Top hiking trails in Sedona, Arizona that will leave you speechless!

Hello loves,

Hope all is well. So, you’re thinking of taking a trip to Sedona? Are you trying to figure out what to do? Well, you’ve come to the right place. I absolutely love Sedona. I’ve been there twice and I loved it even more the second time around. Trust me, you will love it! Just by basking in the colors of the sunsets you will have to hold your chest so your heart doesn’t pop out! Anyway, here are some of the trails we hiked on our trip. We stayed there for a full week so we took it easy and took our time to embrace everything. But hold up, wait a minute…here are some deets before you go!

The best time to visit Sedona is from March to May, when the weather is warm but not scorching hot. We went the first week of July and let me tell you, we literally had to plan our hikes for the morning and evening because it was too damn hot during the day! So, make sure you take this into consideration. September to November is also a great time to visit because the weather is mild, which means more outdoor activities. These times are great but keep in mind that these months are when Sedona gets the most traffic, meaning higher room rates and of course more people getting in your instagram photos ;). If you want to get cheaper rates and less people, I recommend going in the winter. All this goes to say, Sedona can be visited any time of the year because the weather is actually pretty nice.

Places to stay! Don’t be forced to stay in hotels. You can check out some of these bed and breakfasts and airbnb’s for a cheaper price. Google Bed & Breakfast in Sedona or search on the Airbnb website or app.

*IMPORTANT* Make sure you buy the Red Rock Pass so you can park at the trailheads. You will not need the pass for all the hikes, but most. The pass can be purchased at any gas station near you or at a visitor center. Red Rock Pass is $5 per day, $15 per week, or $20 per year.

Oh, one more thing! Please, please remember the hiking etiquette when you’re on the trails. Let’s take care of mother earth and be kind to people.

Alright, let’s get hiking!

1. CATHEDRAL ROCK (Sunset Hike)

Miles: 1.2 miles roundtrip (1.9km)

Location: 34°49'32.4"N 111°47'18.1"W

Elevation gain: 744 Feet

Level: Easy to moderate

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? Yes

Red Rock Pass: Yes

We decided to hike up to Cathedral Rock during sunset. We were there the first week of July and it was extremely hot, so that’s another reason why we waited till sundown. We went around 6:00pm to have enough time to hike up for sunset at 7:45pm. It’s a fairly short hike, however, the incline is steep. You will be hiking up huge rocks that can be slippery so please use shoes that have grip on the soles. There are places in the rocks where you can place your feet while climbing up. Overall, this hike is not so bad! Also, I highly recommend that you hike this for the beautiful Sedona sunset. We like to take our time and enjoy the scenery when we hike so we definitely planned our time accordingly. Please, please, please be safe out there and don’t get too close to the edge when taking pictures. ***By the way, the photo above may look like I was on the edge, but I wasn’t. I’m not comfortable getting to close and it’s not safe.

2. DEVIL’S BRIDGE

Miles: 4.5 round trip (7.2 km) without 4x4 | 2 miles roundtrip with 4x4 (3.2 km) | hrs

Location: 34°54'10.6"N 111°48'49.7"W

Elevation Gain: 564 Feet

Level: Moderate

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? Yes, leashed or $5,000 fine

Red Rock Pass? Yes

We didn’t have 4x4 so we walked the full 4.5 miles. It was pretty moderate for us because it was scorching hot. I recommend that you hike this trail for sunrise or sunset so you beat the sun during the summer. I did hear that photos there for sunrise are divine, so I low-key regret not hiking it at that time. Either way, it’s an amazing place to visit any time of the day. In the beginning you will be hiking in sand and towards the end you will find a short section where there’s an incline of rocks that’s pretty steep but doable. Because of the social media movement, we had to make a line to take photos, so again, I recommend that you go early so you can beat the line and most importantly, enjoy it to the fullest!

3. THE BIRTHING CAVE

Miles: 1.5 miles (2.4 km)

Location: 34°55'45.3"N 111°50'19.4"W

Elevation Gain: 291 Feet

Level: Easy

Dog-friendly? Yes

Red Rock Pass? Yes

This trail is called Long Canyon Trailhead. The trail is short and easy; however, take note of this because many people have gotten lost: you will need to make a left at the fork where there is a trail that’s blocked by brush and branches. That will take you directly to the birthing cave where you can enjoy an amazing view. We went for sunset and it was breathtaking.

4. RED ROCK CROSSING (THE BALDWIN TRAILHEAD)

Miles: 2.0 mile loop (3.2 km)

Location: 34°49'19.0"N 111°48'28.9"W

Elevation Gain: 216 Feet

Level: Easy

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? No

Red Rock Pass? Yes

You will need to park your car at the parking lot and cross the road to reach the trailhead sign. There you can decide whether you want to go to the right or the left to start the loop trail. We decided to go to the right so we could end up at the river. The views were amazing! I highly recommend you hike this trail for sunset too. The colors of the Sedona sunsets on the rocks are just simply incredible. To get to the river with the view of the rocks, you will need to continue the loop until you see the trail sign Crescent moon. From there you will need to make a right and that will lead you straight to the river. This is also a great spot to take your kids and go for a swim.

5. WEST FORK TRAIL

Miles: 7.2 miles roundtrip (11.5 km)

Location: 34°59'25.8"N 111°44'30.3"W

Elevation Gain: 820 Feet

Level: Easy

Kid friendly? Yes

Dog-friendly? Yes, leashed or $5,000 fine

Red Rock Pass? No, but there’s a parking fee of $11 per car or $2 per person walk-in

This hike was so magical, I thought I was in a fairy tale. We had to park outside by the main road because the parking lot was full; therefore, we had to walk a bit more to make it to the trailhead. Make sure you get there early to get a parking spot. Most of the hike in the beginning was sandy, so it did make it a bit more hard to walk but it wasn’t too bad. There are so many trees that provide shade for the hot summer days and since you’re walking next to the river, you can easily cool off if you get too hot. Make sure you take hiking boots that are waterproof or water shoes because you will get wet in some parts of the trail. Even in the midst of its longitivtiy, the trail was easy. Once you get to the end, you will know the walk was worth it. Make sure you take some snacks and enough water. One more thing, please be careful where you step for there’s a lot of rocks in some parts of the trail. Sadly, my father-in-law broke his foot on our way back because he didn’t watch his step. He had to limp the last 2 miles, poor thing. Please always stay safe and be careful.

6. SLIDE ROCK STATE PARK

Location: 34°56'38.8"N 111°45'10.0"W

Dog-friendly? Yes, leashed

Fee? Yes, click here for rates

If it’s your first time in Sedona, Arizona, I highly recommend going to Slide Rock State Park. It’s a fun family park where you can go for a swim, jump off rocks into deep water, sun bathing, and go down a water slide. There’s a parking lot once you enter and you do have to pay a fee at the booth. The first time we went to Sedona, back in 2017, we didn’t see many people in the park. However, this year, we didn’t even think about going because it was packed! There was line of cars waiting to park. Due to COVID, we decided to stay away and leave it for another time. Hopefully once all this is over, we can go back. You can also take food and drinks and easily spend a good day there. Please, make sure you do pick up after yourself.

I hope you get to hike these trails and enjoy Sedona, Arizona as much as I did! I honestly can’t wait to go back and explore more. Happy traveling!

Love you all!

Watch our first adventure in Sedona!