Back Road to Lockett Meadow

Located on the eastern slope of the San Francisco Peaks in the Coconino National Forest north of Flagstaff, this is the fun "back road" to get to Lockett Meadow, one of the most scenic destinations in Arizona! If the route is open- and that's a big *if* in this case - this is a very enjoyable, mildly challenging, lightly traveled, and extremely scenic way to go. You can get a great view of Sunset Crater and the Cinder Hills, and on a good day from the right vantage point, you can see the eastern edge of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Vermillion Cliffs. Even better, the camping higher up is exceptionally scenic and lightly used, if you can get to it. If you're feeling adventurous, FR553 provides you access to a web of poorly maintained hunting roads, especially when they are open during Sep-Dec, and lets to access the Schultz Fire burn scar higher up. Also, if you drive up to higher elevations and start your ride from there, this is some excellent mountain biking territory with far fewer vehicles to contend with than on the lower forest roads. Casual visitors to Lockett, or those on a tight schedule, should steer clear and should take FR552 to Lockett Meadow instead.