Broadside Trail

BROADSIDE TRAIL

Mixed conifer forest on Broadside Trail

Moody Blue.  Don’t look for it on the color wheel, fashion catwalks or in the prog rock song book.  It’s a color buried so deep in the visible light spectrum it defies description.

A tree shaded meadow on the Broadside Trail

It shows up in nature in the underside of storm clouds, inside a faded lupine bloom, imbedded in fir needles and within the fine grains of volcanic rock.
It’s an icy color with a bitter sting.  It smells of pine sap and mint---not the sweet culinary kind---but the rude, wild stuff that grows around forest water holes. Rather than a one-note visual, Moody Blue is a whole-body experience.  On cloudy summer days, it’s abundant on the Broadside Trail. One of the newer additions to Flagstaff’s Mount Elden-Dry Lake Hills (MEDL) Trail System, the Broadside Trail flows through cool woodlands in a pocket of foothills between the San Francisco Peaks and Mount Elden.  The 3.4-mile fresh cut route joins old standards Sunset and Brookbank trails for a shady trek in Coconino National Forest.

Moody blue in the clouds

The close-to-town MEDL system has been popular with non-motorized trail users since its debut in 1987. In addition to its ever-expanding menu of new stacked loop trails, the area also shares space with the Arizona National Scenic Trail and the Flagstaff Loop Trail.

The Broadside Trail opened in 2023, but until August 16, 2024, when Schultz Pass Road and Elden Springs Road were reopened following post-fire restorations, getting to it required hiking on long connecting trails.  With drive up options to the Sunset and Schultz Tank trailheads restored, hikers now have direct access. 

New MEDL trails are well signed

The MEDL area has survived numerous disasters.  Scorched by the 1977 Radio Fire, 2010 Schultz Fire, 2019 Museum Fire and most recently by the 2022 Pipeline Fire, the corrugated landscape is being rehabilitated with forest clearings, flood control projects, new sustainable trail alignments and the elimination and/or adoption of social trails for better overall environmental health and public safety.  

Contributors to the trail planning, design and constructions are U.S. Forest Service Flagstaff Ranger District, American Conservation Experience, Arizona Conservation Corps, Flagline Trails, and many volunteer hours and funding efforts from Flagstaff Biking Organization.

Slash piles from forest restoration work

 

Richardson's geranium blooms April - October

The results are breathtaking.  New signage mitigates the formerly confusing and disruptive maze of unauthorized paths.  Beautiful singletracks follow the natural contours of the land as they meander through diverse eco zones that rise from pinion-juniper woodlands where tiny cacti huddle among boulders to aspen glens and high elevation fir-spruce forests. 

Sunny meadow on the Broadside Trail

All in just a few miles of switchback-mitigated climbing.

The Broadside Trail starts high in the hills around Schultz Tank. 

Clouds build over the San Francisco Peaks

At the Sunset Trailhead, snap a photo of the trail map to use for your return route options. Broadside immediately enters fragrant pine-shaded foothills, staying flat and easy for its first mile.  

Broadside begins at the Sunset trailhead

The trail ascends to its high point on long switchbacks that ease the climb and maximize scenic views.  Glimpses of fire-singed foothills and the San Francisco Peaks are visible where thick tree cover is disrupted by alpine meadows rife with colorful lupine, wild geranium and thistles.  

Purple locoweed blooms June - September

During summer monsoon season, clouds gathering over the peaks is a near daily occurrence. Near the top of Broadside Trail, where it meets connecting routes Full Sail and Sunset, look for Moody Blue in the sky and underfoot. 

Trailhead map kiosk shows loop options

How will you know when you’ve spotted it? Well, when attempting to describe color in the natural world, words are often inadequate. Ridiculous, really. 

Words do not suffice...

Paint might do better. Moody Blue is a made-up name for the mutable shade that might include a mix of ultramarine, cobalt, burnt umber, vermillion and gold all grayed down with a dab of titanium white.  Who knows?  Writing dances around the visible outer crust. Painting exposes the soul.  This trail and its signature blue needs some paint.

Lupine bloom June - October

LENGTH: 3.24 miles one way or 5.1-mile loop using Sunset Trail or 6.6-mile loop using Full Sail.

RATING:  moderate

ELEVATION: 8,108 – 8,800 feet

GETTING THERE:

Sunset Trailhead

In Flagstaff, go north on U.S. 180 to Schultz Pass Road, turn right and continue 5.4 miles to the Sunset trailhead on the right.  Schultz Pass Road is maintained gravel/dirt suitable for most vehicles. Schultz Pass Road reopened August 16, 2024, following repair work needed after  the 2022 Pipeline Fire.  No facilities.

