Sedona Hiking

There seem to be hundreds of hiking trails in the Sedona, Flagstaff and Verde Valley area. The guests of our Sedona B & B have hiked just about every trail in the area and we can recommend the right trek for you, depending upon your interests, abilities and time available. We also have a number of Sedona hiking guidebooks in our library which you can check out and carry with you during your stay!

Here is our Top 10 Recommended Hiking Trails list (also available in our Room Guides, in each of our guest rooms). Complete trail descriptions and maps are also available at the inn.

Bell Rock
Easy parking along SR-179. Incredible views both to the North and South. Named for its characteristic bell shape, Bell Rock's top looks like an old face staring skyward. Bell Rock is known as a masculine vortex site said to boost physical and spiritual energy. Hiking can be as short as 10 minutes, or take the Bell Rock/Courthouse Butte loop for about a 3-1/2 hour hike. The trailhead is just over a mile up the road from Adobe Hacienda. Most rooms at the inn have views facing Bell Rock.

Cathedral Rock
Access from Verde Valley School Road or Back'o'Beyond Road. Cathedral Rock is the most photographed red rock monument in Sedona--and, they say, in all of Arizona. The trail is well-marked with rock cairns, but quickly turns into a "rock scramble" as you pull yourself up to the next plateau in a steep elevation climb to the "saddle". But the view is worth the effort, as from the top you can see Courthouse Butte, Twin Buttes, The Nuns, Lee Mountain, even panoramic views looking down on Oak Creek. Cathedral is a feminine energy vortex site, and while you may spend a couple hours on this hike, it is actually less than a mile each way from the Back'o'beyond trailhead up to the Saddle.

Boynton Canyon Trail and Indian Ruins
Beautiful trail into Boynton Canyon (Native Americans say this was the birthplace of their own "Adam and Eve"). Spur trail one mile from the trailhead parking leads to a little known Indian ruin part way up a Vortex-enhanced canyon. (Ask Pauline at the Inn for a map on how to find the hidden ruins.) Pack a lunch and you could spend a couple hours up on the red rock ledge where the ruin is hidden--overlooking the canyon. The trailhead starts at a parking area just outside the entrance to Enchantment Resort. The trail winds around the resort, then heads back into the canyon. The ruins trail is about .75 miles from the parking area, but the main trail heads several miles in--until it ends at the back of the canyon. At the end, try climbing up the cliffs a bit (there is sort of a trail left there to show you where to go) for a spectacular view back down the canyon.

Soldier's Pass Trail
This may be our favorite 2-hour hike in Sedona. You get to see a little bit of everything--from spectacular red rock vistas to a seasonal creek, even Indian ruins, on a moderately easy trail. Take 89A in West Sedona to Solder's Pass Road, drive a couple miles, then right on Rim Shadows and follow the signs to the trailhead parking. There is a Jeep trailhead here too, and the Jeep tours travel part way back the trail as well. First you'll see the Devil's Kitchen sinkhole, which drops about 200 feet straight down (it opened up in the mid 1800s), then the trail winds around to Seven Sacred Pools, across Slickrock and eventually ends at the red rock cliffs where you'll see 4 or more natural arches, an Indian ruin and an ancient Indian cave (sorry, no petroglyphs or pictographs).

West Fork Trail
The most popular trail in the Sedona area--and Innkeepers favorite trail--is along the lower end of the West Fork of Oak Creek. This section of creek flows year round through a deep, forested canyon, quite narrow in places, with many pretty eroded rock formations and plentiful wildlife. The West Fork joins the main Oak Creek canyon near its north end, about six miles south of the point where highway US 89 descends from atop the Ponderosa pine forests that extends south from Flagstaff into the red rock country around Sedona. There is a parking fee for the trailhead area -- $5 (unless you have a Grand Annual Red Rock Pass). This trail easily extends 6-7 miles one way, and, for the most part, is fairly easy, as you cross back and forth over the creek up the canyon.

Red Rock Crossing/Crescent Moon Park
Red Rock Crossing is the famous spot along Oak Creek where all the signature photos of Sedona Arizona seem to be taken--where Cathedral Rock is shown towering over Oak Creek. They say this is the most photographed spot in all of Arizona. To get there, take 89A to Upper Red Rock Loop Road, then follow the signs to Crescent Moon Recreation Area. There is a $5 fee to park at the park. Follow the trail (there are trails on both sides of the creek) north up the creek from the grassy area by the watermill, and you will eventually find "Wedding Rock", a lesser vortex area well-known as a beautiful ceremony spot. Continue up the creek trail as far as you like--cross over the creek when you can, then follow the trail on the other side back downstream to Red Rock Crossing where there is a footbridge to take you back over to the park.

Palatki Indian Ruins
To get there, take 89A to Dry Creek Road. At the end of Dry Creek Road, turn left and follow that paved road until it ends at a T. Turn left onto the dirt road and follow it until it ends (about 4 miles), then turn right onto 525 (another dirt road). Then follow the signs over to Palatki. There is a small charge now and a ranger on duty at the trailhead (along with restrooms). The trail is only about a half mile and heads back to the cliff face where you will see the ruins in two shallow caves. Both ruins were two story structures that contained eight rooms each. In the larger ruin, the walls are well preserved--there are even juniper poles still supporting the doors and windows. The site originally housed about 100 people around 1200 A.D. Also, don't forget to follow the signs to the short spur trail leading to the rock art site nearby!

Airport Mesa
This is one of the easiest vortex sites to visit, and the loop trail around Airport Mesa is fairly level as well. About a 2 hour hike, the trail is a bit rocky, so definately wear hiking boots. Take 89A to Airport Road, then go half way up to the top of the mesa where the road makes a sharp right turn. Park on the left and stroll up to the top of the rise, and you are in the vortex. Follow the trail to the right from there, and it winds all the way around Airport Mesa, eventually leading you back to where you parked. For views, this trail can not be beat--you can see just about every rock formation in all of Sedona on this hike. And, it's very close to town!

Broken Arrow/Submarine Rock
This trail loosely follows the route of the Pink Jeep Broken Arrow trail, and essentially you see all the same sights. Take SR-179 to Morgan Road, then follow Morgan Road until it ends at the trailhead parking. Park, cross the Jeep trail, and follow the trail as it winds around spectacular views, crosses slick rock areas and eventually comes to Submarine Rock. Follow the trail even further to the end (about 2.5 miles one way) at Chicken Point where you'll see spectacular views to the south toward Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte.