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  On this short ride, climb over 2,000 feet to end at the top of Mt. Elden. With a beautiful trip up and a great view at the top, this is a great trip to do especially if you don’t have a lot of time.

To begin this trip, you’ll want to head north on Highway 180, just out of Flagstaff. Look out for Schultz Pass Road because you’ll want to turn right onto it. Stay on this road until it splits after about a quarter of a mile. The best staging spot is probably the area between Schultz Pass Road and Mt. Elden Lookout Road, which happens to be the same staging area for the Schultz Pass Trail. Once you’re all ready to begin riding, head east on the paved Mt. Elden Lookout Rd. The road starts off easy as it passes through residential area. Shortly after a mile, the road turns to dirt. Stay to the left at 1.3 miles and climb a small switchback at 3.4 miles. Climb another one at the 4 mile mark. Take a sharp right at 4.5 miles and another one at 4.6 miles. Keep climbing and pass a picture worthy meadow at 5.4 miles. At 6.1 miles, you come to a fork. To the right are some radio towers and to the left is the lookout tower. If you are lucky, you might be allowed to climb the tower and get an excellent view of the surrounding landscape. If not though, you still have an amazing view. To return to the staging spot, just follow the trail back. Also take caution on this road as it is used quite a bit by hikers, walkers, and bikers.

  This trail is fairly easy and could be completed in a passenger car, but you might find it a little bumpy. It will take just over an hour to complete the round-trip, but add about 45 minutes for exploration. So all-in-all, the ride and the stops at the top as well as picture moments should take about 2 hours.