Before the list: Sedona hiking essentials
- Parking passes: Most trailheads require a Red Rock Pass (daily/weekly) or an America the Beautiful pass. Buy the weekly pass if you'll hike more than one day; check the current setup at the Red Rock Ranger Station or online before you go.
- Trailhead shuttle: Sedona runs a free shuttle to several of the most crowded trailheads on busy days (typically Thursday–Sunday) — using it for Cathedral Rock and Devil's Bridge trailheads saves the worst parking fights. Routes and days change, so verify before your trip.
- Start early: By 9 a.m. on spring and fall weekends, the famous trailheads are full and the trails are busy. Sunrise starts are quieter, cooler, and prettier.
- Water: At least 1 liter per person for short hikes, 2+ for the hard ones. No water exists at trailheads or on trails. Distances below are round-trip unless noted.
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Easy — big views, small effort
1. Bell Rock Pathway (1–3.6 miles, choose your distance)
The perfect first Sedona hike: a wide, mostly flat path running from the Village of Oak Creek toward Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, with constant postcard views. Turn around whenever you like. Add the short scramble up Bell Rock's lower slopes if you're feeling it.
2. Fay Canyon (about 2.4 miles)
A gentle, sandy walk into a box canyon in West Sedona, shaded in the morning and far less crowded than the famous names. There's a natural arch off a short side path near the end for those who look for it.
3. West Fork of Oak Creek (up to 6.5 miles; do as much as you like)
Sedona's beloved creek hike up in Oak Creek Canyon: flat, shaded, and crossing the creek 13 times if you go all the way. In autumn the maples turn and it's arguably the most beautiful walk in Arizona. Arrive early — the small parking lot is the trail's only drawback.
Moderate — the icons
4. Cathedral Rock (about 1.2 miles, steep)
Short doesn't mean easy: this is a hands-on scramble up slickrock to the saddle beneath Sedona's most famous formation, with the best view-to-effort payoff in town. The final destination for sunset photographers. Take the free shuttle on busy days instead of fighting for the small lot.
5. Devil's Bridge (about 4 miles from Dry Creek trailhead; shorter with high-clearance access)
The largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area, and you can walk across it. The trail is a steady, moderate climb; the payoff — and the photo line at the top — are famous for a reason. Start at dawn for a quieter arch.
6. Soldier Pass (about 4.5-mile loop)
The variety champion: Devil's Kitchen sinkhole, the Seven Sacred Pools, a hidden cave spur, and big views, all in one loop. The trailhead lot is tiny by design — this is a prime shuttle-or-weekday hike.
7. Airport Loop (about 3.3 miles)
Circles Airport Mesa with nonstop panoramic views and one of Sedona's vortex sites along the way. Rocky and exposed — a morning hike — and pairs perfectly with sunset at the Airport Mesa viewpoint afterward.
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Hard — earn it
8. Bear Mountain (about 5 miles, ~2,000 ft of climbing)
Sedona's benchmark tough hike: relentless, exposed, and absolutely worth it for the 360-degree summit panorama over the whole region. Start at first light, carry serious water, and don't attempt it in summer heat.
9. Boynton Canyon (about 6–7 miles)
A long, beautiful canyon walk past Enchantment Resort into narrowing red walls, with a famous vortex site near the start and ancient energy the whole way. The shaded canyon floor makes it the most tolerable of the long hikes — still a half-to-full day out.
Picking your hike
- One hike only: Cathedral Rock (morning) — it's the icon for a reason.
- With kids: Bell Rock Pathway or Fay Canyon, plus a creek stop.
- Photographers: Cathedral Rock at sunset, West Fork in fall, Devil's Bridge at sunrise.
- Peak-baggers: Bear Mountain, then come back for Wilson Mountain (Sedona's highest trail) next trip.
- No car / shuttle days: Choose from the shuttle-served trailheads and stay in Uptown — see our Sedona weekend guide and where-to-stay guide for the full plan.
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