Walker Lake Rim

WALKER LAKE RIM

View from the rim of Walker Lake cinder cone

Maybe it’s a lingering mood in the ether that hints at an acrid, nose-tingling whiff of molten earth or the smattering of solidified lava blobs that surround its rim that makes hiking Walker Lake such a visceral experience.

Walker Lake on August 5, 2026

Sitting near the core of the San Francisco Volcanic field, the extinct cinder cone volcano is referred to as Walker Lake because of the ephemeral water that collects within its crater.

Kendrick Mountain seen from Walker Lake

The San Francisco Volcanic Field is spread over an 1,800 square mile slice of the Colorado Plateau centered around the city of Flagstaff. 

Parry Bellflower blooms June - September

It has been a geologically active area for millions of years and has produced over 600 volcanic features over the landscape.

View from the east rim

Basically, every observable mountain and hill around Flagstaff is of volcanic origins.

Overlooking a volcanic landscape

The last volcanic event that happened about 900 years ago formed Sunset Crater and its adjacent lava flows.

The rim loop trail

Walker Lake isn’t the biggest or most spectacular volcano in the mix, but what catapults it from a one-in-600 minor lump on the landscape to one-in-a-million hiking destination is its serendipitous location. Imagined or not, the scorched-earth visceral feel of the short trail that circles Walker Lake captivates the imagination and drives the narrative of walking on the eroded rim of a cinder cone. 

Aspen sunflowers bloom July - October

The trail is an excellent platform for viewing several types of geological features that rise out of the sprawling plateau highlands of Northern Arizona. 

Primitive footpath to Walker Lake

The trek into this volcanic world begins on a closed road that brushes past an aspen protection area where wire fencing shields the iconic mountain trees from browsing animals so they have a chance to mature. 

Aspen exclosure area 

At the 0.3-mile point, the hike continues behind a large sign that reminds that motorized travel is prohibited in the area.

Lake viewed from the south rim

A short uphill walk on the wide road ends at a 3-way junction and the beginning of the rim loop hike. The trail becomes a slender path as it crawls up over the crater’s south brim.

Humphreys Peak seen from the crater's south rim

Soon, the massive profile of San Francisco Mountain and 12,633-foot Humphreys Peak— a stratovolcanoes that had at one time soared to over 16,000 feet— comes into view. 

Torrey's crag lily blooms in August

The lava domes of the Hochderffer Hills (9,152 feet) and the White Horse Hills cinder cones (9,065 feet) lap around its base.

Looking north from the crater

At several points, first glimpses of the internal crater lake peek through tall pines and a jagged lip of basalt. The trail swings eastward to emerge on the rim’s high point where amazing vistas fill the view frame. 

Arizona pea blooms May - October

Rangeland below is dotted with homesteads, pine glens, stock tanks and the faint scribble of the Arizona National Scenic Trail that skims the mountain 400 feet below. 

Beginning of the uphill hike

Through breaks in the fringe of Douglas firs and Ponderosa pines, views stretch all the way to the Painted Desert. As the trail moves north, 10,418-foot Kendrick Mountain looms large.

Far-reaching vistas

This hill that’s popular with hikers is a complex mix of lava domes and lava flows that built up over millions of years. Farther out, the lumpy profile of 8,215-foot Slate Mountain sits on a hazy horizon.  Interestingly, there’s no slate on Slate Mountain. 

Common silverweed blooms May - August

The complex lava dome volcano is a conglomerate of metamorphic rhyolite, sediments and magma flows. Also on show is 8,864-foot Saddle Mountain another hill of volcanic origins with a hikable road to its summit.

The 3-way junction

The rim loop trail then descends on slippery, rocky tread, landing back at the 3-way junction.  To visit the crater lake up close, follow the middle road and primitive footpaths into the bowl-like depression. Ringed with conifers and fields of wildflowers, the “lake” vacillates from soggy bog to substantial ponds depending on snow melt and monsoon rains.  Let it sink in that you’re standing inside a volcano that in the not-so-distant past (in geological terms—a blip) was a fiery fount of lava and molten ejecta.  And, the fireworks ain’t over yet. The San Francisco Volcanic Field is still active which means more eruptions will almost certainly occur in the future.  Whether that happens next week or in a hundred years, the rim of Walker Lake will be an ideal place to observe the show. 

Hike begins on FR9007S

LENGTH: 3.3 miles roundtrip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 8,109 - 8,502 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Flagstaff, go 19 miles north on U.S.180 to Forest Road 151 (Hart Prairie Road) on the right just past milepost 235. Follow FR 151 1.6 miles to Forest Road 418. Continue 0.2-mile on FR418 to the second dirt road on the left which is Forest Road 9007S. FR9007S IS CLOSED TO ALL MOTORIZED USE but foot and horse travel is permitted. There’s limited parking at a turnout at FR9007S—maybe room for 2-3 vehicles as well as additional parking along FR418.  Be respectful of private property in the area and don’t block access roads or driveways.