INFO:

Coconino National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/recarea/?recid=84557&actid=50

 

Table Top-Airport Loop

TABLE TOP-AIRPORT LOOP

Pyramid and Bradshaw Mountains from Airport Loop

Great Red Rock Country views take flight on this Sedona urban trail circuit.  Also, aircraft take flight from the prominent mesa that acts as the hub of the loop hike.

Englemann's prickly pear cacti in Airport Loop

A riff on the urban trail systems weaving among Sedona’s suburbs and strip malls, this one ramps it up a notch with a swing around Table Top Mountain (a.k.a. Airport Mesa).

View of Bear and Doe Mountains from Table Top Trail

The Airport Loop Trail has been a staple outing for visitors to the Sedona Airport and hikers in search of a close-to-town route with panoramic vistas and just moderate challenge.  While the traditional access point is a parking lot near the airport, several other trailheads provide backdoor options.

Cathedral Rock seen from Table Top Trail

Once such alternative uses a mini interpretive trail in Sunset Park as a launch pad.

Looking east on Airport Loop

The 0.10-mile Lollipop Trail takes off from the parking area of the 7.46-acre park that packs picnic ramadas, shaded playgrounds, sports courts and a seasonal kiddie splash pad into its grassy, pocket-sized space. The left leg of the loop leads hikers to a road crossing where the Sunset Trail picks up on the opposite side.

Aircraft takes off from the Sedona airport

The 0.4-mile connector trail makes a mild uphill climb, leaving Sedona city limits and entering Coconino National Forest. At the Sunset-Airport Loop junction, it’s best to veer left and take on the ascent to the highpoint early in the hike.

Table Top land form seen from Airport Loop junction

The edgy uphill segment gradually unpacks classic Red Rock County vistas. First teasing with peeks at iconic Capitol Butte (a.k.a. Thunder Mountain) and Coffeepot Rock before rolling out the showstoppers. It’s only a 400-foot ascent, but views gain in scope with each yard gained. 

Snow on the Bradshaw Mountains 2-17-23

In less than a mile, the route rounds a bend over Carroll Canyon where see-forever looks stretch to the northwest where the elongated profile of the Bradshaw Mountains rise above more classic Sedona landforms including the Cockscomb and the Pyramid. 

Hike begins in Sedona's Sunset Park

This penultimate scene sets the stage for the main attraction---an up-close encounter with Airport Mesa. The high-elevation, non-towered airport (KSEZ) sits at 4,830.5 feet and was opened in 1955.  Its 5,130-foot runways and 50’x50’ helipad serve small aircraft, executive jets, and air tour services.  The compact mesa-top site is busiest on the weekends hosting about 96 daily aviation operations.  The best chance of being buzzed happens on the Table Top Trail that peels off the loop’s southwest side. The 0.4-mile side trip ascends an ancillary mesa that juts out below the end of the airport runway. 

Cockscomb formation with Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness in background

Along with the intermittent air shows, the trail offers aerial views of Courthouse Rock, Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock that hover above the winding course of Oak Creek.

Yucca, agave and prickly pear cacti line the path as it works its way toward the nose of the isolated land jetty.  A slim footpath circles the scenic lookout point serving up some of the most spectacular 360-degree visual overviews of Sedona that do not require a long, difficult trek to attain. The loop then continues along the southeast flanks of Airport Mesa for more deep looks at Oak Creek and juniper fleeced canyonlands before circling back to the start point along Sedona’s urban-forest interface.

Courthouse Butte, Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock seen from Table Top

 

LENGTH: 5.1 miles

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 4,317 – 4,719 feet

GETTING THERE:

Sunset Park:  655 Sunset Drive, Sedona.

From the State Route 179/89A traffic circle in Sedona, go 1.9 miles west on 89A (toward Cottonwood) to Sunset Drive. Turn left and continue less than a mile to Sunset Park on the right. Hike begins at the Lollipop Trail near the first parking spaces.  

Park hours are dawn to dusk daily. No fees.

INFO:

Coconino National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=71905

OLDHAM TRAILS

OLDHAM TRAILS

Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff

Orange paint marks tress to save during 4FRI (Okay Orange)

The heat is on and with it comes the annual migration of Valley hikers to the cool forests of Northern Arizona. While trekking along high country trails, you might encounter trees bearing orange or blue paint blazes. These colorful codes are part of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), a planned 20-year effort to restore fire-adapted ecosystems in Kaibab, Coconino, Apache-Sitgreaves and Tonto National Forests through hand thinning, logging and prescribed burns.

Orange paint designates trees that will not be cut (and may also indicate treatment area boundaries) while blue marks those to be removed. An easy way to remember this: Okay Orange, Bye Bye Blue.

