The Best Hikes in Sedona, Arizona

Sedona is home to more amazing hikes within 30 minutes than any other place in the country. The stunning red rock formations and mountains offer world-class hiking, scrambling and off-road adventures. It’s no doubt this outdoor destination is always crowded. The best hikes in Sedona will take you to the top of 7000+ foot peaks, scrambling across gigantic sandstone boulders, exploring archway caves, and experiencing some of the world’s most beautiful desert landscapes.

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Sedona is popular and at times too crowded, but make no mistake, it’s worth it. There’s a reason so many people flock to this area renowned for its staggering beauty and energy.

With red rock mountains, chiseled canyons and lush desert forests, just driving around Sedona is a jaw-dropping experience. Often times you can simply drive around and find a trailhead off the road. But plan for limited parking, crowded trails and traffic in town. We found that starting early in the morning is the best way to avoid crowds while hiking in Sedona.

There are so many unique and challenging hikes that offer top notch views, scrambling experiences and beautiful desert landscapes. All within a 30 minute drive of the downtown. Make it a priority to visit this scenic area – you can spend a week of non-stop hiking and still not see everything.

Sedona sits on Highway 89 in Arizona, about 30 miles south of Flagstaff and I-40. Driving to and around Sedona is an incredible experience on its own. This section of Highway 89 is some of the most scenic highway driving in the entire country.

Due to the popularity of Sedona, it gets a lot of tourism. As a result, food and lodging can be expensive and have limited availability. There can be traffic as well, since Highway 89 is the main thoroughfare. But take one of the many beautiful turnoffs (for example, Dry Creek Road) and carve into the depths of the gorgeous canyons. To help plan your trip, here’s our highlights of the best hikes in Sedona.

READ ME! While we consider this an incredible list of the best hikes in Sedona, there are LOTS more to explore (list at the bottom of this page). This includes Cathedral Rock, Devil's Bridge, Bell Rock and more. We highly suggest finding additional blogs for info on those popular hikes. Our favorite is Earth Trekkers or the AllTrails app. We tried to gear this list to the hikes that don't always have hundreds of people on them because that's what we prefer.

The Best Hikes in Sedona (that aren’t always crowded!)

The best view in Sedona (and possibly all of Arizona!)

For peak-baggers, Wilson Mountain is the tallest point in Sedona that rewards you with possibly the best views in all of Arizona. You spend the first half of the hike carving into the depths of Wilson Canyon. You’ll be tempted to turn around every few minutes to admire the views as you slowly ascend, but be patient.

Eventually you’ll get to a flatter section that takes you around the backside of Wilson Mountain. This is a nice place to rest your legs a bit. Then, it’s another gradual ascent as you curve your way up to the top of the mountain. The final few minutes is a flat walk across the peak’s plateau. And then, finally, you get jaw-dropping views of Sedona, Oak Creek, the San Francisco Mountains and the surrounding canyons. Bring yourself a celebratory snack to enjoy while soaking it in.

For a 9 mile trek up Sedona’s tallest mountain, this is actually a relatively easy hike. Toughest part will be finding a parking spot at the Midgley Bridge. There’s a lot of exposure on this trail, and the backside of the mountain can stay cold and snowy during winter, so plan accordingly.

For the willing, there’s an additional 2.5 miles you can do for another amazing viewpoint at the North Canyon Overlook.

Interested? Watch our video slideshow of the Wilson Peak hike:

Pools, caves and sinkholes – Sedona’s most diverse hike

It’s a popular trail, but start early enough and enjoy some of Sedona’s most unique and beautiful landmarks while hiking Seven Sacred Pools and Soldiers Pass Caves. This hike has a little bit of everything – scrambling up canyon walls, exploring archway caves, massive sandstone sinkholes, and the Seven Sacred Pools.

There’s a variety of route combinations to take here, so do some research to figure out your preference. But make sure to tack on the side detour to Soldier’s Cave. It’s a unique archway cave that you can scramble around. The outward views are stunning.

Few things to note – this is a very popular trail, so you’ll likely encounter large crowds, Jeep tours and hordes of mountain bikers. That’s why we highly recommend starting early.

Check out this video slideshow for the Seven Sacred Pools hike:

The most challenging and rewarding climb in Sedona

Hiking Bear Mountain is only about 5 miles, but you’re climbing nearly the entire time. Sometimes you’ve got to use all fours for the proper balance, which makes this hike even more rewarding as you ascend to the various summits on this hike.

Bring water and snacks because there a variety of viewpoints where you can see for dozens of miles across the desert landscape.

The final endpoint views are simply stunning. We consider it one of the best views in all of Sedona, second only to the peak of Wilson Mountain.

The parking lot is shared with other trailheads, but it’s often way less crowded than the other trails off Dry Creek Road.

One of Sedona’s most picturesque hikes, and with a fraction of the crowds

You’ll share a trailhead and parking lot with some of Sedona’s busiest trails, but once you break off towards Mescal Mountain there’s usually only a fraction of the people on this beautiful trail. That’s why we love and recommend this hike.

Carve around the bottom of Mescal Mountain and admire its stunning beauty. You’ll also have panoramic views that extend across the canyons towards Sedona.

Then break in towards the canyon floors and weave through amazing desert forests. You’ll end near the starting point for Devil’s Bridge, so you can always add that on for fun.

