Backpacking

Handy Trail References: Trails reference sheets with difficulty, length, elevations, and uses listed for each trail, organized by Ranger District:

See the main Coconino National Forest Recreation page for more information about the Ranger Districts.

Backpacking Areas

Flagstaff Ranger District
The Flagstaff Ranger District encompasses nearly 850,000 acres of National Forest lands around the Flagstaff area, from Mormon Lake and Anderson Mesa to north of the San Francisco Peaks. At 12,633 feet, the San Francisco Peaks is not only the dominant feature of the forest area we call the Volcanic Highlands, it's also the highest mountain in Arizona. Three of the summits that ring this dormant volcano's now quiet inner caldera are higher than any other mountain in the state.

This mountain is sacred to the native peoples that live in the area and its soaring profile set against a blue Arizona sky serves as a source of awe to contemporary residents and visitors. Views from the summit of the San Francisco Peaks stretch to the Grand Canyon's North Rim over eighty miles away. Hiking, sightseeing, wildlife watching and skiing are the predominant recreation activities enjoyed in this land of mountains, forests and lava flows.

Flagstaff Ranger District, extends from north of the Peaks to the south. This rolling highland is a land of ponderosa pine forests and pinyon/juniper woodlands clustered around broad prairies and small lakes. Arizona's largest natural lake, Mormon Lake, is located here. The area is also known for its plentiful wildlife. Large herds of elk roam the forests and edgelands. Bald eagles and ospreys live and hunt around the lakes. Pronghorn antelope graze the prairies.

Principal recreation activities among the lakes and prairies are boating, fishing, camping, and wildlife watching. The area also boasts some excellent cross-country skiing in good snow years.

Recreation Activities for the Flagstaff District:
More Information
- Road Status
- Forest Orders
Arizona Trail (Equestrian Bypass) No. 87C
Arizona Trail (Marshall Lake-Fisher Point) No.87
Arizona Trail Passage 34: San Francisco Peaks
Mogollon Rim Ranger District
The Mogollon Rim is a rugged escarpment that forms the southern limit of the Colorado Plateau. It extends across the entire forest and provides excellent views within Plateau Country and Desert Canyon Country as well. Dropping as much as 2,000 feet in some areas, the Rim provides some of the most far-reaching scenery in Arizona. Views stretch from its rocky precipice to Four Peaks of the Mazatzals northeast of Phoenix.

Needless to say, sightseeing is a favorite activity along the Rim, but this forest area also boasts a historic system of hiking and horseback trails, a couple of picturesque lakes for boating and fishing, and backcountry skiing for wilderness adventurers. The Mogollon Rim is home to Camp Colley, an outdoor adventure camp at Little Moqui, run by the City of Phoenix, Parks and Recreation.

The photo above (see larger view) was taken by Mark Hickcox, Civil Engineer Tech on the Mogollon Rim District, from the Hutch Mountain Lookout Tower in the summer of 2011. It is looking south-east toward Long Lake.

Recreation activities for the Mogollon Rim District:
More information
- Road Status
- Forest Orders
Arizona Trail Passage 27: Blue Ridge
Arizona Trail Passage 28: Happy Jack
Cabin Loop Trail System
- Cabin Loop Trail System
  
  The Cabin Loop Trail System is the link between the earliest fire guard cabin network in this area of the Mogollon Rim and has its roots in the beginning of the Forest Service era here. The trail was developed between the General Springs Cabin, Pinchot Cabin, and Buck Springs Fire Guard Station.
Administratively, the cabins were part of the Bly Ranger District, now the Blue Ridge Office of the Mogollon Rim Ranger District. The Bly Ranger District had a winter administrative headquarters at the Old Bly Ranger Station located about 10 miles north of the present Blue Ridge Office. The summer headquarters for the Bly District was the Blue Ridge cabin near Rock Crossing Campground. These two cabins are no longer in existence.

The trail passes through some of the most spectacular country in Arizona and you will encounter a variety of landforms, vegetative communities, and a number of springs and perennial water sources. It is important to remember that trails such as those that make up the Cabin Loop Trail System provide the only access to the country in the early days. These and other trails were used and maintained by early Forest Rangers, ranchers and settlers. Livestock was driven up the Rim from the Tonto Basin and grazed during the summer up on the Rim. Portions of the trails are still used by ranchers for moving livestock. Historic accounts tell us that the old timers who made and used the trails blazed them to a height of 6 or 7 feet so the trails could be followed even after a deep snow. Maintenance and repair of the old telephone line was a priority for the rangers each spring. Their accounts indicate that snow lasted late here and it wasn't uncommon for them to have a ride over 4 foot drifts during spring rounds.

