KEY INFO
LOCATION US 89A to Winter Road
DISTANCE 17 miles
DAY-TRIP OPTION There are no obvious intermediate destinations along this passage, so day-trippers without a car shuttle should reverse their route based on individual endurance. The trail gradually loses elevation from start to finish, with a dramatic descent occurring after passage mile 7.2. Before your energy levels are halfway drained, remember that it’s all uphill back to US 89A.
SHUTTLE RECOMMENDATION FR 248 (passage mile 11.6)
DIFFICULTY Moderate
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 Arizona National Scenic Trail’s (AZT’s) final major ecosystem change occurs on this route. The trail begins in a ponderosa pine forest and descends into high desert populated with sagebrush, juniper trees, and creeping prickly pear. The trail is frequently faint, but cairns and signs for Trail 101 mark the route.
Descending from the Kaibab Plateau to the Great Basin Conifer Woodland, the landscape is soon covered with red dirt and big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata).
From the parking area at 7,523 feet, follow the dirt road north 50 yards to the paved highway. Bear diagonally right, and carefully cross the highway to a dirt road on the other side. Look for a sign on the right that says KAIBAB PLATEAU TRAIL #101. Follow a singletrack into the trees behind the sign, trending slightly east of north. After 0.2 mile, turn right at a barbed-wire fence and follow the fence line for 20 yards. Then curve left to follow a bend in the fence. In the next 0.5 mile the AZT winds its way along or near the fence. The trail is easy to follow as it makes its way to a ravine. The trail trends north, crossing FR 249 at a right angle. Follow signs for Trail 101.
Continue northward, staying above Orderville Canyon (to the west) and keeping dirt FR 249 to the east. The trail veers right (northeast) to cross at a right angle. After you cross another road at mile 4, the trail becomes invisible, but cairns show the way. The route parallels Orderville Canyon, which remains on your left (west). Stay away from the frequent doubletracks that try to lure you away to the east. Look for cairns to assist you.
Cross FR 249 about 5.5 miles from the start of this passage, and continue due north through a burn area, following cairns. The AZT continues to trend between northeast and northwest, occasionally crossing dirt roads. The trail descends into a shallow ravine, which it follows through ponderosa pines. The ravine ends abruptly at a gigantic clearing covered with sagebrush. Government Reservoir is across FR 247 about 500 yards but rarely has water.
The route is obvious, as a clear swath has been cut through the sage, heading north along the far right (east) side of this open area. Where the sagebrush ends, it becomes harder to follow the trail. Just keep the piñon and juniper trees close on your right, and follow denuded ground that indicates a trail. You come to an intersection with the Navajo Trail, which leads 0.25 mile west to Joe’s Reservoir.
The trail winds through a pleasant high-desert forest of juniper and small pines for the next mile and then enters another large field of sage and promptly disappears. Look for an obscure swath through the sagebrush slightly west of north. Cross a faint road at a right angle and reenter the trees. In 1 mile, the forest gives way to a gothic landscape of dead trees where the trail disappears again. Continue in the same direction to reach the other side.
Indian paintbrush (Castilleja linariifolia) is a familiar flower along Passage 42.
From south to north, Passage 42 follows a downhill grade toward the Utah border.
In 0.5 mile, you cross another large field of sage, but there is an obvious trail corridor. The AZT crosses a doubletrack and a sturdy barbed-wire fence. In 0.2 mile, after another road-and-fence encounter, a trail lined with logs and debris winds to the northeast. You reach Winter Road, or BLM Road 1025 at 6,531 feet and the end of Passage 42. There is a decent campsite about 250 yards west of Winter Road.
The riding on this passage is mostly easy. Downed timber and soft ground present the toughest obstacles. For more information about mountain biking along the Arizona National Scenic Trail, visit aztrail.org.
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.
From US 89A, at House Rock Road, 13.7 miles east of Jacob Lake, turn north on House Rock Road for 15.6 miles to Winter Road (BLM Road 1025). Turn left (west) on Winter Road for 3.7 miles to the AZT, where a large metal AZT sign indicates the trailhead.