SLATE MOUNTAIN

SLATE MOUNTAIN
Coconino National Forest

summit

Not actually made of slate, this hill is a laccolith, or a solidified heap of lava that pushed up the earth’s crust like a blister, but never broke the surface. Time has since eroded away the mountain’s top layers to expose the grayish-blue igneous rock called rhyolite, which early explorers mistook for “slate”. The moderate 5-mile round trip hike climbs 855 feet to the 8,215-foot summit.
LENGTH: 5 miles round trip
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 7,360 - 8,215 feet

GETTING THERE: From Flagstaff drive north on Highway 180 to Forest Road 191 between mileposts 242 and 243. Turn left (west) and continue on FR 191 for just under 2 miles to the signed turn off for the trailhead on the right.