Rim Country - The Mogollon Rim

Situated near Flagstaff, Arizona, Woody Mountain Road is a favorite among campers and sightseers, especially near the end as they venture into the East Pocket area atop the Mogollon Rim and the famed Edge of the World camping area. The places it takes you to are scenic and full of potential. As you head south, you can see a radio tower atop Woody Mountain, then past The Arboretum at Flagstaff and Northern Arizona University Centennial Forest, Coconino County's Rogers Lake, through Mill Park with its scenic meadows, and further south to the top of the Mogollon Rim with incredible views and dispersed camping. There are also a lot of other connecting forest roads and trails that give you access to camping and many great places to enjoy the Coconino National Forest.

Anderson Mesa lies between the vast Ponderosa pine forests at the edge of the Mogollon Rim and the barren badlands and painted deserts of northeastern Arizona. The topography of vast grasslands with a few scattered trees evokes​ Africa's Serengeti more than most people's ideas of Arizona. There are no major roads that cross Anderson Mesa. You have to work to get here. It is one of Arizona's most remote and unvisited landscapes. Forest Road 82 is called Anderson Mesa Road by the locals. Anglers and weekend ATV riders use the ends of this southern stretch to reach Long Lake and Kinnikinnick Lake. The lakes, even modest Cow Lake, are wonders in their own right. Elk, pronghorn, and sometimes eagles are drawn to their reliable water sources. The rough, rocky, suspension-crunching middle section seldom sees anyone save a few lonesome ranch hands or extremely dedicated hunters. The tan savannah grasslands periodically give way to thick juniper forests, forcing the trail to twist, split, merge, and meander before opening again to another broad vista. A sudden outcropping of rough boulders forces you to choose a line. You are more likely to see a dozen elk racing across the two-track in front of you than running across another human.

The heavily used western portion of the road over Schultz Pass is a scenic and easy trip up from town to the cool pines between Mount Elden and the San Francisco Peaks. This is your ticket to the top of the excellent Schultz Creek mountain biking trail, and to the trailheads of Sunset Trail, Kachina Trail, and Weatherford Trail, three of the best hikes in alpine Arizona. The dispersed camping is also excellent, although limited to a few locations. Since 2010 the less-used eastern half of the road over Schultz Pass has become a world-class tour in the effects of devastating forest fires and in the work required to restore a landscape after these hot all-consuming blazes.

Between 15 and 20 million years ago, a geologic uplift created the rugged and dramatic escarpment we now call the Mogollon Rim. The Rim rises 3000 feet above the Sonoran Desert floor below and marks the beginning of the Colorado Plateau. North of Payson, the scenic pine-forested peninsula known as Milk Ranch Point extends south from the Mogollon. Milk Ranch Point is all about great views and wonderful campsites. At just over 7000 feet elevation, summers are downright cool when compared to the desert below. Campsites right on the edge of the Rim offer amazing vistas of jagged sandstone slopes leading down to the country where Zane Grey based his novels. The distant Matazal Mountains form a jagged horizon. Elk bugle in the early evenings. Sightings of deer and wild turkeys are common. Abert's squirrels scamper around the many shaded campsites. Those more adventurous can take the trail all the way to the southern tip of the Point and enjoy an unparalleled view.

Cedar Flat Road is a tale of two trails. On its southern end, the well-behaved road climbs out of the desert to offer camping with views, driving with views and hiking with views. Looking west, the sacred red rocks of Sedona are below you. Mingus Mountain tents horizon due west. Farther south the rugged Bradshaws stand out above the haze. North you catch glimpses of the San Francisco Peaks towering above Flagstaff. Closer in you get a look deep into the canyon of West Clear Creek and Blodgett Basin. The tall stalks of century plants stand sentinel over prickly pears with their crimson fruits. Ocotillo spread their firesticks skyward along the roadside. The daggers of the agaves make you watch your step. And then Cedar Flat Road throws a temper tantrum, all be it a beautiful outburst. The finely graded road becomes a rock-strewn two-track weaving among junipers, testing your tires, your suspension, your kidneys, and your ability to pick a good line. But the rugged beauty of the place, the sudden openings onto wide tree-dotted savannah grasslands, and a short stretch through a pristine pine forest make you forget to keep your eyes on the trail. Apache Maid Mountain begins to appear larger and larger until it looms over the mesa. Too soon, it seems you reach the junction with Apache Maid. You'll want to stop and catch your breath. Nice is good. Naughty is fun. Why not have a little of both?

