The Arboretum at Flagstaff, set at 2,180 metres in the ponderosa pines southwest of town, is one of the highest-elevation botanical gardens in the United States. Its collections focus on the plants of the Colorado Plateau and the arid Southwest, with particular strength in high-country wildflowers that are difficult to see elsewhere. From late June through summer the wildflower meadows are spectacular.
The Arboretum runs raptor programs on weekends through the season, bringing live hawks, owls, and falcons used in rehabilitation work up close to visitors. The grounds cover around 65 hectares and the trails are pleasant for a morning walk. Children respond well to both the raptor demos and the general sense of a garden that looks like wilderness.