Field Trips
Updated 6/3/26
REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. Please register for field trips using this form
Field trips are listed with basic details in the following table. Details for each field trip are provided below the table.
This information can be downloaded as a pdf file.
|
Day |
Date |
Time |
Tour Leader |
Tour |
Limit |
Carpooling for distant field trips |
|
Friday |
6/12/2026 |
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM |
Seth Watkins |
Home Garden Tour |
10 |
|
|
Friday |
6/12/2026 |
1:00 PM -2:00 PM |
Seth Watkins |
Home Garden Tour |
10 |
|
|
Friday |
6/12/2026 |
3:00 PM -4:00 PM |
Seth Watkins |
Home Garden Tour |
10 |
|
|
Saturday |
6/13/2026 |
7:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Glenn Rink |
Sunset Crater Area (Outside the Monument) |
6:30 AM Flagstaff Mall Parking Lot corner of Hwy 89 and East Marketplace Dr |
|
|
Saturday |
6/13/2026 |
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM |
Amelia Knutson |
Pine Forest School - Penstemon Propagation Talk |
||
|
Saturday |
6/13/2026 |
8:00AM -11:00 AM |
Max Licher |
Sedona Tour - North Wilson Trail in Oak Creek Canyon |
7:15 am Carpooling - Vehicle consolidation Walmart Parking Lot |
|
|
Saturday |
6/13/2026 |
8:00 AM -9:00 AM |
Seth Watkins |
Home Garden Tour |
10 |
|
|
Saturday |
6/13/2026 |
8:45 AM- 9:45 AM |
Laura Davis & Phyllis Hogan |
Museum of Northern Arizona - Michael Moore Medicinal Garden |
10 |
|
|
Saturday |
6/13/2026 |
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM |
Seth Watkins |
Home Garden Tour |
10 |
|
|
Saturday |
6/13/2026 |
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM |
Adair Patterson |
NAU Greenhouse - Penstemons in Restoration |
||
|
Sunday |
6/14/2026 |
7:00 AM - 3:30 PM |
Glenn Rink, Kirstin Phillips, & Seth Watkins |
Sunset Crater - San Franciso Peaks |
6:30 AM Flagstaff Mall Parking Lot corner of Hwy 89 and East Marketplace Dr |
|
|
Sunday |
6/14/2026 |
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
Sheila Murray |
The Arborteum at Flagstaff |
||
|
Sunday |
6/14/2026 |
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
Julie Crawford |
San Francisco Peaks - Mt Elden |
12 |
|
|
Monday |
6/15/2026 |
TBD |
Scouting in progress |
Friday, June 12, 2026
|
Date |
Friday, June 12, 2026 AND Saturday, June 13, 2026 |
|
Time(s) |
Friday 6/12 - 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM |
|
Tour |
Home Garden Tour |
|
Tour Leader |
Seth Watkins |
|
Address |
|
|
Limit |
10 People |
|
Address or Map Location |
|
|
Features |
86 Species of Penstemons and Native Plants |
Saturday, June 13, 2026
|
Date |
Saturday, June 13, 2026 |
|
Time(s) |
7:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
|
Tour |
Sunset Crater Area (Outside the Monument) |
|
Tour Leader |
Glenn Rink, Botanical consultant, Far Out Botany |
|
Carpooling Meet-up & Time |
|
|
Directions: |
Meeting time at 7:00 am. Drive North of Flagstaff on Highway 89 toward Page for about 10 miles. Turn off toward Sunset Crater National Monument. Park at the first dirt road that turns off to the north. |
|
Designated Gathering Location |
First dirt road to the north, along the road toward Sunset Crater from Highway 89. |
|
Things to Bring |
Wear field appropropriate clothing and foot wear, bring hat, water, snacks, hand lens, sun umbrella. |
|
Features |
See Arizona’s narrowest endemics, Penstemon clutei and P. ophianthus, P. nudiflorus, P. virgatus |
|
Date |
Saturday, June 13, 2026 |
|
Time(s) |
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM |
|
Tour |
Pine Forest School - Penstemon Propagation Talk |
|
Tour Leader |
Amelia Knutson, Co-owner of Lily of the Field Nursery |
|
Address |
2257 E Cedar Ave, Flagstaff, AZ 86004 (Parking Lot on the Westside of the building) |
|
Limit |
10 |
|
Website |
|
|
Fees (If applicable) |
|
|
Address or Map Location |
|
|
Directions: |
