FALL COLOR GUIDE

Whether you're in the mood for a leisurely drive or a forest stroll, there are plenty of ways to experience Arizona's autumn hues. Here are 17 of them.

Drives

Snowbowl Road from U.S. Route 180 CONDITION: Paved DISTANCE: 7 miles one way ELEVATION: 7,200 to 9,000 feet TREES: Aspen (groves in top 2 miles) TIMING: Mid-September to mid-October CONTACT: Flagstaff Ranger District, 928-526-0866 or www.fs.usda.gov/coconino Bellemont to Parks (Historic Route 66) CONDITION: Good unpaved DISTANCE: 8.5 miles one way ELEVATION: 7,152 to 7,425 feet TREES: Aspen TIMING: Mid-September to mid-October CONTACT: Williams Ranger District, 928-635-5600 or www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab Flagstaff to Sedona (State Route 89A) CONDITION: Paved DISTANCE: 28 miles one way ELEVATION: 6,905 to 4,240 feet TREES: Apple, oak, cottonwood, fern, sycamore, walnut TIMING: Early October to early November CONTACT: Red Rock Ranger District, 928-203-2900 or www.fs.usda.gov/coconino Verde Canyon Railroad (Clarkdale to Perkinsville) DISTANCE: 20 miles one way ELEVATION: 3,225 to 3,550 feet TREES: Cottonwood, willow TIMING: Early October to early November CONTACT: Verde Canyon Railroad, 800-582-7245 or www.verdecanyonrr.com Springerville to Alpine (U.S. Route 191) CONDITION: Paved DISTANCE: 26 miles one way ELEVATION: 6,965 to 8,030 feet TREES: Aspen (on Escudilla Mountain) TIMING: Mid-September to mid-October CONTACT: Alpine Ranger District, 928-339-5000 or www.fs.usda.gov/asnf Madera Canyon (forest roads 62 and 70) CONDITION: Paved DISTANCE: 15 miles one way (from Inter-state 19 to Roundup Picnic Area) ELEVATION: 2,972 to 5,200 feet TREES: Oak, ash, maple, willow Jacob Lake to Grand Canyon Lodge (State Route 67) CONDITION: Paved DISTANCE: 48 miles one way ELEVATION: 7,921 to 8,200 feet TREES: Aspen TIMING: Mid-September to mid-October (snow closes road) CONTACT: North Kaibab Ranger District, 928-643-7395 or www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab Forest Road 22 CONDITION: Good unpaved DISTANCE: 0.7 miles (west of State Route 67) one way ELEVATION: 8,701 to 8,713 feet TREES: Aspen TIMING: Mid-September to mid-October (snow closes road) CONTACT: North Kaibab Ranger District, 928-643-7395 or www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab Lockett Meadow (Forest Road 552) from U.S. Route 89 CONDITION: Unpaved, with switch-backs; four-wheel-drive recommended DISTANCE: 4.7 miles one way ELEVATION: 8,560 feet TREES: Aspen TIMING: Mid-September to mid-October CONTACT: Flagstaff Ranger District, 928-526-0866 or www.fs.usda.gov/coconino Opposite PAGE, TOP: Aspen leaves gather on a lichen-covered rock near Hart Prairie Preserve, northwest of Flagstaff. RIGHT: Chinese pistachios are among the trees on display at Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park, near Superior.

Hikes North Kaibab Trail

Difficulty: Strenuous

elevation: 8,250 to 5,200 feet

length: 2.7 to 4.7 miles one way access: From the Grand Canyon National Park entrance station, go south on State Route 67 for 11 miles to the trail-head, on the east side of the road.

trees: Aspen, maple, oak, cottonwood, boxelder, creeping barberry

timing: Early October

contact: Grand Canyon National Park, 928-638-7888 or www.nps.gov/grca

fee: Park entry fee ($35 per vehicle)

Hart Prairie Preserve

nature walks: Sundays at 10 a.m. from June through September

Difficulty: Easy

elevation: 8,500 feet

length: 2 miles

access: From Historic Route 66 in Flagstaff, go north on Humphreys Street to the Fort Valley Plaza shopping center, where the street dead-ends at the top of the hill. Meet the van at the south-west corner of the parking lot.

trees: Aspen, willow

Timing: June through September

Contact: Hart Prairie Preserve, 928-779-6129 or www.nature.org/arizona

Fee: None

Timing: Mid-September to mid-October Contact: Nogales Ranger District, 520-281-2296 or www.fs.usda.gov/coronado

West Fork Trail, Red RockSecret Mountain Wilderness

Difficulty: Easy

elevation: 5,400 to 5,500 feet

length: 3 miles one way access: From Sedona, go north on State Route 89A for 9.9 miles to the Call of the Canyon parking area.

trees: Apple, boxelder, ash, canyon grape, maple, dogwood, willow, Virginia creeper

Timing: Mid-October

Contact: Red Rock Ranger District, 928-203-2900 or www.fs.usda.gov/ coconino

Fee: Parking fee ($10 per vehicle)

Verde River Greenway

Difficulty: Easy

Elevation: 3,300 feet

Length: 2 miles one way Access: From Clarkdale, take State Route 89A (Main Street) to 10th Street. Turn right onto 10th Street and continue to the Dead Horse Ranch State Park entrance. From there, take Dead Horse Ranch Road to the trail-head at the West Lagoon parking area.

Trees: Cottonwood, willow

Timing: Late October to mid-November

Contact: Dead Horse Ranch State Park, 928-634-5283 or www.azstateparks .com/dead-horse

Fee: Park entry fee ($7 per vehicle)

Fossil Creek Trail

Difficulty: Strenuous

Elevation: 5,800 to 4,300 feet

Length: 3.5 miles one way Access: From State Route 87 in Strawberry, go west on Forest Road 708 for 4.5 miles to the trailhead.

trees: Ash, boxelder, cottonwood, oak, sycamore timing: Late October contact: Red Rock Ranger District, 928-203-2900 or www.fs.usda.gov/coconino fee: None for October 2 through March 31; $10 permit required for April 1 through October 1

Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park

difficulty: Easy

elevation: 2,400 feet

length: 1.5-mile loop access: From Phoenix, go east on u.s. Route 60 to Mile Marker 223, near Superior.

trees: Chinese pistachio, combretum, sumac, walnut timing: Mid-November to early December; open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

contact: Boyce Thomspon Arboretum State Park, 520-689-2811 or www .azstateparks.com/boyce-thompson fee: Park entry fee ($12.50 for adults, $5 for children ages 5 to 12)

West Baldy Trail

difficulty: Moderate

elevation: 9,287 to 11,420 feet

length: 7 miles one way access: From Eagar, go west on State Route 260 for 18.7 miles to State Route 273. Turn left onto SR 273 and continue south for 8.6 miles to the trailhead at Sheeps Crossing.

trees: Aspen

timing: September

contact: Springerville Ranger District, 928-333-6200 or www.fs.usda.gov/asnf

fee: None

Hamburg Trail

difficulty: Moderate

elevation: 5,498 to 6,826 feet

length: 2.8 miles one way Access: From Sierra Vista, go south on State Route 92 for 6 miles to Ramsey Canyon Road, then go west for 3.5 miles to The Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Preserve and the trailhead.

Trees: Sycamore, maple, ash, cotton-wood, willow

Timing: Mid-October to early November

Contact: Ramsey Canyon Preserve, 520-378-2785 or www.nature.org/ arizona Fee: Preserve entry fee ($6 per person); free for children under 16