Sedona in Arizona has some of the most beautiful and scenic hiking trails in the US in my opinion! There are SO many different hikes to choose from, but here are my Top 5 Hikes in Sedona!
Before we jump into the hikes, here are a few basic rules about hiking in Sedona (and honestly anywhere) that I hope you’ll follow!
#1 – Go Early.
I feel like this is such an obvious tip, but it’s true for any of the popular hikes in Sedona. The earlier you go, the less people. Another reason to go early is to get less sun exposure. Most hikes in Sedona are in the full sun, with very little shade.
#2 – Bring more water than you think you’ll need.
I don’t think I really need to expound on this one. You probably already know that Sedona is in the desert and it gets very dry and hot (even in Winter/Early Spring!). Please make sure to stay hydrated and bring more water than you think you’ll need!
#3- Bring lunch if you can.
On most of the hikes we did in Sedona, we spent more time exploring than we thought we would. I always tried to bring lunch or at least a good snack with us so we don’t get hangry!
#4 – Take a photo of the trail map on each hike you go on.
It’s very very easy to go off the trail in Sedona. Tourists have started to make their own well worn side trails, please do your best to stay on the marked trail!
#5 – Leave no trace!!
As Sedona becomes more and more popular, it seems tourists think leaving trash and graffitiing the red rocks is okay. Please don’t be this person. Please hike responsibly, stay on trails as much as you can, and pack out all of your trash! Let’s keep Sedona beautiful so that as many people as possible can enjoy it’s beauty!
Alright, now let’s jump into the details about my favorite hikes in Sedona!
#5 – Fay Canyon
Fay Canyon is located Northeast of Sedona and is an easy trail to follow! The reason this hike is in my Top 5 is because we took a side trail to a secret hidden arch that was AMAZING! Not only was it a super cool arch, there were also beautiful views of the surrounding red rocks! If you’d like to add Fay Canyon to your list of must do hikes while in Sedona, click the link below to read the detailed post I wrote about hiking this trail, as well as specific instructions on how to get to the hidden arch!
#4 – Bell Rock Trail
Bell Rock Is located near Cathedral Rock and is a beautiful, but challenging 0.8 mile hike. Unfortunately, this was one that we didn’t have the chance to do during our visit, and I definitely regret it!
#3- Devil’s Bridge
This trail has become pretty Instagram famous in recent years, and it’s easy to see why! A Natural bridge that you can actually walk on?! Sign me up! There are multiple different ways to get to the Bridge, and if you have a 4×4 vehicle or ATV, there’s a road that goes quite a ways up the trail! If you’re interested in hiking Devil’s Bridge during your visit to Sedona, click the link below to read a detailed post I wrote on hiking this trail!
#2 – Soldier’s Pass Cave Trail
I love this trail because not only does it feel like a scavenger hunt to try and find the secret cave, there are SO many things to see along the way! It can be pretty difficult to find the cave itself, and getting into the cave does require a good bit of rock scrambling, but it’s totally worth it in my opinion! If you’d like to read the detailed blog post I wrote on hiking to Soldier’s Pass Cave, click the link below!
#1 – Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock is probably my #1 hike of all time. For real, it is THAT amazing. The view that you get once you get to the top quite literally takes your breath away! There are also lots of side trails once you get to the top, we had a blast exploring and walking right up to the huge red rocks! If you’d like to learn more about the Cathedral Rock Hike, check out the blog post I did talking about the best times to go on this hike, parking, hiking tips, and more!
I hope this list of my Top 5 Hikes in Sedona was helpful! If you have any questions about any of these hikes, feel free to leave a comment below and I’d be happy to answer them!
Megan
Pin this post to save it for later:
