About

Easy • 1.8-3.0 miles • Out and Back • 30-60 minutes

An easy out-and-back through woods and meadows to seasonal Bismarck Lake at 8,500 feet, about 12 miles northwest of Flagstaff at the end of FR 627 off FR 151 (Hart Prairie Road). The walk runs 1.8 to 3.0 miles with about 206 feet of elevation gain, and most families finish in 30 to 60 minutes — a good one when you don't want to commit to a long hike. Keep your eyes open and your voices low near the water: the lake is really a stock tank, which makes it a watering hole for elk and mule deer. The tread is rocky, and shade is only partial. Free parking at the trailhead; the dirt on FR 151 and FR 627 is maintained and fine for a regular car when it's dry, but those roads close to vehicles in winter, so treat this as a late-spring-through-fall outing. Open dawn to dusk, and it's free. Built for toddlers through tweens who can handle a short, rocky walk at elevation.