Kaibab National Forest
Mountain Biking South of the Grand Canyon
Kaibab National Forest straddles the north and south sides of the Grand Canyon. The terrain in the south is gently rolling, but a number of dramatic geologic features provide impressive scenery to go with the easy riding. Kendrick, Bill Williams Mountain and the San Francisco Peaks stand high on the horizon, painting an impressive backdrop for broad upland meadows surrounded by tall ponderosa pines. The Sycamore Point Trail offers breathtaking overlooks into deep and colorful canyons. Their vistas stretch for miles. As you ride, watch for elk, mule deer and antelope. They're plentiful in the area, along with lots of birds.
We think you'll be pleased with the routes you will find here. They'll take you right to the edge of Sycamore Canyon, home of the oldest wilderness areas in the state. They'll lead you through ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests up to Eagle Rock Pass. They'll guide you to places of historic interest, including the ruins of old stagecoach stops, ranches, and explorer's camps. Two routes even retrace abandoned sections of historic Route 66, the road canonized in song and on the silver screen as the "Main Street of America."
Maybe the best thing about these rides is that they're for the most part little known. Chances are you'll have most of them to yourself -- for a while that is, until their inevitable "discovery."
Historic Route 66 .
. . Two segments are open as dedicated mountain bike trails
Devil Dog Loop .
. . Cool ride in the pines
Ash Fork Hill Loop .
. . High desert setting
Stage Station Loop
. . . If you like cows
Round Mountain Loop
. . . Through every kind of ponderosa pine habitat
Sycamore Point Ride
. . . Great scenery, climaxed by overlook of Sycamore Canyon
Sunflower Flat/Perkins Tank Loop . . . The wildest area of south Kaibab
Spring Valley Loop
. . Look forward to about a mile of solid downhill
Coxcombs Loop
. . . The ride that has it all: history, scenery, wildlife
Historic Route 66
"Get your kicks on Route 66," went the words to Bobby Troup's 1946 hit tune. Now you can get your bikes on two sections of this historic road. These road segments were once abandoned, but have been reopened by the Kaibab National Forest as mountain bike rides.
The cross-country strip of pavement that became known as "America's Main Street" blazed a trail right to our nation's heart. It was a road to romance, to a new start spiced with adventure and freedom, and it didn't hurt that all this was located in the picturesque Southwest. High mountains, hot deserts, cowboys and coyotes, you can see a bit of all these on the two rides outlined here. And you can see a lot more if you let your imagination do the looking. Listen for the clatter of the Model T's that bounced down Ash Fork Hill as you ride down the same twisting route. Think of the families energized by hope that made camp along the Devil Dog Road before descending to a desert that stretched all the way to the Pacific.
Now that we've got you stoked, we'll tell you that these rides are not long, and they're reasonably close together. You can easily make them both before lunch. Better yet, have a picnic along the way.
Devil Dog Loop
Cool ride in the pines, historic setting, side route for exploring.
Length: 5 miles round trip
Season: April through November
Use: Moderate
Rating: Easy
USGS Map: (15' Quad) Bill Williams Mountain
Route Description: The Devil Dog Loop starts out on FR 108 and turns almost immediately onto the unpaved 1922 alignment of Route 66 (now FR 45). At 0.7 miles into the ride, FR 45 branches off to the south for a strenuous climb to Bixler Saddle and some great views. Otherwise, the 1922 alignment continues through the forest to a turn around at the half-way point. Return by way of the 1932 alignment of Route 66. The pavement was removed along this stretch, but you can still see bits and pieces of it along the way.
Access/Road Conditions: Drive 6 miles out of Williams to the Devil Dog Road Exit (FR 108) . Leave the highway here and park in the turnout just south of the interchange where an interpretive sign marks the beginning of the ride. These roads are suitable for sedan travel.
Ash Fork Hill Loop
Historic route, long distance views, handmade rock culverts, high desert setting
Length: 6 miles round trip
Season: April through November
Use: Moderate
Rating: Easy to moderate
USGS Map: Ash Fork
Route Description: The Ash Fork Hill 1 Loop starts out on the 1922 alignment of Route 66 and winds down one of the steepest grades on the old highway. This stretch was never paved and you'll bounce along just like the Model T's. Return by way of the 1932 alignment on the original pavement. The route is marked.
