Summer Months Turn Flagstaff Into Homeless Haven Despite City's Harsh Laws

Jamie Peachey

Trash heaps left by homeless campers usually becomes a problem for residents and law enforcement

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This week's New Times cover story looks at the relationship between the hordes of backpacking homeless and the picturesque city that is trying to deal with them.

While Flagstaff provides a nice break from the harsh weather of Phoenix, residents of the small mountain city live in fear of the havoc these long-term visitors can cause -- like wildfires.

Last year's Hardy fire was started by a homeless Californian transient who set up camp in the woods on the outskirts of Flagstaff.

The fire burned about 300 acres and cost roughly $1 million to put out. The man who started it, Randall Wayne Nicholson, is now serving a year-and-a-half in jail.

But despite the dangers the mountains continue to provide a sort of welcoming camp ground for homeless, creating the type of "hobo culture" most Arizona residents associate with the blue-skied college town.

See the story's slideshow here.