Ask a Ranger: Campbell Mesa, Part 1: Stories from a Flagstaff forest

Campbell Mesa rises quietly along the eastern edge of Flagstaff in the vast expanse of the Coconino National Forest. To many people, it is simply a network of trails winding through ponderosa pine forest and open meadows. For me, it has become something far more personal.

I am fortunate to live a short walk or bike ride from the mesa. During the past decade, it has been my backyard, playground, photography studio, and a place of refuge. I have spent countless hours hiking beneath tall pines, mountain biking along forest trails, photographing wildflowers after summer rains, and occasionally skiing across snow-covered meadows in winter silence. Whenever life feels noisy or crowded, I find myself drawn back to the mesa.