Humphreys Peak: Hiking to Over 12,000 ft in Arizona
Looking for adventure this summer? Hiking Mt Humphreys Peak is a bucket-list feat that many Arizona adventurers aspire to. It isn’t for the faint of heart, but many can achieve it with proper preparation. I’m here to give you all of my best advice after hiking Humphreys Peak multiple times and hiking around Arizona for a decade.
This post contains affiliate links that I do profit from, if you choose to support my business. These links are at no cost to you.
Where is Humphreys Peak?
Humphreys Peak (or Mt Humphrey, Mt. Humphrey’s, or whatever you want to call it) is located in Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. Flagstaff is about 2.5 hrs directly North of Phoenix via the I-17 highway. Once you’re in Central Flagstaff, you drive northwest up to Snowbowl (ski resort in the winter) which climbs from 6,900 ft to about 9,000 ft at the base of the trailhead. The road up to the trailhead is stunning on its own.
What Time Is Best Time to Hike Mt Humphreys Peak?
Time of the year
This is a popular trail in Summer from May to late October. I personally have done this hike over labor day and early October. I prefer this time as there is NO snow and the weather isn’t too hot. Because the mountain is so high, it gets snow most of the year. It often doesn’t melt until sometime in May. You CAN hike when there’s snow on the peak, I just don’t recommend it. It can be windy up there and it’s already on a ridge- why add the element of slipping?
You can use the AllTrails “season” feature to see photos from recent hikers to determine accurate conditions.
Time of the Day
This hike takes 5-8hrs, so keep that in mind when choosing a time to hike Mt. Humphrey’s. I choose to hike earlier in the morning, for cooler temperatures AND because you can get summer afternoon thunderstorms. Actually, I’ve been rained on during BOTH hikes up Humphreys. I’d much rather be rained on in the forest than on that bare mountain ridge- no thank you.
NEED SOMEWHERE TO CAMP??
I’ve created a FORTY PAGE GUIDE outlining all the best free and paid campsites in Northern Arizona, including Flagstaff. The campsite I stayed at before hiking Humphrey’s is on this list.
It can be hard to spend hours researching campsites, trying to figure out were they’re located, what they look like, the price, and the amenities. With my guide, those days are over! I give you everything you need to know, with links to my Google Maps AND it’s in a PDF so you can access it any time!
Preparedness for Hiking Humphreys Peak
Gear and Clothing
I wanted to share some of my favorite gear for hiking this trail. For shoes, I always alternate between by Danner Mountain 600 boots and my Altra Trail Runners. I like the sturdiness of the boots, but it slightly limits ankle mobility. Both are great! For this hike, I wanted my legs to be able to breathe, so I wore these Senita Christina Shorts– I love the color down the side. I always suggest wearing a UPF shirt to protect yourself from sunburn, especially when hiking in the summer. I like to try to carry the smallest backpack that still has enough room for everything I need. The REI Flash pack is my favorite right now.
First Aid/ Wilderness Medicine
By trade, I am a Physician Assistant trained in Family/General Medicine, Sports Medicine, and Wilderness Medicine. I practice both in Arizona and Rural Alaska. I feel passionate about helping others be prepared when outdoors, to protect themselves and anyone they may encounter.
I highly suggest having a general first aid kit when with you. This should help you be able to treat musculoskeletal injuries, things like hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), dehydration, sun exposure, bites, etc. I like MyMedic best. Here is their “Hiker Medic” Kit that I especially like.
Don’t Forget this Life Saving Device
I use a Garmin InReach Mini 2 to communicate with people at home. You can also call SOS in an emergency. 100% worth the investment.
**Altitude Sickness Tips**
In addition, I recommend seeing a primary care doctor to fill your first aid kit up with proper medicine- medicine to treat altitude sickness. You can take medicine ahead of time to prevent this, or take medication if it happens.
This is NOT official medical advice, but symptoms of severe altitude sickness can include chest pain, SOB (beyond just exercising), falling behind in a group, nausea, vomiting, severe headache, etc.
In addition, you can prevent altitude sickness by staying in Flagstaff the night prior to hiking.
