Arriving in Sedona is a surreal experience - the road is surrounded by red rocks and the landscape is incredible. Less visited than the national parks in Arizona, this national forest is quieter and so underrated. If you have seen pictures of the famous caves and rock forms, I assure you this place will live up to all of your expectations. I spent 3 nights in Sedona and would say it was a perfect amount of time!
Budget
As it is slightly off the beaten track and far from any major city, Sedona is not the cheapest town. The cheapest accommodation will cost you about $170-$200 per night for two people in the high season (May-August), but most places are over the $200 mark. There were, however, some cheaper options in the Village of Oak Creek, a small town south of Sedona. If you don’t mind driving a bit further to reach the trailheads, this is a viable option! There are a few grocery stores where you can buy food for lunches when you are out hiking to keep costs lower, but if you eat out, expect to spend between $40 and $50 per day on food.
Views over Sedona from Bear Mountain
Logistics
Getting to, from, and around Sedona is practically impossible without a car. There are no buses or trains that will take you into the town, and once you’re there, you will need a car to get to the trailheads if you don’t want to rely on the Sedona shuttle (especially for early morning hikes). We arrived from Phoenix, the nearest major airport, which is about a 2.5 hour drive from Sedona, and rented a car there to start our road trip!
The Bell Rock trail
There are two main sections of Sedona to stay in. The main hub of the town is on N State Route 89A, and the quieter side is on W Arizona 89A. Both are great locations, but we stayed in the latter as it is slightly closer to the trailheads. The distance between them isn’t huge, so it was very easy to get to the other side for dinner and some shopping.
There are limited facilities outside of the town and in the hiking areas, with a few waterless toilets at some trailheads. There are also no water refill stations so make sure you take plenty of water with you as it gets very hot in the summer months. Enjoying the beauty of Sedona’s nature without being distracted by your phone is easy as the mobile service is very limited!
Views of Sedona from Bear Mountain
Hiking
Sedona is a hiker’s paradise! There are countless trails of a range of difficulties and which each provide views of the incredible red rocks. You will need to get a permit to hike, and you can purchase these at a machine in any of the car parks at the trailheads, as well as in some locations in town. We paid $15 for a seven-day pass; the daily rate is $5. Here are some of my favourite hikes from my trip to Sedona.
Sedona at sunset
Devil’s Bridge
This is probably one of the most iconic photo spots in the area and so it gets very busy during the day and for sunset hours. That’s why we got up before sunrise and headed to the trailhead to beat the crowds. There are two places you can start this hike, one is the Devil’s Bridge trailhead via Dry Creek Road, and the other is the Mescal trailhead. If you do not have a 4x4 vehicle, you won’t be able to drive down Dry Creek Road, and I recommend starting at the Mescal trailhead. This avoids you walking down a dirt road for 1.3 miles each way, and instead, you get a lovely hike through the forest. It also means you have a greater chance of finding parking, as the Dry Creek Road parking lot gets full after 7am.
Signs for Devil’s Bridge at the Mescal trailhead
Starting at the Mescal trailhead makes the hike slightly longer, but it is definitely worth it, and the route is not challenging at all. The route to Devil’s Bridge is well signposted so you won’t get lost either! After a while, you will reach the Devil’s Bridge parking lot at the end of Dry Creek Road, and you start to gain elevation. There are some challenging sections with some scrambling as you near the bridge, but it does not last long. You will begin to hear people as you find yourself at the viewpoint overlooking Devil's Bridge itself. The sun was rising and lighting up the mountains around us and it was an incredible view.
On Devil’s Bridge
At the top, you will need to join the queue of people waiting to go out onto the bridge and take a photo. We arrived at around 6:30am and there were about 15 people up there, so luckily we did not have to wait long. However, on our way down, we passed so many heading up to the bridge, and the wait times can be up to an hour for a photo if you arrive too late! Everyone up there will tell you that being on the bridge looks scarier than it is, and they are right. If you have a fear of heights, you will be fine! The narrowest part of the bridge is around 1 metre, the rest is probably more, and it feels very sturdy. Be brave and do it - you will regret not going!
Boynton Canyon and Subway Cave
This is one of the longest trails in Sedona, a 6.1 mile round trip (excluding the Subway Cave detour). The majority of the hike is shaded by trees and is largely flat, but trust me the view at the end is worth it. After a little scramble up to the trail end, you will see everyone resting. But walk 100 more metres around the rock face that is to your right as you arrive at the top, and you will have the most incredible scenery. I was absolutely blown away by it, and would highly recommend this hike as one of my favourites.
From the end of the Boynton Canyon trail
Getting to the well-known Subway Cave is challenging as there are no signposts to it, and the trail is actually barred with rocks or logs to try and discourage people from going. The turnoff to the cave is around 2 miles from the trailhead, to your right. If you are walking over a form of barrier, that is a good sign. You will soon see a (probably dried up) stream and a path continuing into the forest. The cave is about 0.65 miles from the turnoff, and the trail ends right at the bottom of the cave. To get inside the cave requires a bit of scrambling.
The ledge you’ll have to walk on if you opt for the less direct option up to Subway Cave
There are two options to get into it. The first is to scramble directly up from the bottom. This is a steep and slippery option. The other option is to go to your left and scramble up the trail to the level of the cave. