About

Moderate • 7.7-7.8 miles • Out and Back • 3-3.5 hours

This Arizona Trail connector runs from Sandy Seep to Little Elden Springs, about 5 miles northeast of Flagstaff via FR 556 off US 89. The out-and-back is 7.7 to 7.8 miles with about 826 feet of elevation gain on a rocky tread — a moderate hike that takes 3 to 3.5 hours, aimed at tweens rather than little legs. The standout is Waypoint 4, a rock garden that's genuinely fun to explore if your crew likes trails with a little discovery built in. The first stretch from Sandy Seep lives up to the name: soft, sandy, and short on shade, so it's slower going than the mileage suggests. Shade stays only partial after that. Free parking at the trailhead. Open dawn to dusk in spring, summer, and fall, and it's free. Pack more time than the map implies, and treat the sand, sun, and 826 feet of gain as part of the work.