Continental Loop

The Continental Loop is a chilled-out, picturesque little hike in the Walnut Canyon area near Flagstaff. This hike won’t take more than an hour or so to do, so it makes for a nice warm-up or cooldown for your day. Expect meadows (filled with wildflowers in the early summer), pine trees, ponds, and lots of different birds. This hike only gets moderately busy.

Remember to keep your dogs on leash in this area. While this route is very easy, you should consider microspikes if you’re hiking in the wintertime as the path can get icy and snowy.

From the trailhead, take Forest Service Road 790 straight to a 4-way junction. Take a left here onto Continental Loop. Where the loop splits, stay right to stroll along the meadow and the trees. There’s no real elevation gain, so it’s a laid-back hike. The route turns towards the ponds and then drops down to pass them before the end of the loop. At the end of the loop, retrace your steps to the trailhead.