Outside Magazine (July 2025) by Graham Averill

Coconino Loop, Coconino National Forest, Arizona 

Distance: 240 miles
Duration: Seven days
Highlights: Slick rock, canyons galore

The Coconino Loop is 240 miles of singletrack and dirt roads through the canyons and peaks of Northern Arizona, combining some of the best trails and most spectacular terrain around Flagstaff and Sedona. It’s a difficult loop that hosts a bikepacking stage race that’s part of the burly Arizona Endurance Series, but serious mountain bikers should definitely put this route on their to-do list. Yes, you’ll climb 28,000 feet during your journey, but half of the route is made up of some of Arizona’s best singletrack, from the fast, flowy descent on the Arizona Trail into Flagstaff to the grippy slick rock that surrounds Sedona.

Go-getters will knock out this massive loop in four days during the stage race, but it’s best suited for a week-long epic, which will also give you time to hang out in Flagstaff and Sedona. The terrain is tough and you’re tackling serious elevation in the desert, so slower is probably better. The hike-a-bike up Mingus Mountain, which climbs 4,000 feet in 10 miles, is legendary. Don’t do this ride in the summer, as it’s too damn hot. But fall is perfect, and be sure to have the capacity to carry enough water for each day on the trail, especially if you’re taking your time between the towns, as finding fresh water in the desert can be tough.

Where to stay: There’s primitive camping throughout the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests throughout much of this route, but you’ll also have the chance to snag a hotel room or two, like the Arizona 9 Motor Hotel (from $100 a night), in the small town of Williams, which sits on Route 66.

 

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