Please, park along the west side of the parking lot under the big trees. No parking permit is necessary on weekends. |
|
Things to Bring |
Things to bring: Sun hat, water bottle (fill available in building), closed-toed shoes, long pants, sunglasses, sunscreen |
|
Features |
Native plant propagation workshop, focusing on Penstemons. Free native seeds and locally grown native and heirloom plants available for purchase. |
|
Date |
Saturday, June 13, 2026 |
|
Time(s) |
8:00 AM - 11:00 AM (7:15 AM Carpooling - Vehicle consolidation Walmart Parking Lot) |
|
Tour |
Sedona Tour - North Wilson Trail in Oak Creek Canyon |
|
Tour Leader |
Max Licher |
|
Fees (If applicable) |
Main parking lot has a $5 fee; highway parking on 89A is free. |
|
Address or Map Location |
|
|
Directions: |
Take Hwy. 89A south from Flagstaff towards Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. The Encinoso Picnic Area will be on the right (west side), about 2 miles south of Slide Rock State Park, or 5 miles north of Sedona. |
|
Carpooling Meeting Time and Place |
|
|
Designated Gathering Location |
North Wilson Trailhead, Encinoso Picnic Area |
|
Departure Time |
|
|
Things to Bring |
Water, hat, and snacks. Hiking poles if desired. |
|
Features |
The trail starts out narrow and rocky, and climbs from the parking area through a mixed Ponderosa Pine and Oak forest. It then levels out through a Chaparral vegetation type with views up and down Oak Creek Canyon, before entering a broad side drainage and a densely recovering 20-year old burned area (the Brins Fire, 2006). At the end of the burn, the trail enters a narrower canyon with a Mixed Conifer vegetation type, and views of vertical canyon walls through the trees. We will return the way we came. One should expect to see a diversity of trees, shrubs, and perennials, with a few Penstemon species still in bloom. |
|
Date |
Saturday, June 13, 2026 |
|
Time(s) |
8:45 AM - 9:45 AM |
|
Tour |
Museum of Northern Arizona, Michael Moore Medicinal Garden |
|
Tour Leader |
Laura Davis & Phyllis Hogan |
|
Address |
|
|
Limit |
10 |
|
Website |
|
|
Fees (If applicable) |
No Charge |
|
Address or Map Location |
|
|
Features |
Led by Phyllis Hogan and Laura Davis, this guided walk offers a chance to explore a thriving nine-year-old garden featuring approximately 150 species of plants. From vibrant pollinators to plants used in food and beverages, as well as natural dyes and traditional medicinal roots and leaves, the garden showcases the rich botanical heritage of the Colorado Plateau. Created as a tribute to legendary Southwest herbalist Michael S. Moore, this living collection honors his deep knowledge and connection to regional plant traditions. Join us for an inspiring and sensory-rich experience that celebrates the beauty, utility, and cultural significance of native plants. Tour limited to 10 people; however, people may visit the garden independent of the tour as long as they keep the gate closed and don't collect anything. |
|
Date |
Saturday, June 13, 2026 |
|
Time(s) |
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM |
|
Tour |
NAU Greenhouse Penstemons in Restoration |
|
Tour Leader |
Adair Patterson, NAU greenhouse manager |
|
Address |
|
|
|
|
|
Phone |
928-221-3174 |
|
Website |
|
|
Fees (If applicable) |
|
|
Address or Map Location |
|
|
Directions: |
Located south of the Sky Dome across Pine Knoll Drive. Park in any available parking space, there is no parking penalty for weekend parking. No parking permit necessary. |
|
Designated Gathering Location |
10:15 in front of the Greenhouse, parking lot 69A |
|
Things to Bring |
Sun hat, water bottle (fill available in building), close toed shoes, long pants, sunglasses, sunscreen |
|
Features |
Penstemon use in SW restoration, penstemon test planting, germination, cultivation and horticulture. Greenhouse and restoration plot tour. |
Sunday, June 14, 2026
|
Date |
Sunday, June 14, 2026 |
|
Time(s) |
