Sunset Trail - Mt. Eldon - Flagstaff, AZ August 9, 2014

Sunset Trail Head

What better way to start off a Saturday in the cool pines of Flagstaff after a great breakfast at Miz Zip's Cafe on Route 66 than to take in the beauty with a hike.  So after looking at the hiking trail map we decided that Sunset Trail would be the hike for the day.  Temperatures were perfect for hiking and it was a bit cloudy which was even better.  The road to the Trail Head is just off of Route 66 and Schultz Pass Rd which is a dirt road with some wash board areas so take it slow and hopefully you have a truck that can handle this type of area better than a car.  

The parking area is clearly marked and there are rest room facilities at this trail head.  This trail is easy to find and is a nice trail with very little rock and a gentle incline that is easy to maneuver, just keep in mind the elevation difference that we valley dwellers are not typically used and thinner air.  We met a lot of mountain bikers on this trail so be mindful of that as they can appear out of nowhere at times.  First stop was at Schultz Tank a pond like body of water with a back drop of the mountains.  A really amazing view.  

Then we continued onto the Sunset Trail to make our way to the lookout point.

Sometimes I think we forget about all the beauty that Arizona offers us and that we have this amazing forest area just a few hours away.  It was great to see how green everything was and that there was a low fire danger since they have been getting plenty of rain this year.  Here are a few pictures along the trail.

As you can see lots of green everywhere.  It was also nice to see the younger trees that were growing since the Schultz fire of 2010 in this area.  Once at the top here was our view:

So peaceful and serene the only sounds were the wind through the pines and the low rumbling of thunder.  A great place to clear your mind and rejuvenate your body, mind & soul that is for sure.  You can see in the photos where the Schultz fire had destroyed the trees.  

Round trip hiking miles approx. 5 miles.  This is a great hike and one I would definitely take again.