Best summer trail in Sedona

First, note that we did this trail in the middle of winter, but we’re recommending it for the best overall summer hike in Sedona. The West Fork of Oak Creek takes you into a tucked away part of Sedona. The views don’t have the same grandiosity as Wilson Mountain or Boynton Canyon, but that’s ok because it’s the beauty of the creek that makes this hike special.

Get up close and personal with the spectacular Oak Creek. You’ll end up crossing it a total of 13 times as you weave your way through this canyon wonderland. In the summer time when temperatures are extreme, there is no better way to cool off than to cross through the cool Oak Creek every 10 minutes. Each crossing has plenty of areas to relax and soak in some sun as well. Additionally, the towering canyon walls provide shade during the early and later parts of the day.

Tips – bring hiking poles to help you cross the creek. This is especially important if you hike in winter or simply don’t mind getting your boots wet. Some of the crossings are difficult and require you to balance across wobbly logs and rocks.

This parking lot has its own fees, so unfortunately the Red Rock Pass will not work here. You have to wait until 8am when they open the gate.

The best detour hikes in Sedona

If you only took the Boynton Canyon Trail straight to the end of the stunning box canyon, it’s already one of the best hikes in Sedona. But, there are a few detours you can make on this hike to make it extra special.

Break right off the trail to find the Subway Cave. This is a very popular destination, so expect crowds of people eager to get their photo opportunities (similar to the crowds and wait times at Devil’s Bridge). But get here early enough and hopefully enjoy the caves with limited people. There’s also some ruins along the ledges of the canyon walls.

There’s additional caves and ledges to explore, so we’ll leave it up to you to figure out how to have the best time 🙂

An incredible lollipop loop with expansive views of Sedona

This lollipop loop trail takes you across a variety of geologic formations as well as some of the best views of Sedona. The Hangover Loop (with Cow Pies and Munds Wagon) is a must-do 8 mile hike to experience Sedona’s diverse beauty.

Once you get near the top, take in this spectacular forest valley views down below.

Looking out the other direction gives these expansive views of Sedona.

Further into your hike you’ll arrive at the Cow Pies trail. This flat layer of rock is a great spot to explore or relax.

Tip – start early to avoid crowds (per usual). Specifically, you can avoid the constant throttle of jeeps as they schlep passengers up and down Schnebly Road. If you’re looking for peace and quiet, the Hangover Loop portion will have it. But on Cow Pies and Munds Wagon trails you’ll be able to see and hear a steady stream of off-road vehicles as you hike around.

The best loop trail with 360 views of Cathedral Rock

If you’ve already done the scramble up Cathedral Rock, or if you don’t want to deal with those crowds, the Cathedral Rock Loop Trail gives spectacular 360 degree views as you traverse across some of Sedona’s most picturesque landscapes.

The first magnificent view of Cathedral Rock is along the Hiline Trail. The panoramic views continue left and right for views of Oak Creek Valley and Sedona.

Looking off the other direction, more expansive views to take your breath away. A great place to enjoy a snack and soak in the beautiful scenery.

Tip – tack on the extra few miles to make the scramble up Cathedral Rock. It’s incredibly unique and memorable. Or, finish this hike at the trailhead and continue walking along Highway 179 and then break left to start exploring Bell Rock. The parking lots are usually full so it’s easier than trying to wait it out and get lucky.

Please note, there’s a number of hikes we do NOT highlight in this list (see below), but that does not mean they aren’t worth it. We simply wanted to highlight the best hikes that aren’t terribly crowded year round. Our favorite blog, EarthTrekkers, has a great overall list. And of course the AllTrails app should always be consulted.

Here’s a quick list of the popular hikes that we do not highlight. Although we do think they’re worth your time if you can deal with crowds of people and selfie-sticks…

• Cathedral Rock – an incredibly unique scramble hike. Bring your traction shoes because you’re climbing nearly the entire time. Also note, there is often a parking attendant monitoring the lot due to the popularity. Try to hike this at sunrise or sunset. There are additional trailheads that can get you to Cathedral Rock – our suggestion is to do an amazing 8 mile loop hike via Hiline and Templeton, but keep in mind this will add a few miles.
• Bell Rock – this is an extremely open and fun hike that lets you scramble and explore around the aptly named Bell Rock formation. Bring some solid shoes for traction to stay safe, and then enjoy the 360 views as your cruise around this landmark.
• Devil’s Bridge – chances are you’ve seen this gorgeous sandstone arch on social media. What you don’t see is the dozens of people patiently waiting behind the camera for their own “not crowded” picture. This hike is stunning but can feel like waiting in line at Disneyland.
• Birthing Cave – this hike is also extremely popular, although we don’t consider it a top hike at all. We found the “cave” to be shallow and not as impressive as many other cave options around Sedona. But it’s accessible and only a few miles long.

Places to eat in Sedona

Sedona is by most measures a tourist town, and the food generally reflects that. Some of the fine dining requires advance reservations (like weeks or months ahead of time!), and the rest of the options range from McDonalds (with teal arches) to vegan cafes to Mexican joints. Similar to the hiking options, places get crowded. So if you’re searching for a lunch spot at noon on the weekend, expect to wait for a table or service almost anywhere you go.

For quiet and picturesque outdoor views, the Hideaway House has an extensive outdoor patio to enjoy the creek and canyon.

For the most relaxing atmosphere, try the ChocolaTree Organic Eatery. Tucked into the cozy back patio, you’d never guess you’re so close to the busy Highway 89.

For a quick and easy (and relatively healthy) soups & salads, hit up Wildflower. The outdoor seating sits atop Highway 89 with views of downtown.

More to come, check back later…

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