HIKE DIRECTIONS:

From the FR418/9007S parking spot:

• Hike 0.2 mile to a fork 
• Veer right at the fork onto FR 9004S
• Follow FR9004S 0.1 mile to a large road closed sign
• Hike 0.3 mile up the road behind the sign (still 9004S, though not signed) to a 3-way junction which is the start of the rim loop trail
• Take the narrow single-track on the right which heads up to the crater rim. For reference, the wide central road heads down into the crater and the lake. The path that continues straight ahead is the return leg of the rim loop. 

Arizona Trail Passage 34: FR418 to Kelly Tank

ARIZONA TRAIL PASSAGE 34 SAN FRANCISCO PEAKS

Forest Road 418 to Kelly Tank

Aspens and pines on the Arizona Trail Passage 34

An Arizona “alpine start”-the pre-dawn trailhead call for a mountain hike- can be timed by the stars. Basically, if Orion has faded into the dawn, it’s already too late.

Hip-high ferns near Forest Road 418

The iconic winter constellation with its prominent three-star belt arcs over the night sky from December to late April.

Storm builds over the White Horse Hills

It then disappears for a few months before making its summer debut in the early morning hours of August. Visible low on the eastern horizon around 4 a.m., Orion the Hunter signals the hour Phoenix area day hikers must leave the Valley to beat high country monsoon storms. 

When thunder roars, go indoors.

There are three things to know about summer hiking on Arizona’s mountain trails. First, temperatures will be cooler, but fickle. Second, mountains make their own weather, often churning out thunder, lightning, high winds, and rain after 11 a.m. And finally, being caught on a mountain or in the open during a monsoon storm is a potentially deadly situation.  That’s why it’s smart to follow The Hunter’s lead and head out super early to be off peaks and into safety before noon.

Silverstem lupine bloom June - October

Per the National Weather Service, “When thunder roars, go indoors.” For more lightning safety education, visit:  https://www.weather.gov/safety/lightning.

In addition to staying alive, early morning hiking has many benefits.  

Alpenglow on the Walker Lake cinder cone

The crack of dawn is the best time to observe wildlife and witness the syrupy amber “alpenglow” the sun paints on mountain slopes.

Kendrick Peak viewed from the Arizona Trail

The San Francisco Peaks Passage 34 of the Arizona National Scenic Trail is one worth setting the alarm to experience.  The Flagstaff area favorite runs for 35.3 miles between the Weatherford Trailhead at the south edge of the peaks to Babbitt Ranch in Coconino National Forest.

Monsoon clouds over the Arizona Trail

Along its mostly easy course, the trail cuts through aspen glens, dense coniferous forests, meadows, and juniper-studded rangelands.  The entire passage is hemmed in by mounds and craters of the San Francisco Volcanic Field, an 1,800 square mile swath of the Colorado Plateau with over 600 volcanic features.

A hiker photographs a scenic moment on the AZT

Arizona Trail gate at FR 514

Passage 34 rounds the slopes of 12,633-foot San Francisco Mountain ( the Humphreys Peak Trail goes to its summit), a dormant stratovolcano, and heads north through a maze of cinder cones and lava flows.  For a volcano-centric day hike, the segment of the passage that runs between Forest Roads 418 and 514 is a beauty.

The 6.8-mile out-and-back trek begins in a thicket of aspens on the northwest edge of San Francisco Mountain.  An understory of ferns, lupines, and tall grasses lap at the legs as hikers take on the gentle inclines. Within a half-mile, the trail parallels the Walker Lake cinder cone.

San Francisco Mountain viewed from AZ Trail

A hikeable road leads to the summit of Saddle Mountain

Standing at over 8,400 feet, its pine-fleeced crater contains a shallow pond. The swampy pool is not visible from the trail, but a nearby dirt road leads to its innards. To the east, the weathered peaks of the White Horse Hills rise over Deadman Wash.

Western yarrow blooms June - September

The mostly treeless, isolated volcanic landforms top out at 9,065 feet with a choppy fringe of Ponderosa pines huddled at their bases. 

Elk leave "antler rub" scars on aspen trees

As this hike approaches its turnaround point at Forest Road 514, the tree cover thins out opening views of  10,418-foot Kendrick Peak to the west and 8,864-foot Saddle Mountain straight ahead. Both have trails to their summits. At hike’s end across from Kelly Tank, an Arizona Trail gate  marks the route’s transition into more arid terrain where junipers, brush and wide-open spaces commandeer the viewscape. Still, the mountain-borne lightning storms that happen on a near daily basis in summer are something to monitor and avoid.  An alpine start helps.

Gathering storm over the White Horse Hills

LENGTH: 6.8 miles out-and-back

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 8,300 – 7,721 feet

GETTING THERE:

SOUTH ACCESS: FOREST ROAD 418 TRAILHEAD:

From Flagstaff, go 19.5 miles north on U.S.180 to the northern entrance  for FR151 (Hart Prairie Road) just past milepost 235.  Turn right and continue 1.6 miles to FR418. 

Continue 1.1 miles on FR418 to a dirt parking apron on the right. Hike begins on the north side of the road. Forest roads are maintained dirt suitable for most vehicles.

