Welcome to Volcanic Highlands

At 12,643 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.

Back-country permits are required in the winter for the Kachina Peaks Wilderness. They can be obtained (no charge) from the Peaks/Mormon Lake Ranger Districts from 8:00 to 4:30, Monday through Friday and they are available at Snowbowl when they are open at the Agassiz Lodge between 9:00 am and 11:00 am on Saturday and Sunday. For avalanche information please visit the Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center's website at www.kachinapeaks.org.

Dispersed Camping along Freidlein Prairie Road: To help prevent unacceptable resource damage, disturbance to wildlife and reduce fire risk from dispersed camping, the Forest Service has designated 14 campsites along the Freidlein Prairie road for dispersed camping. More info...

Campgrounds	Fees	Reservations	# of sites	Other Info
Bonito Campground	$16.00 per night. Extra vehicle fee $8.00	No Reservations - Only first-come, first-served	44 single unit sites	Open May 2 through October 13, 2008
Little Elden Springs Horse Camp	$16.00 per night. Extra vehicle fee $8.00	10 reservable sites; 5 first-come, first-served sites This campground is designated ONLY for people with horses.	15 pull-through sites	Open May 2 through October 13, 2008
Lockett Meadow Campground	$10.00 per night per site. Extra vehicle fee $5.00	No Reservations - Only first-come, first-served	17 single unit sites	Open May 16 through October 13, 2008
O'Leary Group Campground	East Loop $80 - max. 50 people North Loop $80 - max. 50 people West Loop $100.00 - max. 75 people	Reservations required for Group sites. Call 1-877-444-6777 or visit the Web Site at www.recreation.gov	3 group sites	Open May 2 through October 13, 2008

All of the trail distances listed on our website are one way distances with the exception of loops which are indicated as such.

Trails	Difficulty	Length	Trailhead Elevation	Elevation Gain/Loss	Uses
Abineau/Bear Jaw Trails, #127/#26	Strenuous	6.0 mile loop	8,500 feet	2000 feet
Arizona Trail (Equestrian Bypass) #87	Moderate	9.0 miles	6,750 feet	500 feet
Brookbank Trail #2	Moderate	2.5 miles	7,900 feet	1,000 feet
Campbell Mesa Trail	Moderate	11.3 miles	6,723 feet	157 feet
Deer Hill Trail #99	Easy	5.0 miles	7,180 feet	100 feet
Doney Trail #39	Easy	0.5 miles	5300 feet	200 feet
Elden Lookout Trail #4	Strenuous	3.0 miles	6,900 feet	2,400 feet
Fatmans Loop Trail #25	Easy	2.0 miles	6,900 feet	600 feet
Fort Valley Trail System	Moderate	6.7 miles	7300 feet	180 feet
Heart Trail #103	Strenuous	2.0 miles	7,200 feet	1,300 feet
Humphreys Trail #151	Strenuous	4.5 miles	9300 feet	3350 feet
Inner Basin Trail #29	Moderate	2.0 miles	8,800 feet	1,400 feet
Kachina Trail #150	Moderate	5.0 miles	9,500 feet	700 feet
Kendrick Park Watchable Wildlife Trail	Easy	.25 miles 1.5 miles	7,900 feet
Little Bear Trail #112	Moderate	3.5 miles	7,620 feet	1080 feet
Little Elden Trail #69	Easy	4.7 miles	7,200 feet	600 feet
Old Caves Crater Trail	Moderate	1.2 miles	6,753 feet	430 feet
Oldham Trail #1	Moderate	5.5 miles	7,000 feet	2,000 feet
O'Leary Trail	Strenuous	7.0 miles	6,952 feet	1,986 feet
Pipeline Trail #42	Easy	2.8 miles	7,100 feet	100 feet
Red Mountain Trail #159	Easy
Rocky Ridge Trail #153	Easy	2.2 miles	7,100 feet	100 feet
Sandy Seep Trail	Moderate	1.5 miles	6,875 feet	350 feet
Schultz Creek Trail #152	Easy	3.5 miles	7,200 feet	600 feet
Slate Mountain Trail #128	Moderate	2.4 miles	8,360 feet	850 feet
Sunset Trail #23	Easy	4.0 miles	8,000 feet	1,275 feet
Sycamore Canyon Trail System	Moderate to Strenuous	11.3 miles	6,800 feet	2,000 feet
Waterline Trail	Easy	14.0 miles	8,000 feet	2,400 feet
Weatherford Trail #102	Moderate to Strenuous	8.7 miles	8,800 feet	3,200 feet

Wilderness	Size	Highlights
Kachina Peaks Wilderness	18,960 acres	Hiking and Horseback Trails, Mountain Scenery, Wildlife, Fall Colors (Aspens)
Kendrick Mountain Wilderness	6,510 acres	Hiking, Volcanoes and Lava Flows, Great Views
Strawberry Crater Wilderness	10,141 acres	Hiking, Volcanoes and Lava Flows, Historic Sites, Great Views

Winter Activities	Fees	Facilities
Flagstaff Winter Recreation Guide, 2007-2008 Flagstaff Area Winter Recreation Map		This 18 page brouchure (2.34MB .pdf file) produced by the Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau outlining winter recreation in much of northern Arizona. This is a Flagstaff Area Map (114kb .pdf) courtesy of the Flagstaff Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
Winter Recreational Opportunities	Yes, some places	See below Please refer to "Current Conditions" for road and snow
Flagstaff Nordic Center	Yes, Trail Pass	Groomed Trails, Day Lodge, Rest Rooms, Snack Bar, C-X Ski/ Snow Shoe Rentals, Ski School
Snowbowl Ski Area	Yes, Ski pass	Chair Lifts, Day Lodges, Rest Rooms, Restaurant/Bar, Ski Rentals, Ski School
Peakview	No fee	Restrooms, picnic table, paved parking
Wing Mountain Winter Recreation	$10 for Parking at Wing Mountain Pit	X-C skiing, Snowshoeing, Snow play, Great View of SF Peaks
Kendrick Snowmobile Trail System	No Fees	Signed Trailes and Parking Areas

Special Activities	Highlights
Elden Pueblo	Archaelogical Site, Public "Dig" Days, Public Courses	Events: April to September
Lava River Cave	Hiking in the Lava Tube, Scenic Drive, Wildlife	All Access Roads to the cave are CLOSED in Winter. Lava River Cave will be closed to all motorized access including ATV's when winter's wet weather arrives. Snowmobile, cross-country skiing, snow showing, horseback riding, etc., permitted.
Snowbowl Summer Skyride	Scenic Views, Alpine Environment, Hiking, Fall Colors	Memorial Day weekend through October fall colors season
Cinder Hills OHV Area	Off-highway driving, Camping, Sightseeing.	Spring through Fall

Cabin Rentals	"Rooms With A View"	Season
Kendrick Cabin	Kendrick Cabin is a retired U. S. Forest Service Fire Guard Station built in the 1960's. While it was in service, firefighters lived here during the fire season.	May through mid-November
Fernow Cabin	This rustic 3-bedroom log cabin is located in a beautiful ponderosa pine setting on the Mogollon Rim.	May through mid-November