Winter Cabin Trail

Winter Cabin Trail No. 70 drops from the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness down to the historic Winter Cabin. The route descends gradually for roughly the first 1.5 miles through Ponderosa pine, Gambel oak, and juniper under lots of shade.

Winter Cabin Spring normally runs all year and sits in the creek behind the cabin, about 30 feet downstream on the far side of the creek. There’s also a campsite near the cabin.

From the cabin, you can either connect into Hog Hill Trail and Kelsey Trail or continue southwest. Past the cabin, Winter Cabin Trail loses about 1,500 feet over the next 3.5 miles through chaparral-type vegetation and into a partially shaded canyon toward Sycamore Creek.

At Sycamore Creek there’s no water available in this area of the creek. From there, you can connect with Sycamore Basin Trail #63, which runs downstream along Sycamore Creek.

In the lower section, there’s a short side hike to Ott Lake; water there is considered unreliable.

The trail is managed with a strenuous difficulty designation and a large elevation loss (about 2,394 ft one way), so plan for a day-long commitment. Because this area is in wilderness, bicycles and other mechanized vehicles aren’t allowed.

Road access uses dirt roads and can get rough or impassable in monsoon-season mud and during winter snow; scout the approach and be prepared for seasonal road closures. The trail surface is listed as dirt, and trail visibility is noted as bad, so expect route-finding pressure and avoid pushing pace in poor visibility or wet weather.

More information: Visitor information, Winter Cabin Trail #70, AZ, Hike Winter Cabin Canyon in Coconino National Forest