaff educator and trail founder, Dale Shewalter.  Within a few yards, the trail crosses over Cedar Avenue on Matt Kelly bridge–which is named for a young bike rider who was killed by a drunk driver.
    Past the bridge there’s some serious ugly—a power plant and quarry. Still, this is billed as an urban trail, so I guess I don’t have a complaint coming. Farther along, the wide, gravel route crosses McMillan Mesa– the good stuff– a grassy ridge sandwiched between downtown and the upper eastside of Flagstaff.  Sparsely populated with junipers, pines and firs, the view to the southeast is surprisingly lovely.  To the northeast, the busy city sprawls and carries on below. The trail is suitable for strollers, wheelchairs and walkers, making this a popular choice for multi-generational families.  Also, benches are placed at scenic spots along the way, including one that’s perfect for train-spotting the BNST railroad that parallels Route 66.
    LENGTH:  1.5 miles one-way
    RATING: easy, stroller-friendly, barrier-free
    ELEVATION: 7,040′
    DOGS: leashed dogs allowed
    KID FRIENDLY?: yes
    GETTING THERE:
    Buffalo Park (North):
    From Flagstaff, travel north on Fort Valley Road (US180) to Forest Ave.  Turn right and continue to the stop light at Gemini Drive.  Turn left and follow the signs to the park.
    Hemlock Way (south):
    From Flagstaff, travel east on Route 66 to Switzer Canyon Road.  Turn north (left) and go 0.6 mile to Turquoise Drive, turn right, go 0.3 mile to Ponderosa Pkwy, turn right and go 0.5 mile to Locust, turn left and go 0.1 mile to Apple, turn right and go 0.1 mile to Hemlock, turn left and continue 0.1 mile to the trailhead.
    INFO: City of Flagstaff
    http://flagstaff.az.gov/index.aspx?NID=1812
    Arizona Trail Association
    http://www.aztrail.org/passages/pass_33.html
    MORE PHOTOS:
    http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2703277919899.90622.1795269672&type=1&l=ed5248c36a

     


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    Bio: Serial blogger, manic hiker and “mom” to a dozen adopted dogs, Mare Czinar has been exploring Arizona trails for more than 20 years. After being led astray (or just plain confused) by outdated hiking books and online resources (hence the tagline: We got lost, so you don’t have to), Czinar sought to create a fully vetted, frequently updated online hike travelogue with current driving and hiking directions to spare fellow hikers the mental and physical wear-and-tear of aimless wandering. In addition, blog entries are amended when road closures or wildfires restrict trail access. When not working, blogging, writing about the great outdoors or picking up dog poo, Czinar attempts to “stay found” while checking out new trails.


    Website: http://arizonahiking.blogspot.com/