Name: Sunset
Rating: 4.5

“Varied riding with smooth forested singletrack, ridgeline vistas, and steep technical sections”

— Almonzo Wilder

GPX File — Driving Directions

Overview

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Description

Sunset is a trail with two distinct personalities. The softer side of Sunset is from Schultz Pass to the intersection with the Little Bear Trail. It's a moderate cruise that climbs through shaded conifer forest over a small saddle, where beautiful views of the SF Peaks can be had.

Beyond Little Bear, Sunset gets serious as it climbs to the main ridgeline of Mount Elden. The "Hobbit Forest" is a steep technical rock garden set in an aspen forest. Past this, the trail stays near to the summit ridge, where there are big views to the east toward the Painted Desert over the slopes burned by the 1977 Radio Fire.

Contacts

Local Club: Flagstaff Biking Organization

Jun 24, 2017: Trail Day! July 29th, Upper Oldham Trail Maintenance

Jun 4, 2017: Trail Day! June 17th, Sunset Trail Catwalk Maintenance

May 29, 2017: National Trails Day, June 3rd! Let’s get the Rogers Lake Connector Trail Connected!

Land Manager: USFS - Coconino National Forest Office

Jul 10, 2017: Coconino National Forest drops to Stage 1 fire restrictions Thursday, July 13, 2017

Rate Trail

Clear

4.5 from 12 votes

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Check-Ins

Oct 31, 2016

Patrick McCarthy 1

Oct 18, 2016

Michael Turner

Fun but tough little ride. Nursing an injury so walked more than I normally would.

Oct 26, 2013

Roger Esson

8mi

Jul 19, 2003

Tom Fraser

Full Details

Trail Ratings

4.5 from 12 votes

#2

in Mount Elden

#247

Overall

4.5 from 12 votes

5 Star		50%
4 Star		50%
3 Star		0%
2 Star		0%
1 Star		0%

Rankings

#2

in Mount Elden

#17

in Arizona

#247

Overall

168 Views Last Month

3,523 Since Jun 9, 2013

Intermediate/Difficult

		0%
		0%
		9%
		73%
		18%
		0%

Conditions

All Clear 37 days ago

Dry

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Photos

SF Peaks from meadows on top of Sunset.

Autumn

View from the Sunset Parking Lot. Schultz Creek Trail heads out from here.

Upper Sunset, to the Hobbit Forest.

The "Hobbit Forest" section of Sunset Trail.

Antennas on Mt. Elden.

The Sunset Trail with Mount Elden in the background.

1 Comment

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Michael Turner
Boulder, CO

Flag

Mostly Blue/black but the rock garden is a tough one if you aren't at least an intermediate bordering on advanced rider. I was nursing five stitches from a previous fall so I walked most of it. I would normally have ridden it but prudence was the way to go. Oct 21, 2016

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4.7 Miles 7.6 Kilometers Singletrack	1,488' 454 m Ascent -486' -148 m Descent
9,140' 2,786 m High 8,058' 2,456 m Low	8% Avg Grade (5°) 50% Max Grade (26°)
All Clear 37 days ago — Update

Sunset

4.7 Miles 7.6 Kilometers

Singletrack

1,488' 454 m

-486' -148 m

9,140' 2,786 m

8,058' 2,456 m

8%

50%

All Clear

“Varied riding with smooth forested singletrack, ridgeline vistas, and steep technical sections”