7:00 AM - 3:30 PM |
|
Tour |
Sunset Crater - San Francisco Peaks |
|
Tour Leader |
Seth Watkins, Kirstin Phillips, MNA Botany Collections Manager, Glenn Rink |
|
Carpooling Meet-up Time & Place |
|
|
Directions: |
Meeting time at 7:00 am. Drive North of Flagstaff on Highway 89 toward Page for about 10 miles. Turn off toward Sunset Crater National Monument. Park at the first dirt road that turns off to the north. |
|
Designated Gathering Location |
First dirt road to the north, along the road toward Sunset Crater from Highway 89. |
|
Things to Bring |
Drivers gas up. Wear field appropriate clothing and foot wear, bring hat, plenty of water, lunch, hand lens, sun umbrella. |
|
Features |
More details to be provided on this extended field trip of Glenn's Saturday Sunset Crater field trip. See rare plant species that only grow in cinders as well as Penstemon clutei, P. ophianthus, P. nudiflorus, P. virgatus, P. barbatus. |
|
Date |
Sunday, June 14, 2026 |
|
Time(s) |
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM |
|
Tour |
|
|
Tour Leader |
Sheila Murray, Conservation Botanist |
|
Address |
|
|
Website |
|
|
Address or Map Location |
|
|
Directions: |
The Arboretum is located down 3 miles of a Forest Service dirt road, we recommend that visitors have reliable all-weather transportation. |
|
Designated Gathering Location |
Check in at the Visitor Center at The Arboretum at Flagstaff |
|
Things to Bring |
There is no restaurant on site. We have snacks and drinks in the visitor center. Please feel free to bring your own food and drink! |
|
Features |
The mission of the Arboretum at Flagstaff is to increase the understanding, appreciation, and conservation of plants and plant communities native to the Colorado Plateau, and to identify, evaluate, display, and introduce plants adapted to the climatic and soil conditions of the Flagstaff environment. We strive to: Feature display gardens that promote the use and conservation of native and compatible plant species, seek solutions and impart best practices to protect native plants at risk, and practice and promote sustainability to build community resiliency. Our American Public Gardens Association nationally recognized collection of Penstemon is one of the many plant collections we will highlight on this tour of the Arboretum gardens and grounds. Penstemon and other plant species for sale in our retail native plant nursery. There will be an opportunity to see the birds of prey exhibit after the tour. |
|
Date |
Sunday, June 14, 2026 |
|
Time(s) |
9:00 AM - 11:30 AM |
|
Tour |
San Francisco Peaks - Mt Elden |
|
Tour Leader |
Julie Crawford, author of Flagstaff Plants - in Black and White |
|
Address |
|
|
Limit |
12 |
|
Website |
|
|
Fees (If applicable) |
NA |
|
Address or Map Location |
|
|
Directions: |
Park along the street on the top of Lugano Way Court |
|
Designated Gathering Location |
Meet at the trailhead at the top of the North Lugano Way court |
|
Things to Bring |
Things to bring: Sun hat, water bottle (fill available in building), close toed shoes, long pants, sunglasses, sunscreen |
|
Features |
Meet at the trailhead at the top of the North Lugano Way court and we will walk within the Elden Environmental Study Area near the base of Mount Elden. We will visit Mt. Elden Spring, the historic Elden homestead and grave site, see pre-historic pit house depressions, and see plants native to northern Arizona ranging from the Sedona area through the San Francisco Peaks area in one compact site. Huge Juniperus deppeana, Purshia stansburiana, Cercocarpus montanus, and small Abies concolor, Juglans major, Rhus glabra, and Macromeria viridiflora highlight the trip, though we likely will see a few Penstemon species as well! Trails are rocky and uneven. For those interested, we will conclude with a tour of a native plant landscaped yard nearby containing over 115 plant species native to northern Arizona. |