Situated in the vast ponderosa pine woodlands of the Coconino National Forest, Fry Canyon Trail offers peaceful serenity only minutes from downtown Flagstaff. The numerous designated shady campsites on the western end of the trail make excellent base camps for exploring the area while still providing easy access to all the services found in Flagstaff. The high country abounds with elk, deer, and wild turkey, often seen when hiking one of the many area trails. The road's namesake, Fry Canyon, is a favorite with the canyoneering and climbing crowd. Beautiful red rock Sedona is just a 30-minute drive south through the scenic Oak Creek Canyon. There are plenty of forest roads to explore through the high country pinelands and wide-open prairies. There are even a few gnarly trails to provide offroading challenges for those so inclined. Whatever you are looking for, it isn't far away from the Fry Canyon Trail.

Behind the Peaks is a scenic gem accessible by all kinds of vehicles! In the Spring, there are alpine meadows and wildflowers aplenty. The Fall brings glorious golden aspen on the slopes of the San Francisco Peaks, which dominate the skyline. You’ll have better views of the San Francisco Peaks along this route than anywhere else in the Flagstaff area and without the crowds. This route also provides access to major hiking trails like Bear Jaw, Abineau, Alto Spring, and the Arizona Trail. Like most of Flagstaff, this area is also great for mountain biking.

Forming the west leg of the “Around the Peaks” loop, Hart Prairie Road is an Arizona gem. The eponymous Hart Prairie sits east of Fern Mountain at the midpoint of this drive and offers superb views and the finest ecological beauty in the Flagstaff area. Aspen groves, alpine meadows, springs, diverse terrain, and varied ecosystems flank the trail. Fern Mountain offers a short and beautiful hike with sweeping views of the San Francisco Peaks. The road is also part of the “Hart Prairie Loop” mountain biking trail. Quite a few lucky private property owners, including a youth camp and The Nature Conservancy, enjoy the west slope of the Peaks via this road.

Buck Spring Ridge begins at the scenic Mogollon Rim and the iconic Rim Road, one of Arizona's best trails. Running through the eastern portion of the vast Coconino National Forest, the trail first traverses an alpine woodland of spruce, fir, and Ponderosa pines. As the trail descends northward, the spruce and fir fall away, and the pines become smaller because of the rain shadow caused by the Mogollon Rim's massive uplift. Take the time to visit the historic Buck Springs Cabin via the spur trails at Waypoints 5 and 6. These remote cabins, first used by ranchers almost 100 years ago, were summer quarters for fireguards who battled wildfires in this massive forest. The cabins sit on a picturesque mountain meadow that hosts the springs that give this area its name. Deer and elk often graze nearby in the mornings and later afternoons. Descending northward, the trail gets a bit rougher and enters an area burned in the 2018 Tinder Fire. The forest is slowly recovering from the fire, but the new openness allows quick views down into the deep East Clear Creek gorge giving explores a real feel for the true scope and ruggedness of this diverse landscape.

Historians agree that during the area's pioneer days, an incident involving an Apache girl made her a local legend. The specifics are lost to time, but the name Apache Maid has been applied to a mountain, a ranch, a cabin, a road, and the area in general. Apache Maid Ranch was owned by the Babbitts, a prominent northern Arizona family that created a mercantile company, numerous local leaders, and a Senator. The Apache Maid road travels through the center of today's geography and the era's history. In the east, Apache Maid winds through the tall, stately ponderosa forest that dominates the vast Coconino National Forest. As the road loses elevation, the pines give way to scattered juniper, canvas-tan grasslands, and beautiful views. The Apache Maid cabin, an old ranch house, sits up a short lane. With its fire watchtower, Apache Maid Mountain looms over the trail's western end. With plenty of camping available and a trail offering a few challenges, Apache Maid makes for a great Arizona wheeling experience.

Roads and trails in this area are often named after early pioneers or important geographical features along the way. Alpine meadows are called parks in local parlance. Horse Park Road draws its name from a particularly picturesque meadow, one of three along this easy scenic drive. Horse Park Road begins just south of Flagstaff in the bedroom community of Mountainaire. The well-maintained road travels through an OHV area ripe with interesting ATV tracks. There are seemingly countless campsites along the trail, many located near the three parks. Combine those two attributes with the native beauty of the pine-forested Coconino National Forest, and you have a top-rated destination on weekends. If you are looking for fun and a chance to meet up with other offroad enthusiasts, Horse Park Road might just be the path you want to follow.

