Coconino National Forest - Lockett Meadow/Inner Basin Trail/San Francisco Peaks

Trail info: appx. 3.6 miles roundtrip (Meadow to Inner Basin and back)
Location: Take AZ 89 east out of Flagstaff - Turn left at Forest Road 522 which is opposite the entrance to Sunset Crater NM

Early October is definitely the time of year to visit Lockett Meadow as it’s alive with the beauty of golden aspen leaves shimmering in the sunlight. Getting there is a bit interesting as you will need to drive several miles on forest road 522, a narrow, winding, low maintenance road with sharp drops. There is a camping area there, and of course, the highly scenic Inner Basin trail, the passage to the heart of the San Francisco Peaks. The meadow area and much of the trail features stands of aspen contrasted by the dark green pines with mountain peaks towering in the background. We ascended towards the basin on this fine day under a few clouds, but mostly sunny skies, the scent of pine filling our noses. Even with it being a weekday a good number of other hikers were out making this popular fall trek. This walk is a bit rocky so good hiking boots are a plus for the journey. It is generally a gradual climb with nothing to steep to handle and the trail is wide and well defined unlike many of my excursions as of late. As spectacular as the hike up was, on reaching the inner basin we realized that the leaves there were a bit past prime. It was an enjoyable trip nonetheless, just not at the level of color we’d hoped for. This is such an amazing place to be where mountain peaks surround you and on a good day the basin provides a view all the way to the painted desert. A touch of snow, barely visible, capped Mt. Humphrey and from the forecast it seemed likely that more was on the way. The fall air was a bit brisk and occasional gusts of wind brought golden leaves raining upon us, while the mountains were constantly creating various cloud formations overhead. We spent some time enjoying the views, watching clouds, and snapping pictures before returning to the meadow. Wonderful day and at a perfect place for an autumn outing.

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