Kendrick Peak | Kendrick Mountain
Kendrick Peak is one of the dominant mountains of northern Arizona, rising to approximately 10,424 feet (3,177 meters) northwest of Flagstaff. Also known as Kendrick Mountain and historically as Mount Kendrick, the peak is a major volcanic landmark of the San Francisco Volcanic Field and the centerpiece of the Kendrick Mountain Wilderness.
Although nearby Humphreys Peak and the San Francisco Peaks rise higher, Kendrick stands apart from them as a broad, isolated volcanic massif. Its nearly 2,500 feet of topographic prominence, forested slopes, historic fire lookout, and sweeping summit views make it one of the most rewarding high-elevation hikes in the Flagstaff region.
The mountain is also geologically more complex than its rounded profile suggests. Kendrick developed through a long series of eruptions involving rhyolite, dacite, and andesite between roughly 2.7 and 1.4 million years ago.
⚡ Fast Facts
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Mountain | Kendrick Peak |
| Alternate Names | Kendrick Mountain, Mount Kendrick |
| Continent | North America |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Coconino County |
| Region | Coconino Plateau |
| Volcanic Region | San Francisco Volcanic Field |
| Elevation | 10,424 ft / 3,177 m |
| Traditional Map Elevation | About 10,418 ft / 3,176 m |
| Prominence | 2,496 ft / 761 m |
| Isolation | 9.52 mi / 15.32 km |
| Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN) | Humphreys Peak |
| Coordinates | 35.40808° N, 111.85102° W |
| Protected Area | Kendrick Mountain Wilderness |
| National Forests | Kaibab and Coconino National Forests |
| Mountain Type | Volcanic massif / lava-dome complex |
| Primary Summit Route | Kendrick Mountain Trail #22 |
| USGS Topographic Map | Kendrick Peak |
| Notable Feature | Fire lookout and historic 1911 lookout cabin |
📍 Where Is Kendrick Peak?
Kendrick Peak rises approximately 20 miles northwest of Flagstaff in northern Arizona. It stands between the city of Flagstaff and the community of Williams, near the eastern edge of Kaibab National Forest.
The mountain occupies part of the broad Coconino Plateau, a high section of the much larger Colorado Plateau. Much of the surrounding country already lies between 7,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level, yet Kendrick rises another 2,000 feet or more above the plateau.
Its size makes it a conspicuous landmark from U.S. Route 180 and many points around northern Arizona.
To the east are the much higher San Francisco Peaks, crowned by Humphreys Peak. To the west, the volcanic landscape continues toward Sitgreaves Mountain and Bill Williams Mountain.
Together, these mountains reveal the enormous scale of northern Arizona’s volcanic past.
🌋 Geology of Kendrick Peak
Kendrick Peak is part of the San Francisco Volcanic Field, one of the largest concentrations of volcanoes in the continental United States.
The volcanic field covers roughly 1,800 square miles of northern Arizona and contains more than 600 volcanic vents. Volcanism began in its western portion about six million years ago and gradually migrated eastward.
Kendrick represents one of the field’s major older eruptive centers.
Geologic mapping by the U.S. Geological Survey shows that volcanic activity at Kendrick occurred over an extended period, with rocks ranging from approximately 2.7 million to 1.4 million years old.
Rather than being built by a single simple eruption, Kendrick developed through numerous episodes involving several types of magma.
Its rocks include:
- Rhyolite
- Dacite
- Andesite
- Volcanic breccia
- Dikes and lava flows
One especially interesting feature is a prominent rhyolite dome in the summit area. USGS mapping describes this as an obsidian-bearing dome roughly 1.2 to 1.5 kilometers across.
Later andesite flows spread across portions of the mountain, partly covering older rhyolite and dacite.
The result is a complicated volcanic structure hidden beneath Kendrick’s comparatively smooth, forested slopes.
🪨 An Ancient Volcanic Center
Kendrick differs from many of the small cinder cones scattered around Flagstaff.
Most volcanoes of the San Francisco Volcanic Field are relatively small monogenetic cones created during a single eruptive episode. Kendrick, by contrast, is a much larger silicic-to-intermediate volcanic complex created through multiple eruptions.
