Arizona’s top fall-colors hikes, scenic drives
Autumn calls Arizona residents outside like no other season. The long summer finally winds down, monsoon clouds are swept aside by a canopy of blue, and the once ferocious sun becomes tender, almost playful.
Air in the high country turns crisp as cider during these days of color and light. The changing leaves headline the fall fiesta. Shades of scarlet, saffron and russet saturate the forests. This is a show not to be missed.
Here’s a guide to Arizona’s best fallcolor scenic drives and hikes. Remember to keep six feet of distance between you and other hikers, and wear a mask if you can’t.
Flagstaff
The leaf peeping is pretty concentrated in Flagstaff, with nearly all roads and trails revolving around the San Francisco Peaks, the ragged remnants of a hulking stratovolcano. Geologists believed it once reached a height of 16,000 feet but continued to blast itself apart.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy the vivid autumn colors in Flagstaff. If you drive the paved Snowbowl Road to the upper reaches of the peaks, you’ll witness wide swaths of aspens around every curve. Take U.S. 180 for 7 miles north of Flagstaff and turn right on Snowbowl Road.
If you’re itching to get off the pavement, consider a visit to Hart Prairie, perched on the western flank of the San Francisco Peaks.
Hart Prairie Road (Forest Road 151) winds through high meadows and thick conifer forests interrupted by thick stands of aspens. Go on the right October day and every breeze will trigger a cascade of lemon and gold leaves, as if it were raining dollops of sunshine.
The dirt road can be managed in a passenger car although there will be a few bumps along the way. FR 151 intersects U.S. 180 near mile marker 226 on the south end and at mile marker 235 on the north end, so you can put together a nice loop.
When you’re ready to walk among the trees you’ll have plenty of options. One of the most stunning is the Kachina Trail, dipping immediately into vast aspen groves carpeted with tawny end-ofseason ferns.
The nearby Aspen Loop Trail delivers big splashes of color mingled with meadow views. The Inner Basin Trail climbs through stands of aspens to the caldera of the old volcano. AbineauBear Jaw Loop offers a more strenuous outing but pays off with some vivid forest scenery.
Need more inspiration? Check out the Leaf-ometer from the Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau. It includes updates from Arizona Snowbowl, the Forest Service, the Arboretum at Flagstaff and the Sedona Chamber of Commerce. It’s at www.flagstaffarizona .org/leafometer.
Details: 928-526-0866, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.
Sedona
The winding drive on State Route 89A through Oak Creek Canyon between Flagstaff and Sedona is astonishing anytime but explodes with color during the cooling autumn months. If you’re looking for the closest thing Arizona has to a New England display of fall foliage, make a stop at West Fork Trail.
Starting from the Call of the Canyon Picnic Site, West Fork pulls you into verdant forests tucked beneath high cliffs. Echoes of birdsong and the splashy stream fill the canyon. The main trail parallels the meandering creek the whole way.
Peak season for fall runs from mid-October colors usually well into November. The path seems to burrow into a kaleidoscope of willows, boxelders, velvet ash and the fiery scarlet of the bigtooth maples. They’re supported by an understory of grapevines, sumac and Virginia creeper in a tangle of varying hues.
Naturally, West Fork is packed on autumn weekends. The parking lot usually fills early in the morning. If you can wrangle a weekday visit, you won’t regret it. The fee is $11 per car (up to five people), cash or check. Credit cards are not accepted.
You can enjoy a little more solitude at other Sedona trails. The Huckaby Trail emerges along an elevated ridge, overlooking the multi-hued ribbon of Oak Creek before descending to the stream banks past a colorful collection of vines, shrubs and trees.
The hike through Secret Canyon leads through a deeply forested ravine and some beautiful red rock narrows. Most of the vibrant leaves surround the canyon bottom that often harbors a few pools.
Allens Bend Trail is a short jaunt beneath the remnants of an old orchard and a canopy of riparian trees. Enjoy the serenade of the nearby stream but be careful of poison ivy. The itch-inducing vine changes to lovely shades of yellow, orange and red in the fall but remains just as potent.
Details: 928-203-2900, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.
White Mountains
The high elevation of the White Mountains makes this forested range a popular summer getaway. Yet the peaks become even more enticing when autumnal fireworks are unleashed. The lush greens of woodlands and meadows are streaked with brilliant hues of aspens and oaks.
Starting in Pinetop-Lakeside, make the drive east on State Route 260. The winding ribbon of pavement curves through a striking combination of pine forests, golden pastures and sparkling lakes. You’ll begin passing through robust stands of white-barked aspens as you continue to gain elevation.
For a nice vantage point of the surrounding countryside, make a short detour to Greens Peak. Turn north on Forest Road 117, a couple of miles east of SR 273. Greens Peak is the highest of a series of rounded knolls spread across the highlands. Forests of conifers are banded with waves of color from the aspens.
Don’t let the bucolic setting fool you, this was once a rowdy violent land. All these hills are part of the sprawling Springerville Volcanic Field. FR 117 is unpaved but generally passable by sedans. Drive about 5 miles toward the fire lookout on Greens Peak.
After that little detour, head southeast on SR 273. You’ll pass Sunrise Park Resort, quiet before the onslaught of winter skiers and snowboarders.
The road curves along the flank of Mount Baldy. About 11 miles south of SR 260 you’ll spot the parking area for the East Baldy Trail. It’s a 7-mile hike that joins West Baldy Trail near the summit, but there’s no need to tackle the whole thing. Stretch your legs for a mile or so along the East Baldy Trail where aspens blaze like soft torches lighting the way through long meadows.
SR 273 ends at the junction of SR 261, but follow the signs for another 3 miles to Big Lake. The 575-acre body of water is ringed with clusters of aspens, their golden reflection mirrored by the lake’s surface for an autumn scene you won’t soon forget.
Details: 928-333-6200, www.fs.usda.gov/asnf.