Scars of the 2010 Schultz Fire

Many Arizona forests are rife with unhealthy, tinderbox conditions. The major goals of 4FRI are to reduce fuels that contribute to unnaturally catastrophic wildfires, protect watershed resources, increase plant diversity and preserve wildlife habitats. The project is currently active in Flagstaff's Dry Lake Hills area. You can observe some of the prep work by taking a hike on the Oldham Trails. The tour begins in Buffalo Park with an easy half-mile walk north to the Lower Oldham/Arizona Trail junction. From here, follow the Arizona Trail signs.

Blue means cut. (ByeBye Blue)

Numerous, unmarked secondary trails run through the area and can be confusing. Oldham Trail runs to the east, nearest the mountain, but if you miss it, no worries---just keep heading north and you'll end up on Elden Mountain Road roughly 2.5 miles north of the park. Along the way, stop and contemplate the woodlands and see if you can figure out the logic behind the save/cut markings on the Ponderosa pine trees. Once on the road, signage improves and you can continue on to Upper Oldham or any of the Dry Lake Hills system trails. To keep with the theme of forest health, hike Upper Oldham Trail to Sunset Trail, turn right and walk 1.3 miles across a barren ridgeline to the summit of Mount Elden. Here, the devastation caused by the 2010 Shultz Fire is clearly visible on the mountain's flanks. This is exactly the kind of disaster the 4RFI is trying to prevent.

Logging activities in treatment areas may cause temporary trail closures, so be sure to check the forest service website before heading out.

Upper Oldham Trail

LENGTH:

All distances include the 0.5-mile park access trail.

Lower (Easy) Oldham: 2.5 miles one-way to Mt. Elden Road

Oldham #1: 3.2 miles one-way to Mt. Elden Road

Upper Oldham: 5.3 miles one-way

To Mount Elden: 6.6 miles one-way

RATING: easy - difficult

ELEVATION:

Lower Oldham: 7,040' - 7,380'

Oldham #1: 7,040' - 7,590'

Upper Oldham: 7,040' - 8,920'

Sunset Trail to Mount Elden: 8,920' - 9,299'

GETTING THERE:

From Route 66 in Flagstaff, go 0.6 mile north on Humphreys St. to Fort Valley Road (US180). Turn left and continue 0.3 mile to Forest Ave., turn right and continue 1 mile to the stop light at Gemini Drive. Turn left and follow the signs to Buffalo Park.

INFO: Coconino National Forest

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=55138&actid=50

INFO:

Four Forest Restoration Initiative

http://www.4fri.org/

The back way up Mount Elden

MOUNT ELDEN via UPPER OLDHAM TRAIL

Flagstaff

Heading out on the "catwalk"

Final approach to Mount Elden

There's more than one way to tackle Mount Elden.  The most popular route begins off US89 in east Flagstaff and climbs 2300 feet in a short, steep 3 miles.  This way is great for a thigh-burning workout, but also earns a pox upon its ambience due to its proximity to two major highways and views dominated by industrial complexes.  However, the west side of the mountain holds an alternative route that's less steep, better shaded and cloistered in woodland vistas stretching all the way to Williams. Except for the occasional car on adjacent FR557, there's nary a hint of civilization on the west route until it crests on the Sunset trail.  Here, the hike lands on a scenic saddle overlooking the railways and warehouses of east Flagstaff, then heads south up to Mount Elden.  This short path is a beautiful trek sandwiched between pine-fir forests on the right and steep drop offs on the left.  Soon after passing through a dense stand of young aspens, the trail leaves the woods to  teeter on a barren, knife-edge ridgeline scarred by the 1977 Radio Fire.  Depending on your point of view, this open-to-the-sky, catwalk-like segment is either profoundly gorgeous or viscerally depressing. Fire damage notwithstanding, the terrain is very interesting---massive lava boulders, juvenile aspens and blooming shrubs lend an air of resurgence to the otherwise bald tread.    Charred snags bleached grey by years of harsh weather coat the slopes like toppled matchsticks and a few remaining upright torched trunks stand sentry above a volcano-studded landscape.  Sunset Crater, Strawberry Crater, O'Leary Peak and the Bonito Lava flow are all visible from the exposed path that feels as if the patches of clumpy grasses and wild roses growing on its margins serve as the glue that keeps it from slumping into oblivion.  Also, the damage done by the June 2010 Schultz Fire is visible to the north.  After passing the wildfire vistas, the catwalk meets FR577 for the final slog to the microwave-and-cellular-tower-cluttered summit with a fire lookout and 360-degree views.

HIKE DIRECTIONS FOR WEST APPROACH AS DESCRIBED HERE:

From the Lower Oldham-Rocky Ridge trailhead, hike 0.2 mile north to the turn off for the Brookbank trail.  Veer right here on an unsigned path and hike 0.5 mile to the Upper Oldham trail junction.  Follow Upper Oldham 1.5 miles, cross FR557, and pick up Sunset trail.  At the sign for Sunset-Schultz Tank-Elden, go right and hike 1 mile to the summit of Elden Mountain.

