Sandys Canyon & Walnut Canyon

Coconino National Forest

2023-09-14 kingsnake Hiking 0

Fisher Point, at the junction of Sandys Canyon, Walnut Canyon and Fay Canyon.
Fisher Point, at the junction of Sandys Canyon, Walnut Canyon and Fay Canyon.

TL;DR I didn’t take many pictures. For a full description, read my 2020 Sandys Canyon / Walnut Canyon blog.

I’ve been through Sandys Canyon, into Walnut Canyon, many times before. Third week of August seems to be best for flowers, but I still spotted lots of fleabane / asters in multiple varieties, white to purple; yellow buckwheat, Wheeler’s thistle, linearleaf four-o’clock, a fair number of skyrocket, Dalmatian toadflax, Arizona thistle, spreading fleabane, paintbrush, pineywoods geranium, goldenrod, silver lupine, thicket globemallow, redroot wild buckwheat, Lewis flax, vetch, yarrow, field bindweed, and many varities of yellow daisy-type species.

Broom-like ragwort
Broom-like ragwort
Mat rock-spirea (Petrophytum caespitosum). It's a shrub, and I was looking at flowers on wildflowersearch.org -- which is why I missed it.
Mat rock-spirea (Petrophytum caespitosum). It’s a shrub, and I was looking at flowers on wildflowersearch.org — which is why I missed it.
Tiny, even by many-flower gilia standards. More high country flowers.
Tiny, even by many-flower gilia standards. More high country flowers.
Enjoying a hiking beer atop Fisher Point, looking across Sandys Canyon.
Enjoying a hiking beer atop Fisher Point, looking across Sandys Canyon.

Directions: From Phoenix, head north on I-17 almost all the way to Flagstaff. When you see the signs for I-40 east, stay right. Take the Lake Mary Rd. exit, which is just before I-40. In 4.6 miles, turn left onto FR 9478Y. Immediately make a right, onto FR 9478X. The Sandys Canyon Trailhead is a ¼ mile ahead. The forest roads are bumpy dirt, but car drivable. There is no parking fee.

GPS File: Sandys_Canyon_Walnut_Canyon

Distance: 7.51 mi.

AEG: 665 ft.

Time: 3h 09m

Hiking Video (2020)

Hiking Sandys Canyon & Walnut_Canyon, Arizona from Preston McMurry on Vimeo.