The Forest Service is proud of our history and we hope that you will enjoy your "walk into the past".

Hover mouse cursor over photo to display slideshow controls.

Photos from this trail system [Flicker]
Barbershop Trail No. 91
Fred Haught Trail No. 141
Houston Brothers Trail No. 171
U-Bar Trail No. 28
Red Rock Ranger District
The colorful collection of buttes, pinnacles, mesas, and canyons surrounding Sedona is famous the world around for its red rock vistas. Over the years, this area has served as the setting of many western novels and movies and has been the subject of uncounted paintings, photographs, and other works of art. The remains of ancient wetlands, these crimson cliffs have been carved by the forces of the desert into one of nature's most magnificent masterpieces.

No matter what you do in Red Rock Country, you're always sightseeing. Ways to get even closer to all this scenery includes: hiking, horseback riding, taking a scenic drive, sliding down a natural waterslide, picnicking, camping, taking lots of photos and fishing in Oak Creek. The Red Rock District includes some 550,000 acres of magnificent splendor. Some areas require a pass to park, so be sure to check out the information about our Red Rock Pass Program.

Red Rock Recreation Guide [PDF]

Get the scoop on the Red Rock Ranger District!
Red Rock Country Area Map

Recreation activities for the Red Rock Ranger District shown in tables:
Fossil Creek
Destinations
- Fossil Creek
- Bob Bear Trail
- Flume Trail
- Waterfall Trail
- Fossil Springs Wilderness (area is unavailable)
- Other places to go
- Make Reservations
Fossil Creek, one of two "Wild and Scenic" rivers in Arizona, seems to appear out of nowhere, gushing 20,000 gallons a minute out of a series of springs at the bottom of a 1,600 foot deep canyon. Over the years these calcium laden waters have laid down huge deposits of a type of limestone called travertine. Read more...

View Fossil Creek & Fossil Springs Wilderness photo gallery [Flickr]

Permits Required April 1 to October 1

Spring-Summer Guide
April 1 - October 1
(PDF, 1.7 MB)

Mapa y guía de área de permisos de Fossil Creek (Español)
(PDF, 400 kB)

Fossil Springs Trailhead permits must be reserved as Bob Bear Trailhead as its name has changed.

Spring-Summer Season (April 1 - October 1): A reserved, printed permit is required. Reserve a spot at Recreation.gov for any of the parking areas in the Fossil Creek area. During the Spring-Summer Season, the Fossil Creek and Springs area is day use only. Camping, campfires, and glass containers are prohibited.

See Fossil Creek Reservation System Information!

For current conditions, call
Fossil Creek Hotline 928-226-4611
Bob Bear (formerly Fossil Springs) Trail-No. 18
Flume Trail No. 154 to Fossil Creek Dam
Mail Trail No. 84
Loy Canyon Trail No. 5
Mooney Trail No. 12
Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness
Wet Beaver Creek
This clear, cool brook remains pleasantly secluded in the deep red rock canyon it has cut into the southern rim of the Colorado Plateau. For much of its length, the land bordering Wet Beaver Creek has been declared a Wilderness Area, the Wet Beaver Wilderness. In addition to the opportunities for solitude such an area offers, the stream's pools and riffles are a popular place to fish, hike, swim, and bird watch. The waters of the stream are stocked with trout. The lush riparian area beside its banks is alive with a full palette of songbirds. The desert beyond that oasis bristles with the highly adapted plants of the upper Sonoran Desert.
Sycamore Canyon Wilderness
View photos on Flickr

Sycamore Canyon Wilderness encompasses the second largest canyon in Arizona’s red rock country and was designated a wilderness area in 1972. A lesser known, but equally scenic, cousin of Oak Creek Canyon, Sycamore Canyon Wilderness contains more than 50,000 acres of colorful cliffs, soaring pinnacles, and one of the world's rarest habitats, a desert riparian area.

