Sunset Trail Flagstaff: Ridge Traverse on Mount Elden
Sunset Trail Flagstaff guide: 5-mile ridge traverse on Mount Elden with views of the San Francisco Peaks, Painted Desert, and Sunset Crater from 9,200 ft
HikeDesert Team
Last hiked: 2026-01-22
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Most Flagstaff hikers know the Elden Lookout Trail. It climbs straight to the Mount Elden summit from the northeast side, a direct 2.7-mile push with Flagstaff views below you the whole way. The Sunset Trail is a different animal entirely. It runs the ridgeline itself, east to west, with the San Francisco Peaks visible to the north and the Painted Desert opening up to the east. You’re not looking down at Flagstaff. You’re looking across at the volcanic peaks that tower above the city.
That’s a perspective most hikers never get.
Trail Overview
The Sunset Trail (#23) traverses the upper ridge of Mount Elden for roughly 5 miles, connecting Schultz Tank Trailhead on the west to the Elden Lookout summit area on the east. The trailhead at Schultz Tank sits at about 8,100 feet. The high point on the ridge reaches above 9,200 feet.
Most hikers don’t do the full one-way traverse, which requires a car shuttle between Schultz Tank and the Elden Lookout Trailhead. The better option is an out-and-back from Schultz Tank, turning around anywhere between mile 1.5 and mile 2.5 depending on how much you want to cover. A 3-mile round trip from Schultz Tank gives you the ridge views with about 700 feet of gain. A 4-mile round trip takes you to the first major panoramic overlook, gaining around 900 feet. Both are firmly in the moderate range.
The full 5-mile traverse with the complete 1,587-foot gain is strenuous. It’s manageable for fit hikers but shouldn’t be the first trail you do at Flagstaff’s elevation if you’re coming from sea level. The altitude here is real. Start early and take your first mile slow.
No permit required. This is Coconino National Forest land. No fee.
Season runs April through November for most of the trail. Snow hits the upper ridge by late October in heavy years and can persist into May on north-facing sections. April can still have patches. The best window is late May through June (before summer monsoon season) and September through October.
Getting There
Schultz Tank Trailhead is the primary starting point for the Sunset Trail. From downtown Flagstaff, take US-180 north (toward the Grand Canyon) for about 3 miles. Turn right on Schultz Pass Road, also signed as FR 420. This is a dirt road. It’s passable for standard cars in dry conditions but rough with washboard in spots after storms.
Follow FR 420 for about 2 miles until you reach the Schultz Tank parking area on your right. The small pond is right there at the trailhead. Parking is a dirt pullout with room for 10 to 15 vehicles. It fills by 8am on popular weekends.
From Flagstaff, this is a 15-minute drive at most. From Phoenix, it’s I-17 north to Flagstaff (about 2.5 hours), then US-180 north and FR 420 as above.
The road to Schultz Tank closes in winter when snow accumulates. If the gate on FR 420 is closed, the alternative trailhead access is from the Elden Lookout Trailhead on US-89. You can hike up the Elden Lookout Trail and join the Sunset Trail at the summit area, but that route is strenuous.
No facilities at Schultz Tank. Fill up water and use restrooms in Flagstaff before you go.
Trail Description
Miles 0-1: Forest Climb from Schultz Tank
The trail leaves the parking area and enters mixed conifer forest immediately. Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir dominate the lower section. The grade is steady from the first step, not brutal but not flat. You’re climbing toward the ridge.
The tread is rocky singletrack. Loose stones underfoot in several sections. Trekking poles help on the climb and especially on the descent, where ankles take the most stress.
You’ll hear the wind in the pines before you see much sky. The forest is dense in this lower section, which means good shade in the morning hours. In summer, the shade makes Schultz Tank a better starting point than the east-side trailhead, which gets full sun earlier.
At about 0.7 miles, the first views open briefly to the north. You get a partial look at the San Francisco Peaks above the tree line.
Miles 1-2: First Ridge Views
The trail reaches the first significant ridge exposure around mile 1 to 1.2. The ponderosa thins. You start seeing sky in both directions.
To the west and north, Humphreys Peak and the Agassiz Peak shoulders come into full view. These peaks top out above 12,600 feet. From the Sunset Trail ridge at around 8,700 feet, you’re looking at 3,000 feet of additional mountain above you. On clear days, the tree line on Humphreys is sharply defined and the snowfields visible from October through May.
To the east, the terrain drops away toward the Painted Desert. Sunset Crater’s cinder cone appears at around mile 1.5, its dark shape distinct against the lighter desert floor below. On very clear mornings, the shadow of the crater cone extends for miles at sunrise.
This section between mile 1 and mile 2 is the heart of the hike for most out-and-back visitors. The trail follows the ridge with periodic dips before climbing back. Views remain open for stretches, then close back into forest for a quarter mile.
Miles 2-3: Exposed Ridge Traverse
From mile 2 onward, the trail becomes more exposed and the grade picks up in sections. A few rocky scramble moves appear, nothing technical but enough to require hands on one or two spots in the steeper bits.
The views here are the best on the trail. The ridgeline is narrow enough in places that you can see both directions simultaneously, north to the peaks and east to the desert. On days with good visibility, the land east of Flagstaff reads clearly: Sunset Crater in the foreground, the Painted Desert layered behind it, and the faint line of the Navajo Nation plateau on the far horizon.
Wind picks up on the exposed sections. Even in summer, the ridge can be noticeably cooler than the forest below. Carry a light layer.