Immediately you are ensconced in tall pines and an abundance of campsites. That's just what you'd expect from a well-groomed trail in the Coconino National Forest with easy access off the interstate. But just a few miles into Forest Road 226, you begin to find silence broken only by the wind singing a soothing melody in the tops of the Ponderosas and the crunch of your tires on the dirt. Squirrels scamper across the road, and that might have been an elk in the shadows watching you pass by. At picturesque Bar M Canyon, named for an old ranch that once operated in the area, is an unexpected one-lane bridge. Just beyond the bridge is a campsite snuggled up to the canyon. An enterprising camper cut large pine logs into camp furniture fit for Paul Bunyan. The site makes for a cozy overnight camp or perhaps just an amusing and timely picnic spot. With links to a complete network of other fun trails, Forest Road 226 might be a pivotal segment of a longer overland journey. But even alone, it is worth checking out.

FR301 is a dirt road trail that will take you under an hour out and back, and it starts right at the city limits of Flagstaff! This is great for a quick family outing or to get in a hike when you're on the east side of Flagstaff. The mudding is good after a soaking rain or when the snow is melting (avoid this trail in-stock vehicles when it's wet!). At the end of the guide's trail you'll find parking and a USFS trailhead for a nice half-mile hike to Fisher Point with epic views of Walnut Canyon. FR301 is a more interesting drive and a quicker hike to the canyon than the Arizona Trail trailhead, located a mile east down Old Walnut Canyon Road. You are likely to see Elk along FR301 or FR301D during their migration season, especially in late fall and early winter. This area is heavily affected by bark beetles; you can hear them work on the trees in the summer if you are quiet.

Clover Springs is a tale of two trails, and thus more interesting. One part of the trail is as rough as a corncob enema. The other portion is as silky smooth as your grandmother's buttermilk pie. Turning off Highway 260 onto the west end of the trail brings you almost immediately into some fun little obstacles. Most have several choices of lines. Decisions based on your rig's unique characteristics may leave you scratching your head. They aren't overly difficult, just enough to make it fun and interesting. In a few places, erosion has cut nice washouts, which will test the level of travel in your suspension. Bone-jarring sections of trail consist of nothing more than cannonballs and larger-sized rocks jarring your rig, you, and everything else. There are a few bypasses. Just when you have had enough, the trail becomes as easy as pie. Clover Springs becomes a stroll through a huge Ponderosa Pine studded park. Deer, elk, javelina, turkey, and the occasional cow may cross the road in front of you or be lurking in the brush nearby. Wonderful campsites beckon you to slow down and spend some time around a campfire. So what's it gonna be? Corncob? Pie? Why not both?

In 1882, White Mountain Apache warriors, led by Na-tio-tish, got into an altercation with and killed several policemen in San Carlos, Arizona. Eighty warriors, chased by U.S. cavalry, crossed the Tonto Basin and climbed onto the Mogollon Rim. They laid a trap for the pursuing cavalry on a rugged side canyon of East Clear Creek. The cavalry's scout ferreted out the trap. The fight raged for an afternoon until a severe afternoon thunderstorm halted hostilities. The warriors escaped in the night and returned to the reservation, leaving behind 20 dead Apaches, with two dead and six wounded among the cavalry troops. Nearly lost to history, today, a lonely marker stands on the site, and the entire area is called Battleground Ridge. Battleground Ridge, also known as FR 123, is a distinctive trail for two reasons. First is the obvious connection to the obscure bloody battle fought here. Secondly, an aqueduct that pumps water from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir down to Payson runs along a portion of the trail. You can see the roadside access points; round metal covers every hundred yards along the trail. A small power line brings electricity to the pump station near Waypoint 10. But take a step away from both the history and the modern, and you overwhelmingly sense the remoteness of this place deep in the uplifted country of the Mogollon Rim. The wind, as it always has, sings through the upper branches of the tall Ponderosa Pines. Elk bugle on the ridges and down in the deep canyons. Flocks of shy wild turkeys scratch the forest floor for a meal. Gazing across the deep canyon at the trail's end to the distant forest-blanketed ridgelines of this wild landscape, both the past and present seem very far away.

