San Francisco Peaks

As a longtime hiker I still like to explore new trails, but weather and limited time don’t always allow it. In July I planned to hike Miller Peak Wilderness in southern Arizona. It’s up on a sky island at 6,000 feet. But with our heat wave it was still going to be 90 degrees, and rain was also in the forecast, so this is delayed till late September.

While new trails are exciting, there are still many beloved trails that I love to return to and see how they change with the seasons, or with fire. When you return to old trails it’s best when you can go with someone who hasn’t been there previously.

So I returned to the San Francisco Peaks Trail with fellow hiker Cole. He was in awe, and called it fabulous.

I was on this trail when it opened in the 1990s and Arizona Highways Editor Robert Stieve led a hike there. I liked it enough that I return at least once a year. Stieve liked it enough that it’s included in the Arizona Highways book of Arizona’s 52 best day hikes.

Parking at Aspen Corner, you’re immediately surrounded by aspens. Less than a mile in you come across a lush meadow with panoramic views of mountains off in the distance as well as above. Plenty of Ponderosa pine and aspens dot the trail. Lots of flowers were out during our hike.

Cole also commented on the perfect weather — we were up at 9,000 feet and temps there were in the 70s. It was 82 degrees in Flagstaff, and the Prescott area was well above that.

Clouds were coming and going, so we would cool off with the clouds and warm up when they passed.

Trail highlights

The first is about two miles in, when you are overlooking the Nature Conservancy’s Hart Prairie Preserve. This has the largest stand of Bebb’s willow trees in the world. You can see the main building in the preserve, along with a couple of small cabins. 

The second highlight is a side trip to Bismarck Lake. This often dry lake was the size of a pond due to recent rains. We stopped here long enough for a snack, but sat on the rocks in the trees as it was the perfect place to relax. 

The San Francisco Peaks Trail starts at 8,928 feet, but it’s unusually flat, rising no more than 100. It’s also part of the Arizona Trail. The trail is rated as easy. It’s an in-and-out so you can turn around at any point or continue as long as you like.

For more information about the San Francisco Peaks Trail, call the Peaks Ranger District at 928-526-0866.

Another option: Kendrick

Kendrick Mountain Trail is another awesome trail that I like to revisit annually. This hike with longtime hiking buddy Chris Appleton was bursting with flowers from the recent rains. We both marveled at the beauty. Like the San Francisco Peaks Trail it offers great views and aspen trees.

But there are eye-opening differences. Where the San Francisco Peaks Trail is flat, the Kendrick Mountain Trail is an uphill climb starting at 7,715 and topping out at 10,714 feet. The switchbacks help, and a few big downed logs give hikers chances to rest on the uphill.

While the views will keep you well entertained, there are two special points of interest to find.

Don’t blink or you’ll miss the first one. About three-quarters of a mile into the hike, off on the left is a circular marker. It might be mistaken for a hole filled with water, but it’s the boundary marker for the wilderness area. This is a little odd because most wilderness boundaries are marked with signs.

The second highlight is much more pronounced, you can’t miss it if you make it that far. On the upper saddle, close to the top of the mountain, the Kendrick lookout cabin appears. This was built in 1912, making it the second-oldest cabin in the Southwest. It almost burned during the Pumpkin Fire in 2000, but firefighters saved the day with a fire blanket. We owe the firefighters a big debt for rescuing this historic structure.

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