Its substantial size reflects that more complicated history.
Kendrick and nearby Sitgreaves Mountain were particularly important centers of silicic volcanism several million years ago. Geological research has also associated both peaks with the northeast-trending Mesa Butte fault system, suggesting that faults in the underlying crust helped influence where magma reached the surface.
Today, there is no indication that Kendrick itself is an active volcanic center.
The broader San Francisco Volcanic Field, however, is considered geologically young. Its most recent eruption produced Sunset Crater approximately 900 years ago.
🏞️ Kendrick Mountain Wilderness
Kendrick Peak forms the high point of the Kendrick Mountain Wilderness, a federally protected area of approximately 6,510 acres.
The wilderness straddles portions of Kaibab and Coconino National Forests, although the summit itself lies on Kaibab National Forest land.
Congress designated the area as wilderness in 1984.
Despite its modest acreage, Kendrick Mountain Wilderness contains an impressive range of environments because of its approximately 3,000 feet of elevation difference.
Lower slopes support ponderosa pine and Gambel oak. Higher elevations transition into mixed-conifer forests containing Douglas-fir, white fir, spruce, and other cold-tolerant species.
Aspen groves brighten portions of the mountain in autumn.
Wildflower-filled meadows break up the forest near higher elevations and create some of the finest viewpoints on the mountain.
As a designated wilderness, the area is managed to preserve its undeveloped character. Motor vehicles, bicycles, and other mechanized forms of travel are generally prohibited within wilderness boundaries.
🌲 Plants and Wildlife
Kendrick Peak supports several distinct forest communities.
Ponderosa pine dominates much of the lower mountain. As elevation increases, cooler temperatures allow Douglas-fir, white fir, Engelmann spruce, aspen, and other montane species to become more common.
These forests provide valuable wildlife habitat.
Elk and mule deer use Kendrick’s forests and meadows, while black bears roam the broader mountain landscape. The wilderness also provides habitat for northern goshawks and the federally protected Mexican spotted owl.
The combination of mature forest, burned areas, recovering vegetation, and high-elevation meadows creates an unusually varied ecological landscape.
Fall can be particularly striking when aspen groves turn yellow and gold against Kendrick’s darker conifer forests.
🔥 The 2000 Pumpkin Fire
Modern Kendrick Peak was dramatically shaped by the Pumpkin Fire of 2000.
A lightning strike ignited the fire southwest of the Kendrick Mountain Wilderness on May 24, 2000. Strong winds, extremely dry fuels, and decades of accumulated forest material helped the fire spread rapidly.
The fire eventually affected most of the wilderness.
Forest Service fire managers faced the difficult task of protecting firefighters, wilderness values, wildlife habitat, and historic structures while dealing with extreme fire behavior.
Evidence of the Pumpkin Fire remains visible along Kendrick’s hiking trails.
Large areas of standing dead trees and younger forest growth reveal where the fire moved across the mountain. Aspen and other early-successional vegetation have colonized some burned areas, giving hikers a close look at how a high-elevation forest responds to major wildfire.
The altered forest also opened views that previously would have been hidden behind dense stands of trees.
🥾 Hiking Kendrick Peak
The most popular route to the summit is Kendrick Mountain Trail #22.
It is a substantial but nontechnical mountain hike, climbing steadily from the forests at the base of Kendrick toward the summit.
Typical measurements vary slightly depending on mapping method, but hikers should expect approximately:
| Trail Statistic | Approximate Value |
|---|---|
| Round-Trip Distance | 9–9.5 miles |
| Elevation Gain | 2,600–2,700 feet |
| Trailhead Elevation | About 7,700 feet |
| Summit Elevation | 10,424 feet |
| Route Type | Out and back |
| Technical Difficulty | Class 1 hiking |
| Typical Hiking Time | About 5–7 hours |
The trail starts among ponderosa pines before gradually climbing into mixed-conifer forest.
Long switchbacks make the grade relatively manageable for a mountain exceeding 10,000 feet, although the elevation and overall vertical gain make it a strenuous outing for hikers who are not acclimated to high altitude.
