Seeing San Francisco Peaks from a plane
The remains of a collapsed volcano north of Flagstaff, topped by 12,633-ft Humphreys Peak, Arizona's highest point, and sacred to the Hopi and Navajo. Look for a ring of summits around a hollow, often snowy above ponderosa forest.
14 of our routes pass it. Arizona · rated 6 of 10
The easy pick
Phoenix to Denver: sit on the left, 18 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Austin to San Francisco | Left | 112 min after takeoff |
| Dallas to Las Vegas | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 111 min after takeoff |
| Houston to Las Vegas | Right | 125 min after takeoff |
| Houston to San Francisco | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 132 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Atlanta | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 25 min after takeoff |
| Las Vegas to Dallas-Fort Worth | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 25 min after takeoff |
| Philadelphia to Los Angeles | Left the other side is usually better on this route | 240 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Denver | Left | 18 min after takeoff |
| Phoenix to Seattle | Right | 20 min after takeoff |
| Portland to Phoenix | Left | 111 min after takeoff |
| Salt Lake City to Phoenix | Left | 46 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Denver | Right the other side is usually better on this route | 46 min after takeoff |
| San Diego to Chicago | Left | 47 min after takeoff |
| Seattle to Phoenix | Left | 119 min after takeoff |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see San Francisco Peaks from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (8 of 14). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see San Francisco Peaks from a plane?
Mid-flight: see the table for when on each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Meteor Crater Grand Canyon Petrified Forest National Park Four Peaks Lake Powell Austin (AUS) San Francisco (SFO) Dallas (DAL) Las Vegas (LAS) All routes