Slate Mountain Trail
Prickly pear cactus blooms fading as they start to form fruit.
This 2.4 mile moderately easy hiking trail rises from 7,362 feet to 8,215 feet in elevation to the top of Slate Mountain. The trail takes you through pinyon pine, ponderosa pine, and mixed conifer vegetation types. At the top, you'll discover a tremendous view of the San Francisco Peaks, Kendrick Mountain, and surrounding area.
This trail is one of the Coconino National Forest's premier day hikes. Actually an old jeep track, now used solely as a foot trail, the trail climbs gradually, but steadily, along a wide gravel track to some of the most fantastic views on the forest.
Near the top of the climb, the path spirals up the mountain's narrow summit like a stripe up a barber pole. The effect is as if you were riding past some of the Forest's most spectacular scenery on a huge lazy Susan. The San Francisco Peaks, Kendrick Mountain, Red Mountain, the Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, you can see them all, just by turning your head, from the top of Slate Mountain.
Photo taken July 3, 2017 by Deborah Lee Soltesz. Source: U.S. Forest Service, Coconino National Forest. Visit Slate Mountain Trail No. 128 and the Coconino National Forest for more information. Original public domain image from Flickr