KEY INFO
LOCATION Telephone Hill to US 89A
DISTANCE 17.2 miles one-way
DAY-TRIP OPTION See turnaround note in the trail description.
SHUTTLE RECOMMENDATION Murray Lake (FR 205) Trailhead (passage mile 8.6)
DIFFICULTY Easy
LAND MANAGER Kaibab National Forest, North Kaibab Ranger District, www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab, 928-643-7395
RECOMMENDED MONTHS April–October
GATEWAY COMMUNITIES See North Rim to Jacob Lake and Page.
GEOLOGY HIGHLIGHTS Not applicable
The first half of Passage 41 crosses an area burned by the 2006 Warm Fire. The ponderosa pine forest was totally incinerated, but new growth of aspen trees and many species of grasses, shrubs, and flowers are beginning the natural restoration process. The AZT was reopened to users on August 15, 2011, after several years of clearing a corridor of dead timber and restoration of the trail by the U.S. Forest Service.
Beyond the burn area, the pleasant hiking and mountain biking experience of the Kaibab Plateau Trail (Trail 101) continues. As the trail gradually descends, the spruce trees of the previous passage give way to stands of ponderosa pine, and the land is noticeably drier. You’re unlikely to encounter any free-flowing water. The trail crosses many dirt roads in this passage, but they are not busy. Hunting is popular here in the fall; consult the U.S. Forest Service for information about hunting seasons.
From the top of Telephone Hill at 8,848 feet, the AZT departs northbound, parallel to AZ 67, on a renovated logging skid road that has been converted into singletrack. It passes through the burn area of the 2006 Warm Fire; dead timber has been cleared back about 100 yards on either side of the trail.
At mile 5.5 the trail turns to the right (east) and drops steeply into a wooded canyon largely spared from the fire. The trail bends left (northwest) to climb out of the canyon. After a high point, it crosses a jeep road and makes a rolling descent on an old road to the northwest. Evidence of the Warm Fire fades, and the AZT crosses FR 205 at the Murray’s Lake Trailhead near a parking lot and a toilet, and continues northward (see Turnaround Note, next page).
The high elevation and extreme climate of the Kaibab Plateau typically keep the trail blanketed with snow from November through May.
TURNAROUND NOTE: Day-hikers who haven’t arranged a car shuttle should consider the Murray’s Lake/FR 205 Trailhead their turnaround spot. Although it’s tempting to continue heading north, the trailhead is 8.6 miles into the passage.
Following carsonite posts, the singletrack continues northward parallel to FR 205. It soon crosses two obscure forest roads and then rolls over flat, open forest terrain. The AZT crosses FR 205 when this road turns to the northwest and continues on to cross FR 205B. At mile 11.3 the trail passes a water-collection facility for wildlife, with a large storage tank on the right and a pond that may have seasonal water. The trail turns to the left and descends to an abandoned gas pipeline road in the bottom of the drainage. Follow the drainage downslope for the next 3 miles to pass a gravel pit and continue on a wide, old roadbed to the northwest.
The next seasonal water source, at mile 15.5, is Big Ridge Tank (7,738 feet). At the far side of the tank, the AZT follows a singletrack to the right (north-northwest). After crossing a dirt road, the trail proceeds northeast across a ridge. At an intersection marked by a sign for FR 258B/C, it turns left (north) and continues 0.2 mile on the road to a sign that marks a singletrack climbing away from the road to the right (north). Follow this trail 0.5 mile to reach the parking lot and Orderville Trailhead at the end of Passage 41. At the trailhead is a permanent toilet and a large wooden sign marking the first segment of the AZT, dedicated in 1988.
This passage’s cycling is mostly easy, with a clear trail and just a few steep climbs and descents. It’s another one of the destination trails for mountain bikers visiting northern Arizona. For more information about mountain biking along the Arizona National Scenic Trail, visit aztrail.org.
About 13.5 miles south of Jacob Lake on AZ 67, look for a sign pointing to FR 429 on the west side. Do not turn right onto FR 429, but instead turn left (east) onto FR 241. In 0.1 mile, the AZT crosses the road, but there is no parking here. Continue another 0.1 mile to a little campsite on the left, where you may be able to park.
From Jacob Lake, head east on US 89A for 2.2 miles, and then turn right (south) on FR 205. The trailhead is on the left after 0.1 mile.