Arizona Trail Passage 41: Kaibab Plateau Central

AZT Passage 41: is a 16.6-mile point-to-point section of the roughly 800-mile Arizona National Scenic Trail. This section runs from the Telephone Hill Trailhead to the Orderville Trailhead and is rated as easy to moderate. Located south of Jacob Lake, Arizona, this passage is accessible for hikers, trail runners, long-distance backpackers, equestrians and mountain bikers. 

This section of trail traverses north along the Kaibab Plateau. The route follows a singletrack trail through gentle terrain that snakes around hillsides, dips in and out of forested areas, and features scenic views to the east. 

The first half of this passage crosses an area that was badly burned by the 2006 Warm Fire. The fire was devastating to the ponderosa pine forest, but new growth of aspen trees and many species of grasses, shrubs, and flowers show signs of the natural restoration process. 

Overall, the landscape is dry with little to no free-flowing water; the best resource is a cement trough six miles into the section that has seasonal/probable water. 

Beyond the burn area, the route gradually descends through stands of ponderosa pine while crossing dirt roads and rolling over pleasant forested terrain. The miles fly by throughout this relatively flat stretch of trail. The majority of the downhill terrain comes within the last five miles of this section where the trail descends nearly 1,000 feet. 

DIRECTIONS
Follow Arizona National Scenic Trail signs/trail markers.

WATER
Check the Arizona Trail Water Report for current information at: https://aztrail.org/explore/water-sources/.


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION INFORMATION

• Arizona National Scenic Trail Association: www.aztrail.org

• BLM Information Center  (602) 417-9300.

• Kaibab National Forest, North Kaibab Ranger District, http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/,  1-(928) 643-7298.

• Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center, http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/kai/visit/visit.html, 1-(928) 643-7298.