Burned areas from the Pumpkin Fire provide increasingly expansive views during the ascent.
Near the upper mountain, the trail reaches open meadows and the historic lookout cabin before making its final climb toward the summit.
🥾 Other Trails on Kendrick Mountain
Kendrick Mountain Trail #22 is the usual choice for a first summit hike, but it is not the only trail within the wilderness.
The Pumpkin Trail approaches the mountain through terrain affected by the 2000 Pumpkin Fire, while the Bull Basin Trail provides another way to explore Kendrick’s western and northern slopes.
Connections among these trails can create longer wilderness outings.
Because road conditions, fire restrictions, and trail maintenance can change, hikers planning anything beyond the standard Kendrick Mountain Trail should consult current Kaibab National Forest information before departure.
🛖 The Historic Kendrick Lookout Cabin
One of the most interesting landmarks on the hike is the Kendrick Lookout Cabin, located below the summit.
The small log cabin dates to 1911, when fire lookout guard Bill Williams built it as living quarters. Williams would stay in the cabin and hike higher onto the mountain each day to watch the surrounding forests for smoke.
The mountain had begun serving as a fire-detection site around 1910 or 1911.
Measuring only about 9 by 12 feet, the simple cabin has log walls, a corrugated metal roof, wood-plank flooring, and a basalt-block foundation.
Its importance lies not in architectural grandeur but in its connection to the earliest years of organized wildfire detection in the American Southwest.
The Kendrick Lookout Cabin was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 as part of a group of historic Forest Service fire lookouts.
It is one of the oldest surviving fire-detection structures in the Southwest.
🔭 Kendrick Peak Fire Lookout
The actual summit of Kendrick Peak contains a more modern fire lookout.
The current steel lookout structure was erected in 1964, replacing an earlier lookout building from the 1930s. Fire detection had already been taking place on the mountain for more than half a century by that point.
The summit’s extraordinary visibility explains why Kendrick became such an important lookout location.
On clear days, observers can see across vast portions of northern Arizona.
The San Francisco Peaks dominate the eastern skyline, with Humphreys Peak towering above the surrounding volcanic landscape.
Views extend west toward Sitgreaves Mountain and Bill Williams Mountain, while the plateau stretches northward toward the Grand Canyon.
The fire lookout is a working structure, so public access to the tower itself should never be assumed.
👀 Views From Kendrick Peak
The summit panorama is one of Kendrick Peak’s greatest rewards.
Because Kendrick stands well apart from neighboring high mountains, there is relatively little nearby terrain blocking the horizon.
The most dramatic view is east toward the San Francisco Peaks. Humphreys Peak, Kendrick’s Nearest Higher Neighbor, rises prominently across the volcanic plateau.
On especially clear days, hikers may also be able to identify portions of the Grand Canyon country to the north.
To the west, the view follows a chain of older volcanic mountains toward Sitgreaves Mountain and Bill Williams Mountain.
Between the major peaks are scores of smaller volcanic cones.
Few viewpoints illustrate the enormous scale of the San Francisco Volcanic Field as clearly as Kendrick.
🌩️ Weather and Hiking Safety
Kendrick’s elevation means hikers should prepare for true mountain weather.
Conditions at 10,000 feet can be dramatically cooler and windier than conditions in Flagstaff or Williams.
Summer monsoon thunderstorms are among the most important hazards. Storms can develop quickly during July and August, producing lightning, heavy rain, hail, and sudden temperature drops.
An early start is particularly important during monsoon season.
There are also no dependable water sources along the standard summit trail, so hikers should carry all the water they expect to need.
Snow can remain on the upper mountain well into spring after heavy winters, and significant snowfall may return by autumn.
Forest roads leading to the trailhead can also become muddy or snow-covered.
🍂 Best Time to Hike Kendrick Peak
For most hikers, the best season is late spring through fall.
June often offers mild temperatures and relatively dry weather, although lingering snow is possible after snowy winters.
July and August bring lush vegetation and wildflowers but also the greatest thunderstorm risk.
September and early October can be outstanding. Cooler temperatures make climbing more comfortable, skies are often clearer, and Kendrick’s aspen groves may display brilliant fall color.
