Get some color on these great hikes in Flagstaff
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Many hiking trails on the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff offer ideal fall foliage viewing. The quaking aspen color spectacle usually begins in late September then trickles down into the foothills through October. Here are six top leaf-peeping picks around Flagstaff.
Abineau-Bear Jaw Loop
This rigorous 7.2-mile loop on the north face of the San Francisco Peaks takes you up to a scenic saddle through the moss-draped, spruce-fir woodlands of Abineau Canyon and back down the aspen-cluttered gorge of Bear Jaw Canyon via a 2-mile connecting walk along Waterline Road. Elevation range is 8,530 to 10,320 feet.
Getting there: From Flagstaff, go north on U.S. 180 to mile marker 235 and turn right on Forest Road 151 (Hart Prairie Road's north access). Go 1.6 miles on FR 151 and connect to FR 418. Drive 3.1 miles on FR418 to FR 9123J (signed for Abineau-Bear Jaw), turn right and go 0.6 mile to the trailhead. Dirt/cinder roads
are rutted but passable by carefully driven sedans.
Inner Basin Trail
Be prepared for crowds if you want to stroll among the tight-knit aspen groves high on the mountain's eastern face. Getting to this immensely popular trail involves a white-knuckle drive on a curvy dirt road, but for those who dare to brave the congestion and hairpin turns, the hike is one to savor.
The moderately difficult trail begins at 8,630 feet in Lockett Meadow with a mild uphill walk through an enchanting white-trunk forest capped in gold. Midway through, the route enters a gaping basin, fringed in color and populated with tiny pump houses that manage the watershed that supplies Flagstaff. The hike ends with a steep slog up to 9,410 feet, where it connects with Weatherford Trail.
Getting there: From Flagstaff, go east on Interstate 40 to U.S. 89 north. Go 17 miles north on U.S. 89 to Forest Road 420 (across from the turnoff for Sunset Crater). Turn left on FR 420, then veer left onto FR 552, following the signs 4.5 miles to Lockett Meadow. The good gravel roads (fine for sedans) are narrow and winding with steep drop-offs and no guardrails.