Kachina Peaks Wilderness

Here's a Wilderness experience that takes you as high as you can get in Arizona. This 18,960 acre roadless area encompasses most of the upper reaches of the San Francisco Peaks including Humphreys Peak, Arizona's highest point at 12,643 feet. The area is named for the Hopi gods or Kachinas whom that culture's mythology tells us live here for part of every year. In mid-summer these Gods fly from the top of the peaks to the Hopi mesas as clouds bringing the nourishing rains of the seasonal monsoons.

Not surprisingly, this most prominent feature on the northern Arizona landscape is sacred to all of the area's indigenous people and has become a source of awe and wonder to its more recently arrived visitors and residents as well.

A number of trails offer access to this mountain which is a dormant volcano that last erupted roughly two million years ago. Some of those trails lead to the top of the several peaks which form the rim of the mountain's inner basin, a huge caldera which was formed during the mountain's most recent volcanic cataclysm. That once inhospitable crater now supports a thriving stand of white barked aspens and hardy mixed conifers. Other routes offer access to the forests and meadows which carpet the mountain's lower slopes. Views from any of these trails are well worth the effort of a visit.

Location: 6 miles north of Flagstaff.

Access: Drive north from Flagstaff on U.S. 180 or U.S. 89. From U.S. 180, the Snowbowl Road and FR 418 and FR 420 provide access. From U. S. 89, FR's 418 and 420 provide access to lower slopes. FR 552 leads to Lockett Meadow and easiest access to the Inner Basin.

Attractions: Wilderness solitude, Trails for hiking and horseback riding, Mountain scenery, Wildlife viewing, Fall colors

Notes:
No mechanized or motorized equipment or vehicles, including bicycles, in Wilderness.
Hiking or camping off-trail above 11,400 feet is prohibited in order to protect the San Francisco Peaks Groundsel.
There is no camping in the Inner Basin.
Backcountry Permits are required in winter.

Read Question and Answer on Winter Activities in the Kachina Peaks Wilderness [CLICK HERE]

Trails in the Wilderness: Humphreys Peak #151, Kachina #150, Weatherford #102 , Bear Jaw #26, Abineau #127, and Inner Basin #29

View Slide Show "Hiking the Kachina Peaks Wilderness Trails" Use left and right arrows for navagation. Use "Esc" key to exit.

Additional Source: The Wilderness Institute (a non-Forest Service site - this link will open in a new browser window)

For more information contact:
Peaks Ranger Station, 5075 N. Highway 89, Flagstaff, Arizona 86004, (928) 526-0866