View from Upper Oldham Trail

LENGTH: 6.4 miles roundtrip

ELEVATION: 7,380'- 9,300'

RATING: moderate

BEST SEASON: April - October

DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 147 miles one way

GETTING THERE:

West approach trailhead:

From Flagstaff, travel north on US180 to Shultz Pass Road (FR420) at milepost 218.6.

Turn right and go 0.5 mile, veer right onto Elden Lookout Road (FR557) and continue roughly 2.5 miles to the signed Lower Oldham-Rocky Ridge trailhead on the right. FR557 is maintained dirt, passable by sedan. NOTE: to shorten the hike, drive another mile up FR557 to the Upper Oldham trailhead where there's parking on the left across the road from the trail sign.

East approach trailhead:

From Flagstaff, travel east on US89 to just past the Flagstaff Mall at milepost 419.5. Turn at the Mt. Elden Trailhead sign.

INFO: Flagstaff Ranger District, Coconino National Forest, 928-526-0866

MORE PHOTOS:

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SUNSET-LITTLE BEAR-LITTLE ELDEN LOOP

SUNSET-LITTLE BEAR-LITTLE ELDEN LOOP Coconino National Forest UPDATE: As of Oct 20, 2016, Little Bear Trail is BACK OPEN. The trail had been closed for 6 years due to damage from the June 2010 Schultz Fire.
Because there are so many fine trails in Flagstaff’s Dry Lake Hills, deciding which to hike can be difficult. This “three-fer” loop hike solves the dilemma. Combining a trio of crowd-pleasing trails, this route swings around high altitude hillsides in lazy-Susan-style for a smorgasbord of sights and varying levels of difficulty. Each trail embodies a unique collection of sweet spots and curiosities. Little Bear, one of the newest trails in the area, is a narrow cut on a steep slope wandering among fir forests, crumbing bluffs and stone escarpments overlooking Sunset Crater and the Painted Desert. Sunset Trail showcases glimpses of the San Francisco Peaks as it makes a substantial climb through mixed pine-oak forests and fragrant alpine meadows. Little Elden-- the easiest segment—heads northwest through fern-laden foothills and stands of spruce trees to complete the loop. HIKE DIRECTIONS: The hike begins on the Sunset Trail with a 1.6-mile uphill climb to the Little Bear Junction. Turn left (northeast) and head 3.5 miles downhill on Little Bear to the Little Elden junction. Go left (northwest) and hike 1.7 miles back to the trailhead. HIGHLIGHTS: undulating route with lots of variety LENGTH: 6.8 miles roundtrip ELEVATION: 7,200-9,000 feet RATING: difficult DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 155 miles one-way GETTING THERE: From Flagstaff, go north on US 180 to Shultz Pass Road (Forest Road 420) at milepost 218.6. Turn right and continue 5 miles on FR 420 to the Sunset Trailhead on the right. INFORMATION: Peaks Ranger District (928) 526-0866, www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/little-bear-tr.shtml

SUNSET TRAIL

SUNSET TRAIL Coconino National Forest There are a hell of a lot of mushrooms growing in the forests surrounding the San Francisco Peaks. Not the ordinary cream-colored buttons and portabellas available on grocers' shelves, but huge, showy parasites. Neither plant nor animal, mushrooms make a living off the decaying remains of, well, plants and animals. Kingdom Fungi pesters humankind with such maladies as athletes' foot and ringworm and then earns redemption through bread and beer. The shadow of the Dry Lake Hills provides a spore-friendly environment and in summertime, the meadows and forests of the Sunset Trail are in full "schroom". The fungi show provides a convenient distraction from the affects of thin air. Starting at 8,000 feet and climbing to 9,274 feet the high-altitude trail passes through a burned area where young conifers and aspens grow vigorously among the charred old growth and little white caps thrive on wood corpses. Once past the destruction, the trail weaves through pines and brilliant meadows teeming with yarrow, daisies, snakeweed, beardtongue, lupine and thistle. The Sunset Trail is not a particularly long or demanding hike. The beauty of this trek lies in the many details along the way: forests, mountains, resurgent life, and the mushrooms that sprout from the dead. LENGTH: 4 miles one-way RATING: Easy ELEVATION: 8,000- 9,274 feet DISTANCE FROM PHOENIX: 155 miles GETTING THERE: From Flagstaff, drive north on Highway 180 to Shultz Pass Road (FR 420). Turn right onto Shultz Pass Road and continue 5.3 miles to the Sunset Trailhead. INFORMATION: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/peaks/sunset-tr.shtml