KEYHOLE SINK
Kaibab National Forest
In a peaceful alpine meadow framed by a wispy band of aspen trees, lies a “perfect storm” for hunting. From within the 40-foot-high, crescent-shaped granite fortress of Keyhole Sink, there is no easy escape route for the game animals that come to drink from the pools of water that collect at the base of the knobby cliffs. Ancient hunters played this to their advantage by simply perching on the escarpments above the water and waiting for their “dinner” to arrive. A frenzy of 1,000-year-old etchings on the vertical monolithic walls documents the stalkers’ conquests. Dense and cluttered, the rock art seems to vibrate with laughter and celebration. The ashen, stony walls chatter with images of deer, elk, bears, turtles and birds with a spattering of human forms applauding the triumphs of many very good days.
Highlights: Easy trail, hundreds of petroglyphs, interpretive signage.
Length: 2 miles round-trip
Rating: easy
Elevation range: 7,100’ – 7,000’
Driving distance from Phoenix: 180 miles one-way
Getting there: From Flagstaff, go west on I-40 to the “Parks” exit (#178). Connect with Historic Route 66 and go west (left) to the Oak Hill Snow Play Area on the left. The trailhead is located across the road from the parking lot at a signed gate.
Information: (928) 635-8200 or fs.fed.us/r3/kai
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KEYHOLE SINK
Kaibab National Forest
In a peaceful alpine meadow framed by a wispy band of aspen trees, lies a “perfect storm” for hunting. From within the 40-foot-high, crescent-shaped granite fortress of Keyhole Sink, there is no easy escape route for the game animals that come to drink from the pools of water that collect at the base of the knobby cliffs. Ancient hunters played this to their advantage by simply perching on the escarpments above the water and waiting for their “dinner” to arrive. A frenzy of 1,000-year-old etchings on the vertical monolithic walls documents the stalkers’ conquests. Dense and cluttered, the rock art seems to vibrate with laughter and celebration. The ashen, stony walls chatter with images of deer, elk, bears, turtles and birds with a spattering of human forms applauding the triumphs of many very good days.
Highlights: Easy trail, hundreds of petroglyphs, interpretive signage.
Length: 2 miles round-trip
Rating: easy
Elevation range: 7,100’ – 7,000’
Driving distance from Phoenix: 180 miles one-way
Getting there: From Flagstaff, go west on I-40 to the “Parks” exit (#178). Connect with Historic Route 66 and go west (left) to the Oak Hill Snow Play Area on the left. The trailhead is located across the road from the parking lot at a signed gate.
Information: (928) 635-8200 or fs.fed.us/r3/kai
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