Sedona: A Hiker's Paradise

Post Topic: Best Hikes in Sedona that You Can’t Miss

If I’m being honest, I’ve been dragging my feet on writing this post. Partly because life has been so chaotic with other responsibilities and partly because I felt like I couldn’t do it justice.

Sedona completely blew us away, in a very unexpected way. As a national park junkie, I was a tad bit apprehensive about visiting a hiking destination that wasn’t a national park. You know what I mean? National Parks just do everything better. But I’m now convinced that Sedona SHOULD be a national park!

Day hiking has easily become one of my most favorite activities, especially when we travel. And in my opinion, Sedona, Arizona is hands down the BEST spot in North America for day-hiking.

It’s no joke that trails in Sedona offer some of the “best bang for your buck” hikes possible. Nearly every trail that we hiked in Sedona was a mere 2-4 miles but took you on an adventure to epic caves, unique rock formations, and provided the BEST sunrises and sunsets imaginable.

While there is so much to do in Sedona, you can’t visit without hitting a few trails. Keep reading for the 7 Best Hikes in Sedona.

How Long to Stay

The magic of Sedona can be enjoyed in as little as 1-2 days but it won’t be hard to find a weeks worth of activities to keep your jaw dropping. We explored Sedona for a full 2 days, sun up to sun down, and were able to see so much!

When to Visit & Weather in Sedona

The best seasons to visit Sedona are Spring & Fall for great weather. Plan to visit March-May or September-November for the most pleasant temperatures.

Surprisingly, summer is the most popular time to visit Sedona but has the worst weather. You can expect scorching hot temperatures from late-May to September.

The 7 Best Hikes in Sedona

There are many spectacular hikes in Sedona but here are 7 that I recommend:

Devil’s Bridge

Trail Length: 4.2 miles out-and-back
Elevation Gain: 400 feet
Difficulty: Moderate
Trailhead Location: Dry Creek Road, Sedona, AZ 34.9028° N, 111.8138° W

Definitely one of the most popular hikes in Sedona but it’s easy to see why! The hike out to Devil’s Bridge is easy and flat most of the way before a short & steep climb up to the bridge.

This unique bridge formed in the sandstone rock is a must-see on any trip to Sedona. It was so beautiful to watch the sun come up and paint the surrounding mountains in vibrant reds & oranges.

This was our first hike in Sedona and we chose it for sunrise on our first morning because this hike can become very crowded later in the day, even around sunset. Plan to arrive early (around 6 am) to avoid crowds and secure a spot in the small trailhead parking lot.

By the time we left the bridge, a line of hikers had formed waiting for their turns to take a picture on the bridge. Go early!

Cathedral Rock

Trail Length: 1.4-mile out and back
Elevation Gain: 645 feet
Difficulty: Challenging – requires a significant amount of rock scrambling

Cathedral Rock is a hike that I will never forget. I highly recommend visiting at sunset as it was one of the most memorable sunsets we’ve ever witnessed.

But keep in mind that if you go up for sunset, you’ll be climbing down in the dark. But first, about the climb up.

Let’s get ready to scramble!

The climb up cathedral rock was a bit of a nail-biter or I guess you could say “knee-shaker”. Let’s just say that my legs were trembling on both the way up and down. There is a significant amount of scrambling required to make it to the top.

Expect a lot of sliding down on your butt on the way down. So I highly recommend wearing a pair of pants that you ‘re alright with getting dirty. Stay away from white clothing on this hike.

Soldier’s Pass (Seven Sacred Pools)

Trail Length: 4.5-miles out-and-back
Elevation Gain: 650 feet
Difficulty: Moderate (climb into the cave is a bit difficult)
Trailhead Location: Rim Shadows Drive Sedona, AZ 86336. 34°53’03.4″N 111°47’01.8″W

Soldier’s Pass is a fun and easy trail that starts by passing a large impressive sink hole, meanders through the red rock terrain past the Seven Sacred Pools and ends at a super impressive cave.

This is probably my favorite trail that we hiked in Sedona and easily one of the most underrated.

At the end of the trail, you’ll encounter a small but challenging climb up into narrow cave with the most interesting lighting and windows. You definitely need to check this one out.

One thing I feel the need to warn you about is how difficult it is to obtain a parking spot at the trailhead. The parking lot only accommodates 14 cars and doesn’t open until 8 am and it’s not uncommon for cars to line up before 8.

We arrived about 9:30 and waited an hour for a spot to open up. Other hikers chose to park a mile away at the local dog park and walk to the trailhead.

