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What's your favorite hike in Sedona, AZ?

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Shiba

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There are so many hiking trails in Sedona and you can't do them all in one week. What is your favorite hiking trail? I am looking for an easy to moderate hike, not looking for strenuous. Is there one off the beaten path that is very scenic? Sedona is very picturesque, but is there a trail where you can take some awesome pictures?
 
Shiba said:
There are so many hiking trails in Sedona and you can't do them all in one week. What is your favorite hiking trail? I am looking for an easy to moderate hike, not looking for strenuous. Is there one off the beaten path that is very scenic? Sedona is very picturesque, but is there a trail where you can take some awesome pictures?
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Probably but we just stop at Slide Rock and other places and have never hiked Sedona. I see crazy high temps for Arizona this week - stay safe and HYDRATE !
 
Time of year affects "best" hikes. Time of day affects best photos. Please forget about the idea of "off the beaten path," which is for experienced hikers with GPS, water and training, because yes, those would be strenuous.

Sedona is at 5000 feet and that affects me, along with the dryness. Solution? Lots of water. More than you think you need. Keep water with you. It's a win if you never run out and brings some back. Once you are half way through your water, turn around. You are also half way through your hike.

There are super easy walks with fabulous scenery- Bell Rock and along 179 North from the Village of Oak Creek to Sedona. The Chapel of the Holy Cross has wonderful views. If you are near the 'Golden Hour" 4-5pm depending on when the sun sets and on the West Side of Sedona, Red Rock Loop, the road is a winner, especially on the East side of the Loop, South of the High School. There are several places to pull over and you will get the most scenic views to photograph without hiking - be careful with your rental car.

Boyton Canyon Vista is short and maybe easier than it looks. Just driving back into that area is over the top beautiful. By the way, you will need your Amecia the Beautiful pass or a you can buy a Red Rock pass in the parking lot at Bell Rock and Boyton with your credit card.

West Fork, North of Sedona in Oak Creek Canyon is fabulous and shady and can be as long or short as you like. There's a fee of $12 or so there. Same with Crescent Moon Ranch (West Sedona off Red Rock Loop) which was once the most iconic photograph of Sedona, but now maybe it's Devil's Bridge for hikers (I'd skip that).

If it's not too hot, the first part of Airport Loop going clockwise from the parking lot is lovely! I'd recommend turning around and doubling back when you are tired or bored. It gets really sketchy on the back side.

Hope this helps! By the way, the Hike House has great maps and books. You can buy books at the Safeway grocery store and other places, too.
 
We are not going in these temperatures. We are traveling later this year in cooler weather.
 
Yes, it will absolutely depend on what time of year you are going! A trail that I love in November might be miserable in the summer, etc. Most written descriptions of trails give you an idea of how open or shaded they are. Do a google search, there is lots of info out there. Also, check your library for actual books on the trails. The one I use covers 134 trails in detail! And the "All Trails" app is fabulous. Many of the hikers who use if leave quite detailed descriptions of what to expect on a trail that they have hiked.

Here is an article I found: https://amandaoutside.com/sedona-hiking-trails/ I TOTALLY agree with her choices of Brins Mesa Loop and Mecal Trail Loop as having stunning scenery and perhaps somewhat less traffic. Although as anyone who has hiked in Sedona for years knows, it just gets busier every year. But it is still one of the most magical places on the planet - enjoy!

And please, please, please - take Snazzylass' advice about water seriously!
 
For an off the beaten path - in Sedona that's pretty tough to find - but start with avoiding anything on the must-do list. Our least crowded hike last year was the Scheurmann Mountain trail - take the vista spur. We had that place to ourselves and it had a spectacular view towards the east of the valley. It was a good trail, on the moderate side of easy, uncrowded with a good view.

Against my better judgement, we did Devil's Bridge. Super easy but also super crowded. Other than the bridge, the trail went through the trees for a lot of the hike (no views). The crowds made this almost unbearable. I would only do this if I got a super early start and missed the crowds. Btw, there is a shuttle in town to get to some of the busier trailheads. It's a shuttle - good/bad - but if you go to one of the busier trailheads any time midday there won't be any parking so you will have to use the shuttle. https://sedonashuttle.com/trailhead-shuttles/

Oak Creek Canyon is amazing but we haven't been there in years. We've tried but parking at the trailhead/day use area was super crowded so we left to find something else. I don't know what the current conditions are, but I would probably still go if we could find a spot to park. There are a lot of creek crossings so it's something to keep in mind. I didn't have any issues using the stepping stones but you could get your feet wet.