Winter ascents are considerably more demanding and can involve deep snow, difficult road access, and navigation challenges.
📏 How High Is Kendrick Peak?
Modern LiDAR analysis places Kendrick Peak at approximately 10,423.7 feet (3,177.1 meters).
This is slightly higher than the 10,418-foot elevation traditionally listed by the U.S. Forest Service and older topographic references.
Elevation figures for mountains often change slightly as increasingly accurate surveying techniques become available.
Kendrick’s topographic prominence is approximately 2,496 feet, meaning it rises substantially above the saddles connecting it with higher terrain.
Its true isolation is approximately 9.52 miles.
⛰️ Nearest Higher Neighbor
Kendrick Peak’s Nearest Higher Neighbor (NHN) is Humphreys Peak.
Humphreys rises to more than 12,600 feet in the San Francisco Peaks east-southeast of Kendrick.
The contrast between the two mountains is geologically interesting.
Both belong to the San Francisco Volcanic Field, yet they formed during different periods and through different volcanic processes. Kendrick’s major eruptive activity occurred millions of years ago, while San Francisco Mountain—the great volcano containing Humphreys Peak—is considerably younger.
From Kendrick’s summit, the difference in scale is unmistakable.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kendrick Peak the same as Kendrick Mountain?
Yes. Kendrick Peak is also commonly called Kendrick Mountain, and Mount Kendrick has historically been used as a variant name. The surrounding protected area is officially named Kendrick Mountain Wilderness.
How high is Kendrick Peak?
Modern LiDAR data places the summit at approximately 10,424 feet (3,177 meters). Older references commonly give an elevation of 10,418 feet.
Where is Kendrick Peak?
Kendrick Peak is in Coconino County, Arizona, northwest of Flagstaff and east of Williams.
What is Kendrick Peak’s Nearest Higher Neighbor?
The Nearest Higher Neighbor is Humphreys Peak, Arizona’s highest summit.
Is Kendrick Peak a volcano?
Yes. Kendrick is a large volcanic complex within northern Arizona’s San Francisco Volcanic Field.
When did Kendrick Peak erupt?
Volcanic rocks associated with Kendrick Peak date largely from approximately 2.7 to 1.4 million years ago, showing that the mountain developed during multiple eruptive episodes rather than one eruption.
What kind of volcano is Kendrick Peak?
Kendrick is best described as a large volcanic massif or lava-dome complex. Its geology includes rhyolite and dacite domes and flows as well as later andesite.
How long is the hike up Kendrick Peak?
The standard Kendrick Mountain Trail #22 is roughly 9 to 9.5 miles round trip, with approximately 2,600 to 2,700 feet of elevation gain.
Is there water on Kendrick Peak?
There are no reliable water sources along the standard hiking route. Hikers should carry all necessary water.
Is there a fire lookout on Kendrick Peak?
Yes. A fire lookout stands on the summit. The present tower dates to 1964, while fire detection on Kendrick began around 1910–1911.
What is the old cabin near the summit?
The Kendrick Lookout Cabin was built in 1911 for an early fire lookout guard. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Was Kendrick Peak affected by wildfire?
Yes. The 2000 Pumpkin Fire burned extensively across Kendrick Mountain Wilderness and dramatically altered portions of the forest.
🔗 Related Articles
- Humphreys Peak — Kendrick Peak’s Nearest Higher Neighbor and the highest point in Arizona.
- San Francisco Peaks — the massive volcanic mountain group east of Kendrick.
- Sitgreaves Mountain — another major volcanic summit west of Kendrick Peak.
- Bill Williams Mountain — a prominent volcanic mountain near Williams, Arizona.
📚 Sources
- Peakbagger — Kendrick Peak
- U.S. Forest Service — Kendrick Mountain Wilderness
- U.S. Geological Survey — San Francisco Volcanic Field
- U.S. Geological Survey — Geology and History of the San Francisco Volcanic Field
- U.S. Geological Survey — Geologic Map of the Central Part of the San Francisco Volcanic Field
- National Park Service — National Forest Fire Lookouts in the Southwestern Region
- U.S. Forest Service — Fire Management Today: Pumpkin Fire