NORTH ACCESS: KELLY TANK TRAILHEAD:

From Flagstaff, go 21 miles north on U.S. 180 to Forest Road 514 (Kendrick Park Road) at milepost 236.6. Turn right and continue to just past the 3-mile marker at Kelly Tank and park in the dirt lot on the right at the beginning of Forest Road 9006R. This is directly across from an Arizona Trail gate.

Forest roads are maintained dirt suitable for most vehicles.

INFO & MAPS:

https://aztrail.org/explore/passages/passage-34-san-francisco-peaks/

Brandis Trail

BRANDIS TRAIL

Survivor pines near the Deer Hill Trail junction

Ten years ago this month, the Schultz Fire was ravaging the eastern slopes of Flagstaff’s San Francisco Peaks.

Trailhead gate on the Brandis Trail

The human-caused blaze, ignited from an abandoned camp fire on June 20, 2010, went on to burn more than 15,000 acres of Coconino National Forest before being contained 10 days later. The fire was followed by one of the wettest monsoon seasons on record which lead to devastating flooding. Without trees and other vegetation to stabilize and absorb runoff, heavy rains created rivers of debris that further eroded the landscape leaving behind a charred moonscape of sludge and an eerie wilderness of torched tree trunks and ashen gullies.

Evidence of the 2010 Shultz Fire come early in the hike

Extend the hike on the Deer Hill Trail

Mountain gromwell sprout tiny white flower heads

Sunset Crater (left horizon) seen from Brandis Trail

Pollinators swarm around Rocky Mountain beeplants

Pine sprouts grow among casualties of the Schultz Fire

O'Leary Peak (right horizon) viewed from Brandis Trail

Schultz Fire scar on eastern slopes of San Francisco Peaks

Frothy Apache plume shrubs color the trail.

Borne of volcanism that began shaping the area millions of years ago, this mountainous parcel in Northern Arizona is no stranger to fire. Whether brought on naturally by lighting or lava or by human carelessness, fire drives uneasy cycles of destruction and resurgence that’s aren’t going away anytime soon.

Brandis Trail access point 

Ten years removed from the blaze, the area is in recovery mode, transitioning from what had been a place of thick coniferous woodlands, alpine meadows and forested foothills into a much different, starkly beautiful destination. The blaze damaged several popular hiking trails including the Little Elden, Little Bear, Sunset, Heart and parts of the Arizona Trail. But two outlier routes that suffered the kind of odd, patchy damage to vegetation that melds islands of old growth survivors with resurgent sprouts provide enlightening walking tours of an emerging landscape.

Skunk bush--one of many blooming shrubs on the trail

Even before the fire, the Brandis and Deer Hill trails weren’t big-name attractions but instead offered less crowded, easy treks at the base of San Francisco Mountain with no difficult climbs or confusing junctions. The Brandis Trail, located at the edge of a residential area less than a mile from U.S. 89 north of Flagstaff, wanders through the fire scar and is a good path to follow to see how the forest is regenerating.

The 1.4-mile, straight-shot route heads due west toward the peaks beginning with a short hike among unscathed pines. Within a quarter mile, though, views of charred tree trunks that hover precariously over acres toppled logs deliver a gut-punch to those who recall the woodsy pre-fire environment.  The upside is that the near treeless terrain is now replete with unobstructed views of nearby O’Leary Peak, a 8,916-foot  lava dome volcano and Sunset Crater a young, 8,042-foot cinder cone and focal point of Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. Interestingly, the now dormant volcano turned tourist attraction was the source of a curtain of fire that disrupted life here about 1,000 years ago.

Brandis trail roughly traces a drainage gorge where resurgent shrubs, wildflowers and saplings are encouraging signs of life regaining its hold. Healthy swaths of silvery rabbitbrush, mountain gromwell, penstemons, Rocky Mountain beeplant and Apache plume add color and sink stabilizing roots into the fragile soils while intermittent stands of survivor pines, oaks and junipers stand in testimony to the sometimes bizarre movements of wildfires.  The trail gets a little sketchy where it crosses the winding drainage several times. To stay on track, know that at the crossings, the trail picks up directly on the other side, not down the wash as random footprints might suggest.

At the 1.3-mile point, a livestock gate stands near one of the few shady areas on the trail. Pass through (close it behind you) and continue on to the turnaround point at the Deer Hill trail junction. For an optional, longer hike, the left leg heads 4 miles south to connect with the Little Elden and Arizona Trail while the right leg goes 1.5 miles north to its terminus at Schultz Pass Road.

The trail traces a scoured drainage 

A Yellow salsify flower gone to seed

Yellow salsify is a common bloomer along the route

LENGTH:  3 miles roundtrip (Brandis Trail only)

RATING: easy

ELEVATION:  6,840 – 7,212 feet

GETTING THERE:

From the Interstate 17/40 interchange in Flagstaff, go east on I-40 to exit 201 for U.S. 89 north.

Continue 8.2 miles north on U.S. 89, turn left on Brandis Way and go 0.8-mile to a parking apron at the corner of Brandis Way and Ostrich Lane.  The trailhead is located at the end of a fenced easement at the end of Brandis Way. Please respect private property in the area by not blocking driveways or attempting to drive on the easement.

INFO:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/rmrs/2010-schultz-fire