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This drive takes you all the way around Arizona's highest mountain, winding through a land of pine forests and aspen groves, open prairies and rustic homesteads. Anytime is a good time to enjoy this drive, although the roads are closed through much of the winter. (You might want to ski or snowmobile it then). In the spring, wildflowers follow the retreating snow up the mountain. They color the meadows and decorate the forests reaching a climax just as summer comes to a close. Autumn then turns the mountain to gold, filling forest roads and trails with visitors come to enjoy the colorful display. There are a number of places along this route where you can stop to take a hike, enjoy a lunch or even set up a primitive camp. That way you can take more than one day to do this drive or combine it with one or more of the other scenic drives in the vicinity of the San Francisco Peaks. The drive starts off Hwy 89 14 miles north of Flagstaff. Turn onto Forest Service Route 418 and drive 12 miles west to FS 151. Turn left onto FS 151 and drive south 8 miles to Hwy 180. You can take Hwy 180 about 9 miles back to Flagstaff. FS 418 and 151 are gravel and suitable for passenger cars in most weather except snow.
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