Access/Road Conditions: Drive 12 miles out of Williams to the Welch Interchange (Exit 151). Leave the highway here, follow FR 6 a short way, and park in the turnout just north of the interchange where an interpretive sign marks the beginning of the ride. A high clearance vehicle is recommended on FR 6.
Stage Station Loop
This is a pleasant ride over rolling terrain along a primitive road that winds through ponderosa pine forests, pinyon and juniper stands, and open grasslands. The scenery, for the most part is of nearby forests and meadows rather than distant mountains. The wide variety of habitats along the route supports a diverse community of wildlife. Animals like elk and mule deer, coyotes and goshawks are relatively easy to see because of the lay of the land. Wildflowers are plentiful in the spring and summer in the meadows along the road.
This is cattle country. As you ride, you'll see evidence of grazing and a number of range improvements such as stock tanks, fences, and a picturesque log corral.
About halfway through the ride, the remains of an old cabin are visible on the right side of the road. A few of the timbers remain from this turn-of-the-century structure that marked a water and rest stop along an old stage route between Williams and Prescott. Here, you might imagine that weary travelers stopped for a change of horses and brief time out from their bumpy, dusty journey.
Length: 7.9 miles round-trip
Rating: Moderate
Season: April through November
Use: Light
USGS Maps: (15' Quad) Bill Williams Mountain
Route Description: The Stage Stop Loop has its ups and downs, but they're all of moderate length and gradient. The ups are just long enough to get the heart pumping, and the downs are just steep enough to add a little zest to the ride. The road surface, for the most part, is smooth with only a few rocky places to bounce over.
You can ride this loop in either direction, clockwise or counter-clockwise. We recommend that you ride it counter-clockwise. That way, the last 1.2 miles of the ride, along heavily traveled FR 108, is downhill and over in the shortest time possible.
Access/Road Conditions: Drive 4 miles west of Williams on I-40 to the Devil Dog Interchange. Exit the highway and turn south on FR 108. Follow FR 108 for about 9.2 miles to FR 41 and the Stage Stop Loop Ride. Park your car here and have a good ride. FR 108 is suitable for sedans.
Round Mountain Loop
This ride follows a little used forest road that passes through virtually every type of ponderosa pine habitat you'll find on the south Kaibab. The scenery here is diverse and close-up. Along the roadside you'll see dog hair thickets of spindly ponderosa saplings, groups of medium-sized blackjack ponderosas and more open communities of tall yellow pine ponderosas. In spite of all the different names, and all the different appearances, they're all the same tree species. There are even a few areas of forest here that are lush with undergrowth, a real rarity in northern Arizona.
The route itself is interesting too. There are a number of ups and downs with some fun curves to add spice to the ride. There's even a dip or two through a rocky creek bed. Watch for wildlife along the way. The Round Mountain Loop adds up to an interesting ride that'll keep you wondering what's around the next bend.
Length: 10.4 miles
Season: April through November
Use: Light
Rating: Moderate to strenuous
USGS Map: (15' Quad) Bill Williams Mountain
Route Description: The Round Mountain Loop follows FR 138 for most of its length. This secondary forest road is dirt surfaced, narrow, and winding - just right for a mountain bike ride. The route is hilly with some steep grades, accounting for the strenuous rating. Motorized vehicle traffic on the road is light but there is a chance of meeting another traveler.
Access/Road Conditions: Drive 8.5 miles south out of Williams on 4th Street (County Road 73 ) to FR 110. Turn east and drive 10 more miles to FR 105. Follow FR 105 about 3 miles to FR 138. FR 105 and FR 138 can become very muddy and slippery when wet. A high clearance vehicle is recommended on the latter section of FR 105 and FR 110.
Sycamore Point Ride
Most people come to this ride for the view of Sycamore Canyon at the overlook, but the scenery along the way is worth the trip, too. The ride starts out in a ponderosa pine forest where big pines and bright green Gambel oaks stand in clumps by the roadside. Farther into the ride, the trees give way to broad grasslands dotted with alligator junipers. These squat, spreading trees have been pruned into bizarre shapes by years of cattle browsing, creating a landscape that looks like something straight out of Africa.