There's an easy loop around Bell Rock and/or Courthouse Loop. Views will be above you. You'll have company on this hike but it probably won't be unbearable. Parking is south of Bell Rock along 179. There's a fee to use the national forest - an America the Beautiful pass will work if you have one.

We went one year in between Christmas and New Years and it snowed while we were there. We did the Slim Shady Trail (not the whole trail because we were dealing with ice) but I remember liking it and wanting to return. The only downside is that it is a shared mountain biking trail and that always makes things exciting lol. According to the AllTrails summary, "This route offers great views, seclusion, and a peaceful atmosphere. The trail is moderately challenging with beautiful scenery, some rocky sections, and well-marked paths. It is intended to be used by both mountain bikers and hikers. The trailhead is conveniently located near the Bell Rock trail parking lot."

I think that you can peruse AllTrails to look at some of the trail summaries without a membership. We find it to be invaluable although if you try to use it as a map while hiking, it will drain your battery pretty quickly especially if you use the "accurate location" setting. We also have trouble using it at the same time as the camera app. Lots of crashes. We always try to have a paper map with us and at a minimum take a picture of the map at the trailhead. The AllTrails maps are a poor substitute for an actual map, imo. It lulls you into complacency, thinking that you can't get lost but your dot on the map isn't always quite right, and then there's the battery issue too. That said, it will give you a notification if it seems that you have left your trail. That's good/bad depending on where you are. If you are in a heavily trafficked area with a lot of spurs you will get pings every time that you decide to take a different spur (which we can see on our paper map and has signage available). My husband *always* uses the technology and has Alltrails on for every hike and I honestly hate it. I hate the pings. I hate seeing him hiking and looking at the app instead of looking around. Sometimes I have to tell him to turn it off and just hike - especially when we are on a simple, well marked loop around a campground lol. I will step off my soapbox. I still think that it is a worthwhile app, it just has it's downsides.

Happy hiking!
 
You asked for one’s favorite hike: mine is Little Horse to Chicken Point to Submarine Rock. Go very early to get a parking space if you’re not using the shuttle. Excellent advice and suggestions in the responses above: Water, good footwear, snacks, read about the hikes before going, and know your abilities. Sedona hiking anywhere is magical.
 
And aware of the weather!!!!
 

HOME - The Hike House

If you don't want to miss Sedona... don't miss The Hike House. We are your one stop shop before you hit the hiking trails!
thehikehouse.com thehikehouse.com

Great resource for all Sedona hiking.
 
We like Boyton Canyon. It's pretty easy. Sometimes a guy will be on top of the vortek rock playing a flute.

Last trip I took my nieces to the top of Bell Rock and then over to Courthouse Butte. I wasn't planning on going to the top of Bell Rock but my nieces went up and started yelling at me from the top so I went. Very cool views. My tip is to bring a glove or tongs with a bag if you are inclined to take prickly pears for margaritas.

Bill
 
Thank you for all the great information, I'll be getting All Trails for this trip. Trying to have a game plan when we travel to Sedona.
 
I like Pyramid Mountain trail. Not frequented by crowds, almost in town and nice views. Start early!
 
Shiba said:
Thank you for all the great information, I'll be getting All Trails for this trip. Trying to have a game plan when we travel to Sedona.
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You can download the free version of the All Trails app now and do your research. That will help you decide which trails that you might like best. When you get to town, hit up the Forest Service office for free maps of those specific trails (not 100% sure if they still do this though, it's been a while since I needed a map). Otherwise, the above suggestion to snap a photo of the trail map/description on the sign at the trail head is an excellent idea.

I upped All Trails to the paid version so that I could use the interactive real-time map to do a specific hike (not in Sedona) that was not well marked (or well travelled) that had lots of false side trails. Totally invaluable for that hike, but IMHO not necessary for Sedona trails.
 
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