Red Mountain is a volcanic cinder cone in the Coconino National Forest of northern Arizona. When I was scrolling through AllTrails near Flagstaff, the Red Mountain trail was the only one that piqued my interest. We decided to check out the trail on our last full day in Flagstaff.
It was about a 30-minute drive north of Flagstaff on Hwy 180, which was no big deal because I travel at least an hour every weekend in Calgary to reach the mountains. This is a nice stop if you are heading to the north rim of the Grand Canyon.
Since it was a weekday, we didn’t encounter any other people. But I expect this is a busy spot on the weekends as it is an easy 20 to 30-minute walk to the core or the “amphitheatre” of Red Mountain. A sign told the story of Red Mountain which is estimated to be “more than 1 million years old and rises 1,000 feet above the plateau to 7,960 feet.”
After a nice little walk along the shaded path, we climbed a small foot ladder to the eventual main attraction of the hike: the hoodoos or the “erosional pillars or compacted cinders,” which adorn the amphitheatre.
I couldn’t find a ton of information on Red Mountain but I learned that it is one of the several hundred cinder cones within a large volcanic field called the San Francisco Volcanic Field. Studies suggest it formed about 740,000 years ago. Apparently there is a huge debate among geologists about how it actually formed: either a steam-blast explosion or through volcanic eruptions.
The U.S. Geologic says Red Mountain is unusual because its internal structure is exposed, which is not the case of the most of the cinder cones in the San Francisco field because erosion has not had enough time to expose the internal structure. Also it is acknowledged for its red colour and U shape when viewed from above.
I learned most of this history after our hike. Nonetheless this was super cool to explore. I climbed up a hoodoos and squeezed through the narrow and intricate mazes.
I recommend you check out this cool little trail.