At road's end, the view is spectacular. Sycamore Canyon with its buff cliffs of Coconino Sandstone drops precipitously at your feet. To the north, San Francisco Peaks seem to rise right out of the upper reaches of this chasm, creating a landscape that encompasses 8,000 feet of elevation change, from canyon floor to mountain summit. Mingus Mountain and the Verde Valley complete the panorama to the south.
Length: 10 mires round-trip
Rating: Moderate
Season: April to November
Use: Moderate
USGS Map: Sycamore Point
Route Description: The Sycamore Point Ride follows FR 110 out and back to the scenic overlook. This road is used by a moderate amount of motorized traffic, so be prepared to share the road with vehicles. The road surface is reasonably smooth with no steep grades. There is no possibility of a loop ride, although you could start a ride at White Horse Lake and use a different return route from the Sycamore Point Road Intersection (see map).
Access/Road Conditions: Drive 8.5 miles south out of Williams on 4th Street ( County Road 73 ) to FR 110. Turn east and drive on FR 1 10 to FR 109 junction. Turn left on FR 109 and follow it to the junction with FR 12. Follow FR 12 for 4 miles to its junction with FR 110. Park here. The ride follows FR 110 from this point. All roads are passable by passenger cars in most weather.
Alternate Route: Take I-40 east from Williams to the Garland Prairie Exit (#167). Turn right onto FR 141 and head south for about 8 miles to the junction with FR 109. Continue south on FR 109 for about 6 miles and continue south on FR 12. Follow FR 12 for 4 miles to its junction with FR 110.
Sunflower Flat/Perkins Tank Loop
This ride is actually two rides in one. The first follows a secondary road through flat open forest country with a short detour to one of the best views on the forest. The second traces a course around secondary and primitive forest roads through some of the wildest area of any ride on the south Kaibab.
Sunflower Hat Road (FR 14) leads you down a quiet country road past a historic cabin surrounded by forests and meadows. J. D. Cabin, off the road and down a short road, is a historic homestead with cabin, barn, and corral settled in the 1870's. James Douglas is buried nearby. His cabin is not open to the public, but it does give a good idea of how pioneers in this area once lived. It also makes a good backdrop for a photograph.
Notice that the forests in this area have been logged extensively in the past. (The oldest, tallest stumps were hand cut with crosscut sews.) At the end of FR 14, turn left on FR 747, left again on FR 110 and ride about a half mile to a great view of a highland meadow with the San Francisco Peaks in the background. A picturesque log corral makes a good foreground for a photograph.
The Perkins Tank portion of the ride starts at the intersection of Fit's 14 and 747. You can drive to this intersection and just ride the loop, or you can combine the two rides for a longer, more varied outing. The Perkins Tank Loop follows FR 747 up and over Morgan Hill through open forest. Mule deer frequently can be seen staring back at you from the roadside. After crossing FR 110, FR 147 takes you down a grassy valley and up a steep climb to FR 147A. This road takes you through country that is remote and relatively undisturbed. The road itself is little more than a trail. Watch for wildlife and a good view of the San Francisco Peaks. Where the road surface changes to cinders, you can take a short detour down to Perkins Tank for a little bird watching and trout fishing. Then it's down Perkins Knoll to FR 110 and back to the trailhead.
Length: 6.2/9.2 =15.4 miles total
Use: Moderate
Season: April through November
Difficulty: Moderate/strenuous
USGS Map: (15' Quad) Sycamore Point
Route Description: The ride follows a number of different forest roads. They vary considerably, but most are infrequently traveled, narrow and winding. There are a few steep climbs separated by a lot of easy riding. The surfaces are mostly smooth with just a few rocky places. FR 147A is a dirt jeep track for most of its length. (It can easily turn into mud in wet weather.) Because of the length of the ride and a couple of lengthy climbs the total loop is rated strenuous.
Access/Road Conditions: Take I-40 east from Williams to the Garland Prairie Exit (#167). Turn right onto FR 141 and head south for about 8 miles to the junction with FR 109. Continue south on FR 109 for about 2 miles to the FR 12 junction. Pare here. All roads are suitable for sedans.
