Home > Arizona > Cinder Hills

Cinder Hills OHV Area

Saturday, December 14, 2024

Trail Map

Other Names

The Cinders, Coconino National Forest, Flagstaff Ranger District, Sunset Crater Volcanoe National Monument, Pinnacle Crater, Little Cinder Basin, Bonito Park, Bonito Campground, Cinder Lake, Hundred Dollar Hill, Cinder Mountain

Last Known Status

Open

This area offers some huge hill climbs and about 19 miles of ATV trails through deep volcanic craters and ponderosa pines. The cinders from ancient volcanoes feel like loose sand, but these tiny lava pebbles tend to tear up paddle tires quickly. Most of the trails are actually double track and perfect for quads and side by sides, but nearby Fort Valley and Kelly Canyon offer miles of pure single track for dirt bikes, minus the lava pebbles.

Cinder Hills is open year-round but the best time to visit is during the summer months, which is considerably cooler than Phoenix. Dispersed camping is permitted, but the main staging area has no facilities. Groceries and gasoline can be found a few miles away in nearby Flagstaff. Bonito Campground is close by, with picnic tables, fire rings, water faucets and vault toilets, but does not have direct OHV access.

Tourist attractions include Hundred-Dollar Hill (a nasty hill-climb of almost 900 feet!) and Sunset crater, a 500ft deep volcanic crater used by the Apollo astronauts for practice on operating the Lunar Rover (off-limits to OHV).

OHV Area Map... Nearby ATV OHV Areas...

REGULATIONS

Permit Required	Yes	AZGFD sticker required
Dates Open	Year-Round
Other ATV Stickers Accepted	No	All non-residents must purchase an Arizona OHV decal.
Spark Arrestor	Yes	A spark arresting exhaust silencer or end cap is required for all vehicles.
Noise Limit	Yes (96 dB)
Whip Flags	Not Required
Maximum Vehicle Width	No Restriction
Motorcycles & Dirt Bikes	Permitted
ATVs	Permitted
UTV & SXS	Permitted
SUVs & Jeeps (registered)	Permitted
Dune Buggy & Sand Rail 4x4 (unregistered)	Permitted	All OHVs must be steet legal on FS-776 & FS-777
2 Stroke Engines	No Restriction
MX Helmet Required	Youth Only	required for persons under 18 by state law (RiderPlanet strongly recommends helmets for all riders.)
Camping	Some Areas	(camp in developed sites only)
Campfires	Some Areas	(permitted in developed campsites only)
Night Riding	Unknown
Trail Blazing	Prohibited	vehicles must stay on trail
Rule Enforcement	Few/Periodic	Dedicated Rangers/Officers Jeep/SUV Patrol

TERRAIN

Approx Size	13,500 acres (21 sq mi)
Miles Of Trail	19
Climate Type	Forest
Elevation	6600 to 7800 ft.
Trail Maintenance	Not Marked, Not Rated, Lightly Maintained
Loose Dirt	None
Hard Pack	None
Sand	All	paddle or sand tire recommended for best experience Not sand, volcanic cinders.
Mud	None
Dust	Little
Rocks	Little
Trees	Many
Steep Hills	Many
Water Crossings	None
Small Jumps	Some
Large Jumps	Some
Berms	All
Sand/Gravel Pits	None
Single Track	Few	Many single ATV trails, no singletrack.
Roads	Few	All forest service roads are for street legal vehicles only.
Intersections	Many
Rider Traffic	Many	crowded during summer weekends, empty during winter
Shade	Many
Ranges/Gunfire	None
Hazards	Few	(hazards not marked) steep drop-offs
Novice	Some
Amateur	Mostly
Expert	Some
Comment	very steep hill climbs (optional)

TYPE OF AREA

Area	Motorized Trails, Off-Road Dunes

Land	National Forest

GPS POINTS

KEY SERVICES

Gasoline	1-5 Miles (S)	Silver Saddle General Store (928) 522-7050
Diesel	1-5 Miles (S)	Silver Saddle General Store (928) 522-7050
Water	1-5 Miles (S)	Silver Saddle General Store (928) 522-7050
RV Hookup	5-20 Miles (S)	KOA - Flagstaff (928) 526-9926
RV Disposal	5-20 Miles (S)	KOA - Flagstaff (928) 526-9926
Campground	1-5 Miles (N)	Bonita Campground
Conv Store	1-5 Miles (S)	Silver Saddle General Store (928) 522-7050

FEES & PASSES

Parking	(None)
Entry	(None)
Riding	(None)
Camping	(None)

RATINGS

Pros	unique terrain, great twisty trails, great scenery, all skill levels
Cons	no services, can't ride on roads, crowded during holidays, trails are not marked, trails are not one way, dangerous when crowded
Our Rating	Excellent
Recommended Stay	3-5 Days Spring
Comments	(Scroll Down For Rider Reviews & Comments)

DRIVING DIRECTIONS

Nearest City

Flagstaff, AZ

Trail Map

From: Flagstaff, AZ
1) Take Hwy 89 North about 8 miles
2) Turn right (east) on NF-776 (you will see a sign that says "Cinders OHV Area")
3) Continue about 1.3 miles to the main staging area.

OFFICIAL CONTACTS

Contact Info

Coconino National Forest - Flagstaff Ranger District
5075 N. Hwy 89
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(928) 526-0866
sm.fs.cof_webmail@usda.gov
www.fs.usda.gov

Contact Info	Arizona State Parks (602) 542-6942 (602) 542-2146 mrogers@azstateparks.gov meberhart@azstateparks.gov azstateparks.com
Comment	Arizona State Parks OHV Grants Program

RIDER COMMENTS & REVIEWS

Cinder Hills OHV Area Photo

Rider on Honda TRX 250EX on top of steep hill.

Cinder Hills OHV Area Photo

Yellow Honda Recon 250 navigating through a narrow section of trail.

Cinder Hills OHV Area Photo

Rider on Honda Recon 250 riding down snow covered ATV trail.

Cinder Hills OHV Area Photo

Red Honda TRX 250EX going up steep hill climb.

Cinder Hills OHV Area Photo

Woman on Honda TRX 250EX riding through patch of snow on ATV trail.

Cinder Hills OHV Area Photo

Close up photo of hand holding some tiny lava pebbles.

Those on paddle tires will have the best time but the tiny lava pebbles will tear up anything with rubber. If you are planning a long weekend bring extra tires.