Kachina Village is a secluded community in a forest setting
Kachina Village is a heavily wooded residential community about 10 miles south of Flagstaff, Arizona, known for its rural environment, quiet streets and green, open spaces. “It does feel secluded out there, like you’re on the outskirts of town in the forest,” says Jason Shafor, a Realtor with Exp Realty and Flagstaff local. “It’s great for first-time homebuyers. There are homes in the upper $300,000s all the way to $500,000, which I would consider entry-level for Flagstaff.” Highlands Fire District Station 25 is located within the neighborhood, but businesses and restaurants are scarce here, so residents typically drive into Flagstaff for shopping and dining. Eileen Taggart, a Realtor with Re/Max Fine Properties and over 17 years of experience, says Kachina Village isn’t a cookie-cutter community, and homebuyers can expect a wide range of homes.
Single-family and manufactured homes on rural lots
“You have a blend of manufactured mobile homes and some very nice upper-end mountain log homes with a variety of different lot sizes,” Shafor says. “It’s going to have the largest selection of homes for first-time homebuyers in that market.” Along winding, tree-lined streets, single-family homes here are typically new traditional or Craftsman-style built in the late 20th century or after 2000. Lots up to one-third of an acre are common, but other features, like gravel driveways or attached garages, vary from home to home. A three-bedroom ranch-style home starts around $350,000, while a three-bedroom split-level or two-story home costs closer to $550,000. Manufactured homes along dirt roads in northeast Kachina Village start around $300,000, and Taggart says the area has no homeowners associations.
Flagstaff Unified District schools receive high marks from Niche
Kachina Village is part of the Flagstaff Unified School District, rated B overall by Niche. Local kids can start at Manuel DeMiguel Elementary, rated B-plus, before moving on to Mount Elden Middle, rated B-minus. At the latter, young students can pursue their interests in a variety of arts and elective courses, like culinary arts, coding and yearbook. The B-rated Flagstaff High offers dual-enrollment courses, where students can receive college credit at Coconino Community College.
Serene wetlands and heavily wooded areas
At the 12-acre Raymond County Park, residents can burn some calories by shooting hoops on the basketball court or playing ball on the baseball diamond. “Kachina does have a very nice park,” Shafor says. “There’s also little pond wetlands you can enjoy, wildlife too.” Next to the park, the 128-acre Pumphouse County Natural Area includes wetlands, which are uncommon in Arizona, and residents can explore winding dirt-packed trails, like the 3-mile Pumphouse Wash Trail. “There’s a lot of trails, and people do a lot of hiking,” Taggart says. About a mile north, Kachina Wetlands Preserve offers more greenery to explore and is nationally recognized for its bird diversity; residents here can spot everything from pigeons to pelicans. For golfers, the Forest Highlands Golf Club is 8 miles north via Interstate 17 and offers two private 18-hole courses set by scenic forested views.
Shopping and dining in Flagstaff
“If you’re in Kachina, you’ve got Dollar General, a gas station and a Subway,” Shafor says. For groceries, residents can go to the Dollar General next to Interstate 17 or head into Flagstaff. “You go to Flagstaff for shopping and dining,” Taggart says. “You are very close to Target, Sprouts, Walmart, Bashas’ and Safeway—they have it all.” Bashas’ and Walmart are 7 miles north, along with several national chain businesses and restaurants, like Cafe Rio and Buffalo Wild Wings. At Woodlands Village, residents can try local eateries like Teppan Fuji, a Japanese restaurant with a sleek modern interior that offers sushi, teppanyaki and all-you-can-eat lunch. For a casual night out, the nearby Grand Canyon Brewing + Distillery is popular for its craft beer selection and comfort food offerings, like pepperoni calzones and barbecue ribs.
Community events keep Kachina Village active
Village Land Shoppe, a local real estate agency, sponsors several neighborhood events, like Easter Eggtravaganza at Raymond County Park, where kids can hunt for Easter eggs and take photos with the Easter bunny. In June, the annual Village Land Shoppe Kachina Village & Mountainaire Community Yard Sale is a day when residents can set up individual yard sales, and Village Land Shoppe creates a master list of the yard sales for residents to check out. In the summer, Coconino County and the city of Flagstaff host the Concerts in the Park series, which features food trucks and performances from local musicians at county parks, including Raymond County Park.
Getting around from Kachina Village
Interstate 17 runs north along Kachina Village toward Flagstaff, about 10 miles away, or a 10- to 12-minute drive, depending on traffic. There isn’t any public transportation in Kachina Village, but residents can use Mountain Line buses in Flagstaff or rideshare services. Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is about 5 miles north, and Flagstaff Medical Center is 10 miles north.
Risk of wildfires
Kachina Village is at risk of wildfires, and homebuyers here should research insurance and safety guidance for their home. Residents can sign up for the Coconino County Emergency Notification System to receive real-time alerts for local emergencies.