This hike was definitely worth the wait for parking!

The Birthing Cave

Trail Length: 2-miles out and back
Elevation Gain: about 400 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead Location: Long Canyon Trailhead 34°54’24.0″N 111°49’27.5″W

The Birthing Cave was recommended to us by another hiking couple that we ran into on the Devil’s Bridge trail. I am so glad we took their advice!

We started on the trail just after sunrise and were able to enjoy a few quiet moments in the Birthing Cave before other hikers began showing up. Although this hike is less trafficked than other hikes on this list, the cave is pretty small and it will only take a few other people for it to feel crowded. So go early!

Finding our way to the cave was a bit challenging. Fortunately, we were lucky and chose the correct route on the first try. We weren’t entirely sure we were going the right way until be stumbled upon the cave.

Trail Instructions:

Park at the Long Canyon Trailhead found at the coordinates provided above. This parking lot is very small and only accommodates a couple of cars. If there’s no parking available there, there are a few small parking lots at other trailheads down the road.

Starting at the trailhead, go straight on the Long Canyon Trail. Almost immediately after the trail starts there’s a spur off to the left. DO NOT take this trail, continue straight.

After about 0.6 miles you’ll come to a fork in the trail, keep left and continue on.

A little bit further on, you’ll come to a second fork in the road, take another left over the tree logs.

Second fork in the trail. Go left behind the tree logs on the ground.

Soon the trail will come parallel with a rock face. Look for a depression in the face of the wall. This is the birthing cave. There’s a small but steep hike up the cave from the trail.

This hike will only take you about an hour, depending on the amount of time that you choose to spend in the cave.

Bell Rock

Trail Length: 1.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 380 feet
Difficulty: Easy – Challenging
Trailhead Location: Bell Rock Trailhead 34°48’20.7″N 111°45’59.0″W

Bell Rock is a great spot to hike for all skill levels. Beginner level hikes can enjoy the views from the flat walkway at the base of Bell Rock. Hikers seeking a more challenging hike can opt to hike up to the summit of Bell Rock.

The trail up to the summit is steep and climbs nearly 400 feet in a very short distance. The trail is not easily marked so be prepared to find your own route to the top in some sections of the trail.

We did Bell Rock near the end of our stay in Sedona and were a bit spent from the other amazing hikes that we did. So we chose to take it easy and made our own adventure climbing up the rock a little ways but didn’t come anywhere near the top.

There were many hikers at Bell Rock when we visited but fortunately, the area is very widespread so there was lots of room to go off on our own to find a secluded spot.

Vortex at Bell Rock

If you’ve heard anything about Sedona, you’ve probably head about the Sedona’s vortexes. Some say that there are locations in Sedona that act as a swirling center of energy, containing more energy than is normal. Apparently, these areas can cause a tingling sensation when you walk through them and are called vortexes.

Bell Rock is one of the most popular places for experiencing the vortex. I did not experience the sensation that other’s claim to have felt so I lean towards believing that these vortexes are not real. But who knows! Let me know in the comments below what you think!

Chimney Rock

Trail Length: 1.7 miles
Elevation Gain: 374 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead Location: Thunder Mountain Trailhead 34°52’19.1″N 111°48’44.0″W

A lot of hikes in Sedona can become very crowded, especially during the busy season. Are you looking for a hike to escape the crowds? Check out Chimney Rock.

Although this hike was one of the closest to the town of Sedona, it was actually the least busy. We only encountered 2 other hikers on this trail.

The Chimney Rock trail circumrotates around Chimney Rock, a very impressive large rock formation that resembles a chimney. The trail is very short and is easy for most hikers.

Red Rock Crossing

Trail Length: Varies
Elevation Gain: minimal
Difficulty: Easy
Trailhead Location: Baldwin Trailhead 34°49’18.3″N 111°48’29.6″W

Red Rock Crossing trail is one of the best places for views of Cathedral Rock. This hike is easy and is very popular at sunset for photos.

If you’re visit in the fall, like we were, you’ll enjoy views of the leaves changing colors. Lots of yellows and oranges mixed in among the vibrant red rock. What a sight!

Where to Stay in Sedona

There are plenty of options for accommodations in Sedona.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly option, consider staying in the Village of Oak Creek. Oak Creek is only 6 miles south of Sedona but accommodations can be a good bit cheaper. It is also very convenient for both Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock hikes.

Hotels and Airbnb are both decent options available in Sedona.