Managed by four separate ranger districts of three different National Forests, this wilderness has plenty to offer. Wildlife viewers will enjoy trying to spy black bears, mountain lions, ringtail cats, and javelina, along with enjoying the singing of canyon wrens and hermit thrushes. Hikers and backpackers have a choice of 15 trails to explore. Try to find the picturesque lair of another of the canyon's historic residents, the American cowboy, on Taylor Cabin Trail. The Sycamore Rim Trail (Kaibab National Forest) skirts the canyon's upper reaches through an area of secluded pools and tall forests, while Parson’s Trail meanders up a fertile desert riparian area, a habitat as rare as it is productive.

Wilderness areas are rare, wild places set aside by Congress where the land is allowed to retain its natural state, serving as a natural haven for humans to escape modern civilization and for nature to be itself. To help minimize human impacts in wilderness and maintain its character, several laws and regulations have been put in place and we ask visitors practice “Leave No Trace Ethics.”

Attractions: Wilderness solitude, trails for hiking and horseback riding, red rocks, pinnacles, buttes and arches, photography & wildlife viewing, swimming, and fishing, history (Native American ruins, historic cabins).

Trails in the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness
Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Northeast Trail System
View photos on Flickr

Sycamore Canyon is the second largest canyon is Arizona and offers hikers plenty of solitude and natural beauty. Sycamore Canyon Wilderness was Arizona's first Wilderness Area, designated in 1972. The trails in the upper part of the canyon are accessed from Flagstaff, Arizona, and are mainly at higher elevations, primarily in forests of pine, oak, and juniper. The canyon is marked by colorful cliffs, soaring pinnacles, and desert riparian areas. It is home to black bear and mountain lions, as well as many other creatures. The Wilderness falls within the Prescott, Kaibab, and Coconino National Forests. The Coconino National Forest manages the canyon on the east side of Sycamore Creek.

Sycamore Canyon can be very hot and dry during the summer months. There are several springs located near the northeastern Wilderness trails which normally have water year round, but hikers should not depend on this water being available. All ground water should always be treated or filtered. There is plenty of shade along all of the trails as you descend into Sycamore Canyon through a thick forest of ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, and juniper trees. The lower part of Winter Cabin Trail and part of Kelsey Trail takes you through chaparral type vegetation which offers spectacular views of Sycamore Canyon.

The Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Northeast Trail System within the Flagstaff Ranger District consists of five trails with a combined mileage of 11.3 miles with the longest trail being 5.6 miles. These trails include:
Each trail is suitable for day hikes or longer overnight loop hikes. Winter Cabin joins up with Sycamore Basin Trail on the Prescott National Forest. Visit the Prescott National Forest Sycamore Canyon Wilderness page for additional information about trails on the western side of Sycamore Creek.

The Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Southeast Trails are on the Red Rock Ranger District.
Dorsey Spring Trail No. 7
Hog Hill Trail No. 70
Kelsey Trail No. 3
Little L.O. Trail No. 6
Winter Cabin Trail No. 70
Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Southeast Trails
Sycamore Canyon is the second largest canyon is Arizona and offers hikers plenty of solitude and natural beauty. Sycamore Canyon Wilderness was Arizona's first Wilderness Area, designated in 1972. The canyon is marked by colorful cliffs, soaring pinnacles, and desert riparian areas. It is home to black bear and mountain lions, as well as many other creatures. The Wilderness falls within the Prescott, Kaibab, and Coconino National Forests. The Coconino National Forest manages the canyon on the east side of Sycamore Creek.

Sycamore Canyon can be very hot and dry during the summer months. Most of the trails in the lower part of the Wilderness do not have reliable water sources. All ground water should always be treated or filtered.

Wilderness areas are rare, wild places set aside by Congress where the land is allowed to retain its natural state, serving as a natural haven for humans to escape modern civilization and for nature to be itself. To help minimize human impacts in wilderness and maintain its character, several laws and regulations have been put in place and we ask that visitors practice Leave No Trace Ethics.

The Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Southeast Trail System on the Red Rock Ranger District consists of three trails. These trails include:
Taylor Cabin Trail and Dogie Trail join up with Sycamore Basin Trail on the Prescott National Forest. Visit the Prescott National Forest Sycamore Canyon Wilderness page for additional information about trails on the western side of Sycamore Creek.

The Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Northeastern Trail System is on Flagstaff Ranger District. These trails are accessed from Flagstaff, Arizona, and are mainly at higher elevations, primarily in forests of ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, and juniper.
Dogie Trail No. 116
Parsons Trail No. 144
Taylor Cabin Trail No. 35