Flagstaff family fun: Fatman's Loop Trail

This past July, my friend Andrea and I packed up the kids and headed out on an "easy" 2.6 mile trail in Flagstaff, AZ on the east slopes of Elden mountain.  It was a particularly warm and sunny day with temps at 85 degrees.  We parked at the trailhead right by the Flagstaff mall, sprayed down the kids with sunscreen, I tossed my 35 lb three year old into the backpack and off we went. 

We chose to start counterclockwise  (I read another reviewers tip that that was the least steep side and they were very correct!). It was a steady incline up, but nothing too terribly challenging. The issues I had were related to the giant child on my back, but there is no way he would have been able to do the loop on foot. The other issue was that we started around 11am and the sun was very intense and the temp was pretty high. The scenery was gorgeous, with lots of interesting trees along the way. 

We stopped about halfway to refuel the kids with water and pirates booty (something they had very much been looking forward to). There was a couple with a young baby stopped there also, and they asked us how much farther to the decline (we had no clue) but apparently, we looked like experts! 

Thumbs up for being halfway done!

The view from our resting spot

After our break, we walked up a little more and finally made it to the two big boulders! This was the photo op I had been waiting for. 

The views at the top were magnificent!

Not long after the big boulders, we finally began our descent. This was much appreciated and the whining decreased exponentially! There were some steep areas and large rocks to maneuver, and I was very grateful that I read that tip to start on the other side of the loop.

We finally finished and loaded our hot and sweaty kids back into the car. Everyone was very relieved it was over, but most were also very proud. We headed out for some well deserved lunch of Mexican food at our fave spot, Salsa Brava.

It was a beautiful trail and a great experience for all of us. It is easy enough for most fitness levels and kids. Next time, I definitely want to try it earlier in the day or when its nice and overcast. But if are going to be in the Flagstaff area, Fatman's loop is worth it.

Getting there:  Follow Sante Fe Avenue past the Flagstaff Mall to the trailhead parking lot (keep a lookout, it was easy to pass). It is on the North side of the street.