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Beyond Flagstaff, US 180 passes through dense ponderosa pine and aspen forests near Humphreys Peak, the highest point in Arizona. Charred trees and stumps dot the landscape around flat-topped Kendrick Peak. As you descend past Red Mountain’s jagged, rust-colored cliffs, juniper and pinyon pine forests, and scrub-brush-dotted meadows dominate the view.
US 180 takes you into the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests, past Arizona’s only alpine tundra in the lofty San Francisco Peaks mountain range. Enjoy the contrast of lush green vegetation on mountain slopes to the dusty desert basin below. Wildflowers create a kaleidoscope of color in spring; quaking aspens paint forests and slopes a dazzling yellow in fall.
