Perkins Tank and JD Dam Lake

Two Tank Trek: Perkins Tank and JD Dam Lake

Kaibab National Forest

Perkins Tank attracts myriad wildlife.

Southeast of Williams, a string of fishing holes hiding on the north rim of Sycamore Canyon Wilderness attract anglers, wildlife watchers, birders, runners and day hikers in search of atypical forest treks. 

Alfalfa blooms around Perkins Tank

Watch for dragonflies darting among reeds at Perkins Tank.

Clustered among pine forests and sunny prairies along scenic backwoods roads 20 miles south of town, Perkins Tank and JD Dam Lake comprise a water-centric tour of the Kaibab National Forest’s southern sector.

A hiker photographs birds at JD Dam Lake.

Although both ponds are stocked occasionally with rainbow trout, neither is a very productive fishery. Light visitation along with their locations off main roads make these secluded alcoves excellent places to view the myriad critters that come to their shores to drink and wallow. This two-stop circuit combines short walks around waterholes with a sweet scenic drive for a day of easy exploring. We begin at the northern most site and work our way south.

A 0.25-mile trail flanks Perkins Tank.

Trees and lush aquatic vegetation in JD Dam lake.

Perkins Tank is a 3.5-acre catch-and-release trout fishery that averages 10 feet in depth. Sitting at a summer-comfortable 6800 feet in elevation, the tiny pond has been adopted by the Northern Arizona Flycasters (http://nazflycasters.com/naf-history/), a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of fisheries in the Flagstaff and Williams areas.

Acres of water smartweed cover JD Dam Lake

The organization worked with land management agencies on projects to remove destructive sediments and install structures that both improved wildlife habitats and fishing access.  Although the tank can be reached by way of a rough dirt road, a better option for hikers is to park along the main artery access road and walk 1.4 miles to the trailhead. Because the lakes are located just far enough away from major recreation sites (White Horse Lake and Sycamore Canyon Rim Trail) and heavily travelled roads to offer wildlife sanctuary, you’re almost guaranteed to spot elk splashing about in the reeds if you arrive early in the morning. One of the first things you’ll notice here is a cacophony of singing bullfrogs and squawking birds. The ubiquitous croaking and screeching of the amphibious chorus makes an apt soundtrack for the clouds of dragonflies that dance among shoreline vegetation.

Bullfrogs (center) serenade at both lakes.

 

Perkins Tank dam makes for a great viewing platform.

Penstemon and other wildflowers bloom near the ponds.

A quarter-mile, out-and-back trail traces the tank’s north shore and crosses the earthen dam that contains the water.  Find a secluded spot camouflaged by a tree or rushes, sit awhile and be amazed at the dozens of species of local fauna whizzing past.

A dragonfly darts among reeds at JD Dam lake

The marshy backwaters of JD Dam Lake.

Hikers spot a group of elk wallowing at Perkins Tank.

Two walk-able peninsulas jut into JD Dam Lake.

A few miles down the road, JD Dam Lake is roughly twice the size of Perkins Tank.  The six-acre trout pond features two walk-able peninsulas that jut into the lake’s weedy waters. Whereas Perkins Tank is surrounded mostly by pine-oak woodlands, this pond swells with willows and aquatic plants including acres of water smartweed and emerald green marshes.  Because of its drive-up access, this little gem is a popular stop-off for fishing, floating a pontoon, wildlife watching and enjoying a picnic lunch.  Pack a pair of binoculars to view the waterfowl, frogs and wild turkeys that thrive in the marshy perimeters where shoreline footpaths are sometimes obliterated by flattened reeds, soggy backwaters and hip-high grasses. Explore with care and steer clear of anglers casting lines and gaggles of marauding geese.

A beautifully stripped dragonfly at Perkins Tank.

LENGTH:

Perkins Tank:  4 miles out-and-back

J.D. Dam: 1.2 miles out-and-back

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 

Perkins Tank: 6925 - 6815 feet

JD Dam Lake: 6458 feet

GETTING THERE:

Perkins Tank:

From Williams, go 8.2 miles south on 4th Street (County Road 73/ Perkinsville Road) to Forest Road 110 (White Horse Lake Road). Turn left (east) and go 4.6 miles to Forest Road 3281 on the right. Park along the road and hike the road to the lake. Those with high-clearance vehicles may opt to drive the narrow, bumpy road 1.4 miles to the lake. There’s a restroom at the trailhead.

