
Located just 40 minutes south of Flagstaff in the heart of the Coconino National Forest, Mormon Lake Lodge and Cabins has been welcoming travelers for more than 100 years. With an onsite steakhouse and sleeping cabins named for famous Western figures, it’s the perfect out-of-the-way stop for tourists venturing between Flagstaff and Sedona, or just wanting a little more rural peace and quiet than the towns offer.
If you’re looking to connect with art and culture, Flagstaff is the central hub of activity in Northern Arizona. Summer temps in the 70s and 80s make July and August a great time to visit, especially if you’re coming from the warmer parts of the Southwest. It’s peak season for tourism, which means plenty of festivals and activities to keep the entire family entertained.
Here are a few of our favorites:
Arizona Highland Celtic Festival
Tartan Flags will be waving and bagpipes blowing at this annual tribute to Scottish culture featuring athletic events, Celtic dancing, live music and foods of the Highlands—yes, even haggis. Witness kilted athletes throw telephone pole sized logs to the sky in the caber toss, grab a pint in the beer garden or dance to rousing fiddle tunes from The Wicked Tinkers and Scatter the Dust.
Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course
Challenge your mind and body at this zip line and obstacle course set in Flagstaff’s towering pines. The treetop adventure course includes the kind of daring thrills seen on American Ninja: swinging logs, scramble nets, eight zip lines, and suspended bridges. There’s also a dedicated kid’s course and an adventure zip line course with more than 30 lines.
Shakespeare Festival
Flagstaff’s resident Shakespeare company takes a trio of masterpieces from the page to the stage this summer, including The Merry Wives of Windsor, All’s Well That Ends Well, and Macbeth (shh, don’t say that name aloud in the theatre!). Shows are performed at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Coconino Center for the Arts and the Arboretum at Flagstaff. Tickets are $20 for adults and $14 for children, teachers, seniors, and active military members.
Movies on the Square
Saturday nights through early September, Flagstaff’s town square hosts live entertainment and family-friendly movies starting at around 4 p.m. The free event is described “like a big sleepover,” so bring pillows, blankets or sleeping bags and feel free to put the kids in their jammies.
Navajo Festival of Arts and Culture
Immerse yourself in traditional and contemporary Native American arts at The Museum of Northern Arizona’s annual Navajo Festival in early August. Look for mesmerizing hoop dancers, indigenous crafts, pottery, paintings and frybread vendors.
There are hundreds more activities to explore nearby, from museums and horseback rides to trout fishing and canoeing on Mormon Lake. Book your summer reservations early to make sure you have a comfy home base to return to at the end of every day in the gorgeous pine forests of Northern Arizona.