After our stopover at Navajo National Monument we drove up to the Kaibab National Forest to camp for a couple weeks. I’ve mentioned it before; we normally boondock in each spot for a full two weeks then leave to dump and refill water and find a new spot. This forest is huge and there are a ton of spots. We’re in a flower field surrounded by pine trees and it’s very quiet…nobody for miles. Perfect.
We have ridden a lot of the Arizona Trail but the sections up here in the northern part of the state are new to us. First up was a section of the Arizona Trail Kaibab Plateau North. During the summer of 2020, the Mangum Fire scorched 71,450 acres on the Kaibab National Forest and you can still see remnants here and there on the trail. This is easy riding if you’re used to elevation (this day topped out at 7652′). It’s not technical riding, just a lot of pretty forest riding along hillsides. Luckily we have spent most of the year above 6000′ so we’re well acclimated.
At one point the trail gets pretty feint, I’m not sure how many people use this section since it’s remote from a population center. In fact, chances are you’ll only encounter a few people on this trail. Since the trail is open to hikers and even horseback riders, never fear if you aren’t a mountain biker. I hiked part of it and that’s wonderful as well.
Leave a Reply