Miles 3-5: Toward Elden Lookout (Traverse Only)
If you’re doing the full traverse, the final two miles follow the ridge down toward the Elden Lookout summit area. The trail connects to several other MEDL trails in this section. Signs are generally good. At the eastern end, you rejoin the Elden Lookout Trail near the summit.
For a car shuttle traverse, plan to leave one vehicle at the Elden Lookout Trailhead on FR 557 off US-89. The one-way distance is 5 miles. The Elden Lookout Trail descent back to US-89 is another 2.7 miles if you didn’t shuttle.
Most hikers doing out-and-backs turn around somewhere between mile 1.5 and mile 2.5. Turning around at mile 2 gives you 4 miles total and covers the best views.
What to Bring
Water is the most important thing to get right on this trail. The Schultz Tank pond looks tempting but don’t drink it. Carry all your water from Flagstaff. For a 4-mile out-and-back, bring 2 liters minimum. For the full traverse, carry 3 liters.
Sun protection matters more on the exposed ridge sections than the forest entry. The first mile gives you tree shade. Once you’re on the ridge, there isn’t much. Sun hoodies and wide-brim hats earn their place here.
The rocky tread rewards proper footwear. Trail runners work fine for experienced hikers. If you’re new to rocky mountain singletrack, hiking boots with ankle support are worth it.
A light wind layer. Even in July, the exposed ridge runs cooler than the forest and can be cold in the morning.
Trekking poles. The descent is rocky and benefits from the extra balance points.
Safety Notes
Afternoon thunderstorms are the primary risk on Sunset Trail from July through mid-September. The exposed ridge is exactly where you don’t want to be when lightning builds. Start early enough to be off the ridge by noon. Storms in the Flagstaff area can develop by 1pm on monsoonal days.
Snow changes the trail significantly from late October through April. Post-holing through spring snowpack on the ridge is exhausting and can be disorienting if snow covers the trail. Check the Coconino National Forest website for conditions before going.
Altitude is a real consideration at 8,000 to 9,200 feet if you’re arriving from lower elevations. If you drove up from Phoenix the same morning, take the first mile slow and watch how your body responds. Headache, nausea, and unusual breathlessness are early altitude symptoms. Descent fixes them fast.
Cell service is intermittent on the ridge. Don’t rely on it for navigation. Download the trail to Gaia GPS or AllTrails before you leave.
Related Trails
The Elden Lookout Trail starts from the northeast side of the mountain and offers the most direct summit route. It’s steeper and more direct than the Sunset Trail’s ridge traverse, but the views at the summit complement this trail well. Worth doing as a separate hike.
The West Clear Creek Trail, about 45 minutes south of Flagstaff, is a canyon hike rather than a ridge hike, a complete change of terrain and a good pairing for a two-day Flagstaff area trip.
The Schultz Creek Trail, which starts at the same Schultz Tank parking area, is an easy alternative on days when the full ridge climb isn’t what you want. It stays in the forest and follows the creek drainage rather than climbing the ridge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where does the Sunset Trail start?
The most popular access point is Schultz Tank Trailhead at the end of Schultz Pass Road (FR 420), about 5 miles north of downtown Flagstaff off US-180. The dirt road is passable for most two-wheel-drive vehicles in dry conditions. Schultz Tank is a small pond at the trailhead, and you'll see it immediately as you park. The Sunset Trail heads east from there, climbing toward the Mount Elden ridge.
How hard is the Sunset Trail?
It depends on how far you go. The first mile from Schultz Tank is a steady climb through ponderosa forest, gaining around 600 feet to reach the first ridge viewpoint. That section is moderate for hikers in regular shape. The full traverse to the Elden Lookout area adds another 1,000 feet and is strenuous, with sections of exposed ridge singletrack and some scrambling. Most hikers do a 3 to 4-mile out-and-back from Schultz Tank, which keeps it in the moderate range.
What are the views like from Sunset Trail?
The views split in two directions. To the west and north, you see Humphreys Peak and the San Francisco Peaks rising above the forest. The Sunset Trail runs below those peaks, so you're looking up at them from the ridge rather than from town. To the east, the Painted Desert spreads out in layers of pale red and gray, and Sunset Crater's dark cinder cone is visible on clear days. On the ridge proper, you get both views at once. That's what makes this trail different from the Elden Lookout Trail, which faces mostly north and east.
Can I connect Sunset Trail to other trails for a loop?
Yes, and the loops are what make this trail system worth knowing. From Schultz Tank, the Schultz Creek Trail runs parallel to the lower mountain as an easy return route. You can climb the Sunset Trail, traverse east for 2 to 3 miles, then drop down any of the connecting trails (Little Bear, Brookbank, or Pipeline) and return via Schultz Creek. These loops range from 6 to 10 miles. The alltrails map and Gaia GPS both have the MEDL network mapped accurately.
Is the Sunset Trail good for sunset hiking?
The name fits the west-facing ridge. If you time your hike to reach the first major viewpoint by an hour before sunset, the light on the San Francisco Peaks turns orange and deep red. The peaks catch alpenglow well. That said, plan to descend before dark. The upper trail is rocky and rooted, and the descent from the ridge in low light is genuinely difficult without a headlamp. Carry one regardless of your planned return time.
Is there snow on Sunset Trail in winter?
Yes. The upper ridge sections of Sunset Trail hold snow from November through April in most years. At 8,000 to 9,200 feet, Flagstaff gets significant snowfall and it lingers on north-facing aspects well into spring. The lower trail from Schultz Tank is often accessible year-round, but the ridge traverse can require microspikes from December through March. Check the Coconino National Forest website for current conditions before going.
HikeDesert Team
Last hiked: 2026-01-22