Mt Elden Lookout Trail — Attraction in Flagstaff

I took my family to the Grand Canyon when we had children. A bit scary. I also brought them in summer and there were so many cars and people. Traffic was congested in the park. Well, now 20 years later my wife and I did it the right way. We did it one week after Christmas holiday in early January. Because of the cold weather and snow we looked for that rare 50-60 degree day. All the roads were passable and we say many many overlooks. Also, almost no one at each place of viewing. I highly look for a very warm non windy day and we even watched the sun setting up there. Peace and quiet. Take in Gods creation...

Fun trail! I started around 3:40PM, and there were still a decent number of cars in the parking lot. The hike was slightly rocky and the hike up was steep in some parts but fine. I didn’t pass by too many people, probably because it was late. I got up around 5PM, had a nice golden hour and the sun was setting as I walked down. There were patches of snow here and there especially close to the top, but the snow was super packed and not a big deal. I got back down close to 6PM and it was dark by then. The trailhead said 5 miles, not sure where AllTrails got the 6.3 miles. Good...

The hiking trails are probably passable. We drove up to the trailhead parking lot to access the road that goes to the Mt. Elden Lookout. Colossal waste of time. Regardless of the BS information you read online about the road, the gate is locked. Don't bother wasting your time here or really anywhere in Flagstaff. Go to Williams, AZ if you want to enjoy yourself in the mountains of northern Arizona without the traffic, bad drivers, and hordes of homeless bums...