Horizontal layers of sandstones, limestones, shales, and siltstones of the Paleozoic Era (544 million to 248 million years ago) were deposited on the ancient Precambrian rocks. These rocks, which make up the original crust of North America, were beveled by erosion and offset by faults that moved again during younger geologic periods. The oldest known rocks underlying this part of the Plateau are 1.7-1.8 billion-year-old (Precambrian) granite and schist. The landscape of this southern Plateau margin is dominated by the young San Francisco volcanic field and the underlying limestone-capped plateau. The Flagstaff area is on the southern margin of the Colorado Plateau, a 130,000-square-rnile geologic province of vast plains, high mesas and buttes, deep canyons, volcanic fields and isolated mountain clusters. General geology as described in the booklet: I rode here in late November and was surprised at the lack of crowds and excellent riding conditions.According to Michael Conway, Chief of the AZGS, Geologic Extension Service, “This 53-page, Down-to-Earth booklet includes pictures, illustrations and jargon-free text to open the geology of northern Arizona to those who otherwise lack a geology background.” The cinders do tend to eat tires quickly, but I was actually pleased after the few days I rode here to see I had not destroyed my tire. If you ride slow you fight the cinders too much and start to dig in. Some of the very large loose climbs may require a paddle, but I got around most of the area fine with a regular knobby. My choice would be a very aggressive scoop shape knobby. A paddle tire here could prove useful, although there are a few areas where a paddle would hamper travel. It does not cost anything to ride here, but there is a fee area North along the road to Sunset Crater. The easiest for me was to the South of the main access on Sunset Blvd. There are other ways to get in as shown by the flags on the map. When I visited Cinder Hills, the main access road had washed away. Click for Directions to Cinder Hills AZ from your location, see the map below for trail route information Location: 12 Miles Northeast of Flagstaff AZ (see map).Best Time To Ride: Spring or Fall, sometimes winter depending on snow pack.Distance Traveled: Open, freeride area.More advanced riders can explore to the mountains of cinders and should be able to find something to their liking here easily. Click the camera icons to view pictures of the areas shown. In the middle is some intermediate stuff, and the reds and North side are more advanced terrain. Green markers and green shading on the map indicate the easier terrain. There are some easier sections however I found that are located towards the South of the area(see map below).
Beginners on buggies and ATV's may have an easier time here as flotation is better and you don't have to worry about balance and speed as much. They are soft and if you don't keep your speed up and weight distribution right they can eat you up.
Beginners on dirt bikes would probably have a hard time adapting to the cinders. Of course there are the big open areas and huge soft hill climbs here too if that's more your style. The trees scattered throughout and the way the cinders tend to form trails in the trees create the uphill ski run effect. There is a variety of terrain that can't be found at most dune areas. Many say that it is like riding in sand,Īnd although this is very true in the sense that you have to ride hard and keep your speed up to add stability to your bike, there are elements here that make riding here more than a trip to the dunes.
I can't say that I love skiing like I love dirt biking, but I loved riding at Cinder Hills. The differences are that instead of snow you have volcanic cinders, instead of going down the runs, you go up them. Riding dirt bikes at "The Cinders", or Cinder Hills OHV and ATV area may be best described as riding at a ski resort for dirt bikes.
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