more stats
2.0 miles
Distance
193 ft
Climb
-805 ft
Descent
00:33:00
Avg time
-613 ft
Altitude change
8,422 ft
Altitude min
9,156 ft
Altitude max
9,035 ft
Altitude start
8,422 ft
Altitude end
-5.9%
Grade
-39.2%
Grade max
34.7%
Grade min
2,333 ft
Distance climb
1 mile
Distance down
259 ft
Distance flat
00:33:00
Avg time

Sunset (Upper) Details

  • Activities
    • Mountain Bike
    • Horse
    • Hike
    • Trail Running
  • Riding Area
    MEDL (Mount Elden Dry Lakes)
    Flagstaff, Arizona
  • Ref Number
    23
  • Difficulty Rating
  • Voted Difficulty
    Black Diamond (4 votes)
  • Local Popularity
    35 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • 65 in Trail Running
    • 65 in Hiking
    • 5 in Horseback
  • Global Ranking
    #12040 in Mountain Biking [+]
    • #71843 in Trail Running
    • #81312 in Hiking
  • Hiking SAC Scale
    T2 Mountain Hiking
  • Trail Type
    Singletrack
  • Bike Type
    AM, XC
  • Direction
    Downhill Primary
    Popular Direction Shown
  • Climb Difficulty
    Black Diamond
  • Physical Rating
    Moderate
  • Trail Visibility
    Always easy to follow
  • Dogs Allowed
    Yes
  • eBike Allowed
  • TTFs on Trail
    Rock Garden

A fun, and often times, fast trail. Lower Sunset is easily ridden in both directions and is a Blue. Upper Sunset is primarily downhill and has some Black sections. The upper section is often referred to as "Hobbit Forest" between though the rocky switchback section below Heart and called "The Catwalk" between Upper Oldham and Heart. The Hobbit Forest section was realigned to its current alignment in 2018 by the Flagstaff Trail Faeries; Before the trail went directly down the hill in the section. Most sections of this trail are challenging uphill on a mountain bike.

Good trail for hiking and running as well; The section nearest to Elden Lookout Trail is for foot traffic only - no bikes or equestrians.

Trail Supporters

  • USFS
    Land Manager
Local Trail Association

Recent Activity on Trail

Past Week
  • 0 rides
  •  
6 Months
  • 2 rides
  • 34 miles avg distance
All
  • 19 rides
  • Last: Jun 16, 2026
c1c2c3c4
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Sunset (Upper) Trail Reports

statusdatedescription
Apr 13, 2026 @ 3:42pm (America/Phoenix)
Apr 13, 2026
All clear!
Mar 21, 2026 @ 10:01am (America/Phoenix)
Mar 21, 2026
10+ down trees on upper sunset
Jul 24, 2025 @ 7:47am
Jul 24, 2025
Jun 27, 2025 @ 10:19am
Jun 27, 2025
Small tree down across trail towards the bottom of the trail about 8ish inches in diameter. Other than that the trail is in good condition....
May 24, 2025 @ 7:44am
May 24, 2025
more »
Status:
on Apr 13, 2026
Ideal
Avg: 4.49 (32 votes)
Your vote: 0

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Trail Conditions
  • Unknown
  • Snow Groomed
  • Snow Packed
  • Snow Covered
  • Snow Cover Partial
  • Freeze/thaw Cycle
  • Icy
  • Prevalent Mud
  • Wet
  • Variable
  • Ideal
  • Dry
  • Very Dry
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  • Downhill Primary
  • Both Directions
  • Uphill Primary
  • Uphill Only
  • One Direction
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        Directions to sunset-upper-16334 trailhead (35.244570, -111.601250)

        Photos

        48 more »
        148 |
        Sep 1, 2023 @ 8:07am
        Sep 1, 2023
        191 |
        Jul 25, 2023 @ 10:21pm
        Jul 25, 2023
        193 |
        Nov 4, 2021 @ 2:23pm
        Nov 4, 2021
        176 |
        Sep 30, 2021 @ 4:59pm
        Sep 30, 2021

        Videos

        14 more »
        youtuber SUNSET TRAIL in Flagstaff Arizona ????
        16:27 | 1134 | Sep 28, 2019 , Flagstaff
        Flagstaff Enduro: STAGE 3
        5:14 | 50 | Nov 1, 2025 , Flagstaff
        Flagstaff Trail Guide: Upper Sunset
        8:46 | 104 | Jul 1, 2025 , Flagstaff
        Who Needs a Shuttle? Big Mt. Elden Loop!...
        13:44 | 167 | Aug 4, 2024 , Flagstaff

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        4.5 19 miles 2,297 ft 37 Loop
        Great loop with plenty of climbing to earn your downhill fun. Some techie but rideable bits on and but...
        1.0 11 miles 2,581 ft 5 Loop

        10 Reviews & Comments


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        • By toddTF Pro Trailforks & contributors
        • #16334 - 9,772 views

        Frequently Asked Questions About Sunset (Upper)

        Where is Sunset (Upper) located?
        Sunset (Upper) is located in MEDL (Mount Elden Dry Lakes), Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is part of the MEDL (Mount Elden Dry Lakes) trail network. The trailhead is located at coordinates 35.24457, -111.60125.
        How hard is Sunset (Upper)?
        Sunset (Upper) is rated as Black Diamond difficulty. The physical rating is Moderate. The average grade is 5.9%. The climb difficulty is rated Black Diamond.
        What is the elevation gain for Sunset (Upper)?
        Sunset (Upper) has 193 ft of elevation gain. The trail has 805 ft of elevation descent. The elevation ranges from 8,422 ft to 9,156 ft.
        Is Sunset (Upper) a point to point trail?
        Sunset (Upper) is not a point to point trail. The direction is Downhill Primary. The trail type is singletrack.

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