Fall Color Guide

hikes For a slower paced symphonie d'automne, take a stroll along some of Arizona's pristine footpaths. Match the green-boxed letters of the trail descriptions below to the corresponding letters marking their general location on the map. north

A North Kaibab Trail DIFFICULTY: Strenuous ELEVATION: 5,200-8,250 feet LENGTH: 2.7-4.7 miles one way ACCESS: Follow SR 67 south from Grand Canyon National Park entrance gate, 11 miles to trailhead on east side of road. TREES: Aspen, maple, oak, cottonwood, boxelder, creeping barberry TIMING: Early Oct. CONTACT: Grand Canyon National Park, (928) 638-7888 FEE: $20 per car park entry fee

B Hart Prairie Preserve, nature walks Mondays and Sundays at 10 A.M., through mid-Oct. DIFFICULTY: Easy ELEVATION: 8,500 feet LENGTH: 2 miles ACCESS: From Route 66 in Flagstaff, take Humphrey's Street to Fort Valley Plaza shopping center to where street dead-ends at the top of the hill. Meet van at southwest corner of parking lot.

TREES: Aspen, willow TIMING: Summer through mid-Oct. CONTACT: Rebecca Garrett, the Nature Conservancy, Hart Prairie Preserve, (928) 774-8892 FEE: Free

central

C West Fork Trail, Secret Mountain Wilderness DIFFICULTY: Easy ELEVATION: 5,400-5,500 feet LENGTH: 3 miles one way ACCESS: From Sedona, take SR 89A north 9.9 miles to Call of the Canyon parking area. TREES: Apple, boxelder, ash, canyon grape, maple, dogwood, willow, Virginia creeper TIMING: Mid-Oct. CONTACT: Coconino National Forest, (928) 282-4119 FEE: $7 parking fee D Verde River Greenway DIFFICULTY: Easy ELEVATION: 3,300 feet LENGTH: 1.5 mile loop Madera Canyon FR 62 & 70 (White House Canyon Road) CONDITION: Paved MILES: 15 one way (1-19 to Roundup Campground) ELEVATION: 2,972-5,200 feet TREES: Oak, ash, maple, willow TIMING: Mid-Sept. to mid-Oct. CONTACT: Coronado National Forest, (520) 281-2296 ACCESS: From Clarkdale, take U.S. 89A (Main Street) to 10th Street. Take a right onto 10th Street and follow to park entrance. From park entrance, take Dead Horse Ranch Road to the trailhead at the West Lagoon parking area. TREES: Cottonwood, willow TIMING: Late Oct. to mid-Nov. CONTACT: Dead Horse Ranch State Park, (928) 634-5283 FEE: $6 per car fee The Fossil Creek Trail DIFFICULTY: Strenuous ELEVATION: 4,300-5,800 feet LENGTH: 3.5 miles one way ACCESS: From SR 87 in Strawberry, take FR 708 4.5 miles to trailhead TREES: Ash, boxelder, cottonwood, hop, oak, sycamore TIMING: Late Oct. CONTACT: Coconino National Forest, (928) 282-4119 FEE: N/A Boyce Thompson Arboretum DIFFICULTY: Easy ELEVATION: 2,400 feet LENGTH: 1.5 mile loop ACCESS: Take U.S. 60 east of Phoenix to Mile Marker 223. TREES: Chinese pistachio, combredum, sumac, walnut TIMING: Mid-Nov. to early Dec.; open daily 8 A.Μ.-5 Ρ.Μ.

CONTACT: (520) 689-2811 FEE: $7.50, adults; $3, children 5-12 years

east

Escudilla National Recreation Trail DIFFICULTY: Strenuous ELEVATION: 9,480-10,876 feet LENGTH: 3 miles one way ACCESS: Take U.S. 191 south 3 miles past Nutrioso to Milepost 421 and head east on FR 56 (aka FR 8056) 4.9 miles to trailhead.

TREES: Aspen TIMING: Late Sept. to early Oct. CONTACT: Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, (928) 339-4384 FEE: N/A

south

Ramsey Canyon Preserve Trail DIFFICULTY: Easy ELEVATION: 5,700-5,900 feet LENGTH: .5 miles one way ACCESS: Take SR 92 6 miles south of Sierra Vista to Ramsey Canyon Road. Drive west 3.5 miles to Nature Conservancy's Ramsey Canyon Preserve and trailhead. TREES: Sycamore, maple, ash, cottonwood, willow TIMING: Mid-Oct. to early Nov. CONTACT: Ramsey Canyon Preserve, (520) 378-2785 FEE: $5, adults; free, children 15 years and under Miller Canyon Trail DIFFICULTY: Strenuous ELEVATION: 5,780-8,550 feet LENGTH: 4 miles one way ACCESS: Take SR 92 south from Sierra Vista to FR 56 (Miller Canyon Road). Head west on FR 56, 2.4 miles to trailhead. TREES: Sycamore, cottonwood, maple, ash, skunkbushes TIMING: Early Nov. CONTACT: Coronado National Forest, (520) 378-0311 FEE: N/A online Find more information on these drives and hikes, plus five additional fall color drives and 30 hikes at arizonahighways.com (Click on "Fall Color Guide")

Outtakes from a new book speak volumes about the mysteries of Sedona

SHARING A SECRET

Text and photographs by Larry Lindahl