On FR128 to Marshall Lake, or the "South of Walnut Canyon," you will discover Boondocking and ATV heaven, with scattered views of the San Francisco Peaks! There are many side roads and dispersed campsites accessible to more robust RVs and trailers for camping. Usage on the trail's northern end close to I-40 is low even during peak season when the rest of Flagstaff is bonkers.

In its day, Crimson Road was the main thoroughfare between Flagstaff and the Mormon Lake area. Bypassed by the paved Lake Mary Road, today it simply transports you quickly into the magnificent ponderosa pine woodland that is the heart of the 1.8 million-acre Coconino National Forest. The well-maintained road meanders gently along the contours of an otherwise rugged landscape. After 11 miles, the forest gives way to Antelope Park, a large alpine meadow at an elevation of 7,000 feet. The meadow begs you to camp along its wooded edges to watch elk, deer, and pronghorn graze early and late in the lazy day. Crimson Road leaves the open meadow, plunging back into the forest and Newman Canyon. The road passes a picturesque old cattle corral, unused these days. Before you are ready, the road deposits you back onto the pavement.

This route is short and sweet. Elden Lookout Road winds steeply up the west flank of Mount Elden, the 9000-foot mountain around which wraps Flagstaff and Route 66. From the peak, the views are excellent. It’s a nice place for a picnic or stargazing. The summit can be windy, especially in Spring. The real highlight and reason most use this road is the collection of hiking trails and mountain biking singletracks that crisscross the mountain. The trails include Elden Trail, Sunset Trail, Brookbank Trail, Rocky Ridge Trail, Oldham Trail, and more. Mount Elden is a frequent host of professional mountain bike races. Unfortunately, the 2019 Museum Fire burned much of this route, so it is now a monument to the damage of a forest fire and the catastrophic debris floods that often result. In 2019 the Museum Fire was the worst early-season fire in the country and attracted a large number of airborne firefighting assets. The fire nearly burned into the City of Flagstaff.

Casner Park Road is named, like many of the original roads in the area, for the broad grassy meadow along which it meanders just a few miles out of town. Here beautiful alpine meadows are called parks. Casner Park and Bert Lee Park, which the trail briefly passes later, are named for the hardy pioneer families who settled nearby. Casner Park offers broad vistas, and numerous shady campsites are nestled in the pines along its edge to enjoy those views. There are many campsites along the trail, and it's a favorite summer weekend destination for desert dwellers escaping the heat, enjoying the forest beauty, and happily parading every kind of ATV imaginable. The trail climbs enough that fir, spruce, and a few aspens line the road before dropping back down a bit. The final curve in the trail delivers an almost shockingly unexpected view across the 3-mile diameter Mormon Lake, a sometimes lake, most times grassy meadow.

A drive along Bar M Road takes you back in time. On the east end, the hundred-plus-year-old Brolliar Cabin sits on the edge of an alpine meadow. Born in Iowa, David Brolliar built his one-room cabin in 1911 and raised cows and crops on the prairie now known as Brolliar Park. He lived there alone until his death in 1938. Today, the cabin is a great spot to watch elk, deer, and pronghorn grazing on the park. A small pond beside the cabin often hosts migratory geese. The cabin is a short walk from the road. Farther west along the trail, ranchers use the forests and parks for summer grazing, just as they have for the last century. Branded cattle roam wild until the fall roundup when they are moved to lower elevations and winter pastures. The road nostalgically passes an old corral, battered and worn but still in use. Take a drive back in time on the Bar M. The road is a little bumpy, but so is the region's history.

Located a short distance west of Flagstaff, Camp Two – Wild Bill – Kendrick is a popular forest road that winds its way from I-40 to the Kendrick Peak Wilderness, passing the famous Lava River Cave. With abundant RV-accessible dispersed camping and dozens of connecting forest roads, this trek through the Coconino National Forest is a bustling summer route through lush pine forests and open meadows offering excellent hiking opportunities. The Lava River Cave is a difficult but manageable one-mile hike down under the pine forests. It is cold in the cave, so bring a jacket! Kendrick Peak is another popular hike in the area, that is a moderately difficult 9-mile round trip rewarding users with the best views of the San Francisco Peaks.