JD Dam Lake:

From Perkins Tank, return to Forest Road 110, turn right and continue to Forest Road 109 (signed for White Horse Lake and JD Dam). Turn left and go 2 miles to Forest Road 12 then follow the signs 5 miles to JD Dam.  There’s a restroom at the trailhead.

INFO:

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/kaibab/recreation/fishing/recarea/?recid=11663&actid=42

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CRATER LAKE

CRATER LAKE, Coconino National Forest

Crater Lake fills the vent of an extinct cinder cone

The light, porous cinders that put a roll and crunch in your step on the mountain trail that leads to Crater Lake belie the site’s fiery origins.  When viewed from the dusty dirt roads that pass by its base, the 8460-foot-high cinder cone volcano blends in with dozens of another mundane hills that dot the  Coconino National Forest 20 miles northwest of Flagstaff.  

San Francisco Peaks seen from Crater Lake volcano.

But a surprise at trail’s end makes this little mountain special.

During their active phases, cinder cone volcanoes live fast and furious lives. Although they are like a fly-in-the-soup in terms of igneous impact on the landscape when compared to the likes of other nearby volcanic mountains like the San Francisco Peaks or Kendrick Peak, these spitfires leave interesting residuals.

Kendrick Peak is visible through most of the hike

Crater Lake volcano seen from Forest Road 760

View from the road leading to Crater Lake

The conical hills that rarely break 1000 feet in height form when gas-propelled lava blasts from the earth in what has been described as “curtains of fire”. The bubbly spatter flies high into the sky cooling quickly into bits of ash, cinders (scoria) and pock-marked blobs that fall back to earth to form mound of  pyroclastic debris around the central vent.

Wright's Bluets bloom May through September

The process continues over months to decades before the eruption runs out of gas, the fireworks subside and a belch of viscous lava signals the end of the hill’s active period. Thousands to millions of years later, some of these spent magma geysers have taken on second lives as hiking destinations and tourist attractions.  Of the roughly 600 cinder cones in the San Francisco Volcanic Field in northern Arizona, several are well-known natural wonders.  The collapsed walls of Red Mountain expose complex volcanic structure while the young, intact Sunset Crater and its raw lava flow is an outdoor science festival.

Butter and Eggs bloom on the summit road

Others, like the Crater Lake volcano, live a less-showy, but intriguing retirement. The trek to this quiet geological find is an easy stroll on backroads below the east face of Kendrick Peak.  Begin hiking on Forest Road 9009D--a rough two-track--through piney cattle country. At the 0.8-mile point, a series of berms mark where the road has been decommissioned and closed to motorized travel. Follow the road scar another 0.2-mile to Forest Road 9009V on the right which swerves onto the mountain for a moderate half-mile climb to the rim of the crater. This short climb packs in some terrific views of the San Francisco Peaks, Crowley Park (an open meadow area) and Kendrick Peak.

San Francisco Peaks loom southeast of Crater Lake

 

Crater Lake approach.

Approaching Crater Lake

At the top of the trail, a wood cattle fence serves as a gateway to the jewel of the hike.  Directly ahead, a shallow pond shaded by pines and firs fills the basin that was the volcano’s central vent.  Alive with lush grasses and wildflowers, the aspen-ringed paradise is wrapped in a crusty rim of ragged stone.  A walk around the boggy, bowl-like depression reveals evidence of abundant wildlife activity. Footprints and scat speak to the importance of this watering hole to resident elk, deer, racoons, bear and birds.

A log soaks in Crater Lake

East flanks of Kendrick Peak tower over Crater Lake

Within this cloistered hollow, the hush and rustle of leaves makes it difficult to imagine that hot vapors and flames once spewed from the eroded vent.  Sometimes, in the early morning hours, the crater emulates its origins when the summer sun coaxes a smoke-like mist from the dewy swale. 

Volcanic ejecta on Crater Lake volcano

LENGTH: 3 miles roundtrip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 7,955 – 8,460 feet

GETTING THERE: From Flagstaff, go 18.3 miles north on U.S. 180 to Forest Road 760 (just past milepost 234). Turn left and continue 0.9 mile and bear right at a fork. At 1.1 mile, continue straight ahead at the crossroads for the Kendrick Snowmobile trails. From this point, continue 1.0 mile to Forest Road 9009D on the left. The road sign is located roughly 100 feet in from the FR760 and is easy to miss. Park in the roadside pullouts.