AZT 35: Babbitt Ranch

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Passage 35 of the Arizona Trail (AZT) traverses a long stretch of the Coconino Plateau between the San Francisco Peaks and the Grand Canyon. What used to be an arduous trek on rutted roads is now a much better passage comprised mostly of singletrack. Thanks to diligent efforts of the AZT Association, collaboration with Coconino County and Babbitt Ranches, and work by Flagline Trails, many miles of new bike-minded trail were completed in 2020.

This passage has no reliable water sources. Also, it crosses a patchwork of private property and state trust land where camping is not allowed. Both ends of this passage are located on public land and closer to water sources, however, so it makes sense to plan on completing the passage within one day.

This southern end of this passage is on FR 417, about 5 miles east of Highway 180. It soon leaves the road and heads northward on the newly established singletrack. After rolling downhill for a few miles, the trail crosses a small valley and begins a series of climbs through low hills. The climbs are never too intense because the trail nicely contours throughout the topography. The scenery is expansive sagebrush prairie, sparsely vegetated with piñon-juniper woodlands, and always with the San Francisco Peaks on the horizon to the south.

The passage ends at a spot with no convenient road access, but you can get there on forest roads from Highway 64 north of Valley. Passage 36 of the AZT continues toward Russell Tank and the Coconino Rim section from there.

This section follows a portion of the historic stagecoach line that once took travelers from Flagstaff to the Grand Canyon, and it ends at the site of Moqui Station, which was a stopover along this route.