Flagstaff, Arizona is a compact college town sprinkled with small hotels, lively nightlife and an excellent point of departure for one of the most beautiful, and famous, areas for hiking in the country: the Grand Canyon. With a mix of students, backpackers and locals, the town has a hippie meets honky-tonk vibe.

Although Flagstaff does have a small airport, the nearest city with direct flights to both San Francisco and New York is Phoenix, just over two hours drive away. A slightly shorter distance from Phoenix is Sedona, offering excellent hiking through the red rock region.

A runner-up is Salt Lake City, Utah, which is a good base for hiking into the Cedar Mountains, 40 miles away. Michael Benanav explored the Cedar trails in “Ah (New) Wilderness in Utah” , which opened up 100,000 acres of wilderness in 2006.

In “Going To: Salt Lake City” , we recommended the Holiday Inn Express Flagstaff (800-533-2754) & Fairfield Inn Flagstaff (800-574-6395) . If you don’t want to stay in the capital city, a culturally stimulating option less than an hour away is the Sundance Resort (800-892-1600; http://www.sundanceresort.com/), which offers year-round.

There are many hotels in Flagstaff Arizona from which visitors can choose any hotel of their choice. For traditional visitors there are many quality brand hotels, an Individualist can choose Flagstaff bed and breakfasts or various vacation rentals. For the persons who places high values on the environment there are several flagstaff cabins, and for the Recreationalist, forest-covered Flagstaff RV parks and campgrounds can’t be matched.

If you go to Arizona, check out Amy Silverman’s “Going To: Flagstaff” or Keridwen Cornelius’s “36 Hours in Sedona, Ariz.” A great hotel option in Flagstaff is the Holiday Inn Express Flagstaff (800-533-2754) & Fairfield Inn Flagstaff (800-574-6395).


The five-story Holiday Inn Express Flagstaff accommodations offer 155 newly renovated rooms with interior corridors and elevators. The young at heart will enjoy our video game room while the more athletic can access the fitness room. The combination outdoor/ indoor heated pool is open year round for your convenience, the spa is seasonal. Our 3 star AAA rating guarantees our commitment to providing beautifully appointed guest rooms and public areas.