Spring Valley Loop
The Spring Valley Loop offers a ride on remote roads and trails with good views, and abundant wildlife. Since the route serves as a cross country ski trail in winter, it offers the fat tire rider some interesting ups and downs, too. Early in the ride you'll pass Shoot 'Em Up Dick Tank where there is a handy little bench for a lunch stop. If you're not hungry yet, you can still take a minute to enjoy the impressive view of Kendrick Peak.
The route then climbs to the top of Eagle Rock Pass where there is another good view complete with a picturesque snag in the foreground. The trail really gets rugged here, for about a hundred yards, so shoulder up your bike and give it a ride for a change. Down off the hairiest part of the slope, you can look forward to about a mile of solid downhill. The last part of the ride involves tracing the ski trail back through the ponderosa pines to the trailhead.
Length: 8.0 miles
Season: April to November
Use: Light
Rating: Moderate to strenuous
USGS Map: Parks
Route Description: The Spring Valley Mountain Bike Ride follows a course that in winter serves as a cross country ski trail. The route itself includes everything from forest roads that support a modest amount of motorized traffic to narrow backcountry trails. There are a couple of long up hills and down hills along the ride, both of which have short steep sections. We advise you carry your bike down off of Eagle Rock Pass.
Access/Road Conditions: Drive east 14.5 miles from Williams to the Parks Exit. Turn north and west across the highway to the Parks in the Pines General Store, and then north on FR 141 just west of the store. The Spring Valley Ski Trail parking lot is 6.5 miles north of Parks. All roads may be accessed by sedans.
Coxcombs Loop
This ride has it all - history, scenery, and wildlife. Its length is about right for a half day ride with a picnic or for an early evening workout. The route winds through a habitat dubbed the"transition zone." Here, stands of ponderosa pine and pinyon juniper take turns being the predominant forest type. It also passes through some stands of tall old-growth yellow pine, a rare treat in this day of intensive timber management. There are open meadows along the way, too. They provide good long distance views of Kendrick and Sitgreaves mountains to the east as well Picacho Peak and Mt. Floyd to the west.
In some areas, the route travels through cleared pastures created to grow more grass for livestock. This is a good place to keep a lookout for pronghorns. This is sheep grazing country so you will probably see a sheepherder's camp or two. Usually, these are occupied by herders whose history traces to the Basque region of Spain, Mexico, or South America.
At one point, a short spur leads to historic Laws Spring. This perennial seep was visited by Lt. Edward F. Beale, a retired navy officer who constructed the first federal road across the southwest in 1857. Beale became famous not just for building this transcontinental road, but for the fact that he used the project to test the usefulness of camels as beasts of burden in the Southwest. They passed that test with flying colors even though the mule skinners turned thumbs down on the animals because of "their foul smell and evil temper." The Lieutenant had some of the durable beasts with him when he passed through this area. Beale's road is marked with rock cairns which you will see in a couple of places as you ride.
Length: 9 miles (outer loop)
Rating: Moderate
Season: Spring through Late Fall
Use: Light
USGS Map: (15' Quad) Williams
Route Description: The Coxcombs Loop follows a sparsely traveled road that climbs and dips over rolling terrain. The hills are all of moderate length and gradient, and the road surface is fairly smooth. FR 136 bisects the loop and can provide a "shortcut" if you only want to ride part of the trail. A loop from the trailhead via the shortcut is 5.9 miles for the southern route and 7.7 miles for the northern one.
Access/Road Conditions: Drive east from Williams on Interstate 40 to the Parks Exit (west from Flagstaff). Turn north across the highway and west to the Parks in the Pines General Store. Turn north just west of the store on FR 141 and continue a total of 9.7 miles from the Interstate to FR 97. Take a scenic detour on FR 97 to rejoin FR 141 in 2.4 miles. Continue on FR 141 for 2.7 miles and turn north on FR 730 2.2 miles to FR 115. Drive 0.5 miles on FR 115 to the FR 136 intersection and park. A high clearance vehicle is recommended for all Forest Roads listed here except for FR 141.
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