Where to see Arizona's fall colors
Why do Arizonans like fall colors? Probably because so many of us aren't from here. We come from places with red and yellow canopies, places where the change of the seasons is not a subtle shift but a riot of color.
Like moths to a porch light, we flock to forests, before autumn changes to winter, before the desert transforms from furnace to paradise.
There's no prognosticating the peak time for fall colors. They can come early, or late, or pass their prime in a single windy night. Your best bet is simply to drive somewhere with lots of aspens.
You'll have to cross one of Arizona's most popular leaf-peeping destination off your list, however. The West Fork of Oak Creek, north of Sedona, remains closed in the wake of the Slide Fire. You can drive through the canyon, but the forest is closed to hiking and you may not park anywhere along State Route 89A.
Here are other time-tested places to look for autumn color. Tip: If you plan to venture off the pavement, get a good map from a sporting-goods or map store. Don't rely on GPS — service can be sketchy out in the trees.
White Mountains
Greens Peak, off Forest Road 117 north of State Route 260 between Sunrise Park Resort and Greer, is an excellent vantage point. Waves of green and yellow unfold as you look out at the hills below.
But that's not all. After you've enjoyed the view from the top, you can drive a forest loop that winds through broad stands of aspens. Just continue along FR 117 and then FR 118 to get back to the highway.
The forest roads are graded dirt and gravel. There are several deep ruts on the way to the top of Greens Peak, but most cars can make it if driven with care.
You also can see colors on FR 249 between Alpine and Big Lake, and along U.S. 191 from Hannagan Meadow to Blue Vista Viewpoint. There may be road construction during the weekdays on FR 249.
"There are some nice aspen stands," said Don Hoffman, a former Forest Service ranger and president of the Arizona Wilderness Coalition.
The drive from SR 260 to Big Lake is another good option. Turn south at SR 273, the turnoff for Sunrise Lake and Sunrise Park Resort. This is a paved road. You'll see stands of color, as well as burn areas from the Wallow Fire.
"The fire, of course, has affected some of these areas," Hoffman said. "The big landscape photos are not what they used to be."
You are welcome to drive back roads on the Fort Apache Reservation, but you'll need a permit, available at the Sunrise General Store on SR 273, to hike, bike or fish.
Details: 928-333-4301, www.fs.usda.gov/asnf.
North Rim, Grand Canyon
What could be better than seeing nice fall colors? Seeing the Grand Canyon while you're at it. That's why the North Rim is a perfect place to go looking for aspens.
You'll cross the Colorado River and pass the red rocks of Marble Canyon and Vermilion Cliffs. Once you climb to the Kaibab Plateau, it's possible to see golden aspens and Canyon views in one afternoon.
The Forest Service recommends going south on SR 67 from Jacob Lake, then turning west on FR 212 and south on FR 462 to see leaves.
The Kaibab Plateau also is a great place to see wildlife, including elk, deer and eagles. You may even see buffalo from a transplanted herd. The area is popular with deer hunters this time of year, so exercise caution if you go hiking.
Details: 928-643-7298, www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab. 928-638-7888, www.nps.gov/grca.
Potato Patch Loop
The Hualapai Mountains near Kingman come as a bit of a surprise as you drive in the Mojave Desert. They rise to an elevation of about 8,400 feet, perfect for ponderosa pines and aspens.
Check them out at Hualapai Mountain Park. It has rental cabins, campgrounds and a trail system.
The Potato Patch Loop, named for potatoes grown nearby a century ago, takes you around Aspen Peak. Start at the Aspen Springs Trail and follow the switchbacks through pine and oak. When you reach the signed junction with the Potato Patch Loop, follow it to the right. The trail has a number of impressive cabin-size boulders. After about 1.5 miles, you'll pass a rock formation known as the Three Gossips. Frequent breaks in the timber provide sprawling views of distant mountain ranges.
From Kingman, drive south on Hualapai Mountain Road for 14 miles. Stop at the ranger station for a trail map. Trails have numbered markers that coincide with the map. There is a $7 day-use fee.
Details: 928-681-5700, www.mcparks.com.
Abineau/Bear Jaw trails
On a clear day, you can see the Grand Canyon, 70 miles north of these trails in the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff.
The trails link up to form a scenic loop through forested canyons of mixed conifers and aspens. They are connected by an old road along the base of a long slope topped by Humphreys Peak, Arizona's highest point.
Both trails climb steadily — the Abineau is the steeper and more rubbly of the two, thanks to an avalanche in 2005.
Details: 928-526-0866, www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino.
Kachina Trail
Leaf-lovers can't go wrong with the Kachina Trail in the San Francisco Peaks. It starts from the parking area at Arizona Snowbowl, 14 miles north of Flagstaff off U.S. 180.
The trail follows a gently rolling course across the midsection of the mountains, passing through conifer groves and thick stands of aspen that break apart against slanted meadows.
Limber pine and Douglas fir dominate some of the old-growth forests at the highest elevations. As the trail drops down to the south-facing slopes of Agassiz and Fremont peaks, ponderosa pines rise up in welcome.
The intersection of the Kachina and Weatherford trails is a good turn-around point for casual hikers. This is one hike where you'll enjoy the going as much as the coming.
Details: 928-526-0866, www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino.
Ski-resort skyride
At Arizona Snowbowl north of Flagstaff, visitors can get a bird's-eye view of the colors by riding the chairlift. Dress warmly — it's cold at 11,500 feet. The chairlift takes you to the top of an extinct volcano. The ride is offered Fridays-Sundays through mid-October. Cost is $10-$15.
Details: 928-779-1951, arizonasnowbowl.com.
Lower elevations
Oak Creek Canyon north of Sedona, and particularly the West Fork Trail, has been a premier destination for blazing displays of red maples and oaks.
Just in time for prime leaf-peeping season, Oak Creek Canyon north of Sedona opened for recreation last Wednesday. Camping, hiking and other activities were prohibited since the Slide Fire in June. Coconino National Forest, the Sedona Fire District and other agencies have determined that the risks posed by flash flooding are sufficiently reduced to allow hiking and other activities in the canyon. The most popular destination is the West Fork of Oak Creek.
Mogollon Rim country
"There's some places off the main Forest Road 300, the one that's on top of the Rim. There's a lot of fall color off Forest Road 300," said Brady Smith, a spokesman for Coconino National Forest. FR 300 is graded dirt and fine for cars.
You could also try See Canyon, east of Payson in Tonto National Forest. It follows Christopher Creek for about 2 miles. The trailhead is on FR 284 at Christopher Creek.
Details: 928-203-7500, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino. 928-474-7900, www.fs.usda.gov/tonto.
Fall-colors hotline
The U.S. Forest Service has a hotline and website with information on where colors are peaking. Call 800-354-4595 or go to www.fs.usda.gov/goto/r3/fallcolors.
Fall Fest
Slide Rock State Park in Oak Creek Canyon will celebrate its homesteading history during its annual Fall Fest.
Thirteen kinds of apples are grown on the homestead of innovative settler Frank Pendley. Other people passed on homesteading the site because they couldn't figure out how to get water from the creek to the orchard above. Pendley figured it out; the irrigation system still is used.
Scattered about the grounds are 1920s farming equipment, apple trees, the 4,026-square-foot Pendley house, a 6,696-square-foot apple-packing barn and three tourist cabins built in 1933.
The original apple-sorting machine will be in action during Fall Fest. There also will be talks, live music, demonstrations and exhibits, a bake sale and a silent auction.
Details: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4. 7 miles north of Sedona on SR 89A. $10 per vehicle. 928-282-3034, azstateparks.com/parks/SLRO.