For those familiar with the drive on Highway 180 between Flagstaff and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, Red Mountain is always an interesting temptation. A conspicuous sign with an arrow pointing down a dirt road reads “Red Mountain Trailhead.” I couldn’t help but always wonder, what is Red Mountain?

It turns out that it’s more than a mountain – Red Mountain is an old volcanic cinder cone, estimated to be 740,000 years old. An easy one-mile trail leads into a sort of amphitheater, lined with many unusual formations and “hoodoos” that resemble Bryce Canyon, Utah.

Humphreys Peak to the south, and another nearby peak whose name is unknown to me.

This was a brief hike that I did on the spur of the moment one day, on my way to Flagstaff from the Grand Canyon. It was disappointing to me from a photo standpoint, because the sun was well into the west and the light wasn’t very good. I vowed to return again on a later date, earlier in the day.

This ladder marks the official entrance into the volcano. Once inside you’re pretty much on your own, with plenty of nooks and crannies to explore.

Back outside the crater, I really liked this lone Ponderosa Pine.

Highway 180

This is a view before sunset from the parking area near the Arizona Snow Bowl.

Aspens on the road from the Snow Bowl.