Humphreys Peak Trail near Flagstaff: aspens, a saddle and a rocky ridge to the highest point in Arizona

Humphreys Peak is the highest point in Arizona, 12,633 feet up in the San Francisco Peaks outside Flagstaff, and the Humphreys Trail is the standard way to the top. It starts at the Arizona Snowbowl, climbs through pine and aspen to treeline, tops out on a saddle above the Inner Basin, and then follows a rocky ridge north to the summit.

The Forest Service lists Humphreys Trail No. 151 at 5 to 5.5 miles one way, starting at 9,340 feet with 3,420 feet of elevation gain, and rates it “very strenuous.” It estimates 3 to 4 hours one way. We measured the mapped trail from the trailhead to the summit and got 4.8 miles, climbing from 9,273 to 12,633 feet. That's the distance in our video. Published figures for this hike don't all agree, so plan on the Forest Service's longer number.

Getting there

The trail starts from the Arizona Snowbowl's lower parking lot, which the Forest Service puts 14.5 miles northwest of Flagstaff by Forest Road 516, the Snowbowl road. Hiking Project warns that you should expect crowds and that parking may be limited on weekends, so plan to arrive early.

Pine, aspen and the fall color

From the lot, the trail crosses the open ski slope and then heads into forest. Hiking Project describes this stretch as “mixed conifer and aspen forest,” and the trail climbs it on long switchbacks. Around Flagstaff, the high-elevation aspens usually start changing in the last week of September and peak from late September into early October, so this is the stretch to slow down on if you come in the fall.

The aerial imagery in our video was captured in July 2023, so the forest in it is summer green.

Treeline and the saddle

As you climb, the trees get shorter. Near treeline, the Forest Service says, what's left of the forest is “bristlecone pines bent and twisted by wind and frost.” Hiking Project puts treeline just below the saddle between Humphreys and Agassiz Peaks, where the Weatherford Trail comes in. The saddle gives you your first big view: the country to the west, and to the east the Inner Basin “of the now-extinct volcano,” in Hiking Project's words.

The ridge and the false summits

From the saddle, the Humphreys Trail turns north and follows the ridge. It's rocky and exposed, and Hiking Project says there is “no protection from the elements for the rest of the way.” It also mentions “a few steeper climbs and false summits.” You'll see a high point ahead, reach it, and see another one behind it. Keep going until there's nothing higher.

The summit

The top is Humphreys Peak, 12,633 feet. The Forest Service says “the Grand Canyon is easily visible on the horizon,” and lists the rest of the view as “the Grand Canyon, the Painted Desert, the mesas that are home to the Hopi Indians the Verde Valley and Oak Creek Canyon.” You'll need a clear day to pick them out, so give yourself a few minutes up there.

Stay on the trail above treeline

Above the trees, the Forest Service says, the only plants that survive are “small tundra shrubs and wildflowers that huddle for shelter among the rocks. Some are found nowhere else in the world.” To protect them, Coconino National Forest order 03-04-08-24-04 closes the alpine tundra above the 11,500-foot contour on Humphreys, Abineau and Agassiz Peaks, and the Inner Basin, to anyone who isn't on a designated trail. The order runs from December 17, 2024 to December 17, 2029. On the ridge, that means staying on the trail even where it's tempting to cut a corner.

What to bring

Bring warm clothes, rain gear, food and more water than you think you need. The ridge above the saddle is rocky, so wear shoes with good grip. Pack out everything you carry in.