Hiking Humphreys Peak
Parking & Directions
The trail to Humphreys Peak is 29 minutes/ 15 miles out of Downtown Flagstaff. Make sure your car is up for the elevation gain- driving up the mountain is steep (and beautiful). You will park at Arizona Snowbowl- the base of the ski resort. Parking is free and there is PLENTY of space.
There are usually Forest Service Rangers present with a tent, at least on the weekends when the area is popular. There is a trail register as well. I like that the rangers are there: it’s a hard hike, and they want you to be prepared.
Hiking Humphreys Peak- Forest Section
The whole trail has a pretty consistent elevation gain, but the beginning feels so much better because of the elevation. Humphreys Peak Trail starts out in a densely forested area. It is beautiful, and changes colors if you hike in the fall. I highly recommend bringing hiking sticks on this hike- makes it soooo much easier. In the screenshot below, we are talking about hiking up to the first yellow dot.
Hiking Humphreys Peak- The Saddle
The saddle of Humphreys Peak is located around 2.9 miles, whereas the final summit is about 4.8 miles. So over halfway! In my opinion, the part right before the saddle (when you start seeing views as in the bottom right photo) is the hardest. You’re climbing steps of rock up a few switchbacks and it just feels endless. Your legs burnnnnnnnnnn. The saddle is a great spot to take off your pack and get a snack.
Do you Have a Dog?
I do NOT recommend taking them up Mt. Humphreys. I have a dog and she’s done many hard hikes (>4000 ft. gain, >10 mi), but I didn’t feel this was safe for her, and I was glad I didn’t bring her. So what do you do with your dog while you’re in Flagstaff? We used ROVER (not an affiliate link) for the hours we hiked, and then picked her up after and went to eat.
Hiking Humphreys Peak- The Final Ascent
Hiking The Ridge
By the time you hit the saddle, you’ll be over 11,000 ft. Please take it slow- no one is immune to altitude sickness. If you have a severe headache, vomiting, or you see someone with you that has similar symptoms, please descend. If you’re hiking in the afternoon, do NOT hike this area during a storm. When I did this last, I got OFF the ridge with dark clouds, and people were still hiking up. 20 minutes later, there was hail, lightning, and thunder.
The Ridge has limited plant life because of the elevation. You’re just going up and up and up, for what feels like forever. There are multiple false peaks too. It feels like you’re always “right there.”
The Summit
If you do this hike, you’ll have so much fun hitting the summit. Everyone is really nice and let you have a few minutes taking a photo with the summit sign. Fun fact- some of the stores Downtown Flagstaff have that summit sign if you want to hang it up at your home!
Get some photos, a summit snack, and enjoy your hike back down. Humphreys Peak in Flagstaff is the best.
Things to Do While You’re in Flagstaff
Make a weekend out of your trip to Flagstaff and hike up Humphreys Peak. There are soooo many amazing things to do. Let me walk you through the two itineraries- everything I did for my two hikes up this stunning peak.
Flagstaff Itinerary 1: Camping + Hiking
For this itinerary, we went up for Labor Day Weekend. If you didn’t know- August and some of September are sunflower season in Flagstaff. Buffalo Park is a great place to see them (as in the photo above. We went camping in dispersed camping near Mt. Humphreys. On our first night (Saturday), we went up to Snowbowl to walk around in the meadows at sunset. Then we headed over to our campground to relax. On Sunday morning, we hiked Mt. Humphreys. For dinner, we went to Lumberyard Brewing- one of my favs in Downtown Flagstaff. On Monday, we explored Downtown shops, and then headed back home.
Flagstaff Itinerary 2: Fall Roadtrip + A Retro Hotel
For this itinerary, we went up for Labor Day Weekend. If you didn’t know- August and some of September are sunflower season in Flagstaff. Buffalo Park is a great place to see them (as in the photo above. We went camping in dispersed camping near Mt. Humphreys. On our first night (Saturday), we went up to Snowbowl to walk around in the meadows at sunset. Then we headed over to our campground to relax. On Sunday morning, we hiked Mt. Humphreys. For dinner, we went to Lumberyard Brewing- one of my favs in Downtown Flagstaff. On Monday, we explored Downtown shops, and then headed back home.
