Route 66 Ghost Roads Convergence

Route 66 Ghost Roads Convergence

A spring house on the Route 66 Ghost Road trail

Historic Route 66 embodies a uniquely American sort of inertia: constantly changing, evolving and adapting to innovations while respecting its roots.

The Mother Road that ran for 2,448 miles between Chicago and Los Angeles is no longer the arterial travel corridor is was from the 1920s to the 1960s, but its legacy has been curated in stretches of drive-able pavement and backwoods “ghost roads” accessible only by way of bike or foot travel.

In Northern Arizona, the iconic road was re-routed several times before being replaced by Interstate 40. Today, bits and pieces of the decommissioned road have been repurposed into scenic driving tours, bike trails and walking paths that preserve its heritage and crumbing imprints on the landscape.  One interesting location to explore on foot is where remnants of the road’s 1921, 1931 and 1941 alignments converge north of Interstate 40 in the tiny community of Parks.

Three alignments of Route 66 meet at this point on the trail.

Hiding in plain sight along a motorized stretch of Old Route 66 about halfway between Flagstaff and Williams, in Kaibab National Forest, a dusty pullout and information kiosk mark the beginning of an easy stroll at the juncture of three ghost roads.

Plants take root in the abandoned 1931 alignment of Rt. 66

Located not far from the Pines General Store Deli & Café and postal annex that’s been around since 1906, the who-knew trailhead surrounded by a fading log-pole fence directs hikers onto a mile-long segment of the 1931 alignment--the northernmost vestige on the hike. 

Trailhead sign shows the evolution of Route 66 near Parks.

A few yards to the south, the 1921 alignment is a barely-there dirt two-track that’s slowing being reclaimed by the forest. South of the vanishing dirt passage, cars whiz by on paved Old Route 66 (1941- 1964) while the hum of vehicles on Interstate 40 betray the location of the freeway that diluted Route 66’s status as a major thoroughfare and gateway to the Southwest down to a recreational curiosity.

The ghostly footprint of the 1921 alignment of Route 66

The 1931 road-turned-hiking-trail makes a straight shot through pine-oak forests and weedy meadows.  

Calliopsis grown in drainages along the trail.

At the start of the hike, part of the road appears to have been bulldozed away.

A decommissioned segment of Rt. 66 is now a hiking trail.

Piles of broken concrete along the north edge of the route soon give way to patches of intact pavement in varying degrees of decay. Underfoot, the remains of the road include a montage of blacktop, concrete and a pinkish pebble conglomerate that hint at the challenges of Depression-era road maintenance.

A Depression-era culvert spans a drainage on the trail.

 

The route passes through pine-oak woodlands in Kaibab NF.

About a quarter-mile in, a culvert bearing the clean lines and subdued edges typical of 1930s design spans a drainage area replete with wildflowers.

Gate at trail's end.

Beyond that, near where a wall of basalt bolsters the road’s edge, there’s a stone spring house that had been used as part of a defunct forest service camp. 

The trailhead is in a pullout on the 1941 alignment of Rt.66

A few steps past the spring house, the trail passes a wooden gate where a pair of culverts--one from 1931 and the other from 1941—mark the merger point of the three ghost roads that are the fading predecessors of the modern-day interstate highway system.

An old forest service camp spring house along the trail.

Yellow sweet clover grows along the edge of the trail.

The 1931 alignment is composed of various materials

LENGTH: 2 miles out-and-back

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 7,015 - 7,171 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 40 about 13 miles west of Flagstaff, take the Parks exit 178 and go 0.4-mile north to Old Route 66. Turn right and continue 0.4-mile to the trailhead on the left.

INFO: Kaibab National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kaibab/recreation/scenicdrivinginfo/recarea/?recid=80822&actid=105
Route 66 Association of Arizona
https://www.historic66az.com/

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SUNFLOWER FLAT & J.D. CABIN EXPLORATION

SUNFLOWER FLAT & J.D. CABIN EXPLORATION

Kaibab National Forest

J.D. Cabin site on the Kaibab National Forest

Literature is rife with tales of creatures both real and imaginary. Books like J. K. Rowling’s "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" and the 1963 classic "Where the Wild Things Are" by Maurice Sendak introduce readers to magical places and whimsical creatures. These fanciful tales might inspire you to explore the equally enchanting real-life critters and locations of Arizona. There’s an easy way to indulge your curiosity and step back in history along the dirt roads and prairies southeast of Williams.  This two-part outing begins at Sunflower Flat Wildlife Area. Situated in a high-country wet meadow surrounded by mountain peaks of Kaibab National Forest, the site is unique in that its condition varies with rainfall, and visiting wildlife responds accordingly. When there’s lots of rain, the 160-acre Arizona Game & Fish property is a shallow lake that plays host to myriad waterfowl and shorebirds like ruddy ducks and mallards.

Many varieties of sunflowers bloom in the marshes

As the water wanes, look for cinnamon teals, herons and northern shovelers poking around in the marsh. Even during the driest times, residual puddles and reflecting ponds draw hawks, elk, pronghorn, black bears and deer and there are always plenty of frogs, lizards and gartersnakes enjoying muddy bogs. Exploring this ephemeral wetland begins at an information kiosk where you can learn about the site and its special place in the landscape. Because the objective of this peaceful enclave is to protect and enhance wildlife habitats, please read and respect the trailhead sign that has tips about how to view the local fauna responsibly.  Spot any bald eagle nests along the way? The majestic birds nest here in winter. Also, look for areas where tall grasses have been flattened into circular beds. These are animal wallows--places where elk, deer and other beasts sleep and rest.

Bill Williams Mountain over Sunflower Flat

The hike follows the perimeter fence and takes roughly two hours.

A favorite spot for waterfowl at Sunflower Flat

Sitgreaves Mountain & the San Francisco Peaks on horizon

Corral at the J.D. Cabin site

The second destination is the J.D. Cabin and grave site. To get there, hike back up the wildlife area access road, turn left and follow the road 0.7-mile to a turnoff on the right marked "no camping here". This is the historic homestead of James Douglas. An array of rustic buildings with metal-roofs and rough-hewn log construction is remarkably well preserved and gives an idea of what life on the prairie must have been like back in the 19^th century. A walk around the deteriorating bunkhouse, cabin, corrals and crumbling foundations takes about an hour.  Ol’ J.D. is buried nearby among soaring pines and wildflower meadows.

a wallow

KA Hill looms over the wetlands

LENGTH:
Sunflower Flat: 3.7 miles
J.D. Cabin: 2.2 miles

RATING: easy
ELEVATION:
Sunflower Flat: 6620' - 6640'
J.D. Cabin: 6640' - 6680'

GETTING THERE:

Sunflower Flat:

From Flagstaff, go 27 miles west on Interstate 40 to exit 167. Turn right and go 3.8 mile south on Forest Road 141 and veer left at a fork. Continue another 4 miles to Forest Road 109, turn right and go 3.3 miles to Forest Road Road 14. Turn right and continue 1 mile and turn left on Forest Road 14A. The trailhead is 0.4 mile down this road.  Roads are good gravel and passable by passenger car up to FR 14 where high clearance is recommended. Forest Road 14A is rough dirt and requires high clearance.

INFO:

https://www.azwatchwildlife.com/sunflower-flat-wildlife-area/

http://www.wildlifeviewingareas.com/wv-app/ParkDetail.aspx?ParkID=68