Oldham Trail begins in Buffalo Park, Flagstaff's urban forest park, and climbs gradually up the south slope of Mt. Elden, an extinct volcano. The trail gets its name from Oldham Park, an open area near Elden's summit. From that high perspective you'll get a bird's eye view of Flagstaff and the surrounding area including mountains, deserts, and canyons as much as a hundred miles away. Some prominent features that are easily visible are Oak Creek Canyon, Sunset Crater, and the Painted Desert.
Along the lower reaches of the trail, you'll encounter boulder fields and cliffs where there are hidden crevices to explore and rocky nooks that make great places to picnic. As you climb higher, the trail takes you from a ponderosa pine forest into groves of aspen and mixed conifer stands of spruce, fir and pine.
In Oldham Park you'll see evidence of a catastrophic burn that occurred in 1977. Although the area affected by this huge wildfire still looks barren from Flagstaff, up close you can see how nature is healing from this man-made disaster.
Near Elden Summit, Oldham Trail joins the Sunset Trail which leads north across the top of Elden to Schultz Pass and south to the Elden Lookout Trail and east Flagstaff.
At a Glance
Usage:
Medium
Best Season:
May thru November
Closest Towns:
Flagstaff, AZ
Operated By:
Flagstaff Ranger District - 928-526-0866
General Information
Directions:
USGS Map: Flagstaff West, Sunset West
Location: At the rear of Buffalo Park in Flagstaff
Access: The Buffalo Park parking lot is located on Cedar Street in north central Flagstaff. Another access point is on FR 557, the Mt. Elden Road, off US 180 north.
General Notes:
Rating: Moderate
Hiking time: 3.5 hours
Area/Length : 5.5 miles
Latitude : 35.217953
Longitude : -111.632573
Elevation : 7124 at Buffalo Park, 9000 at the trailhead
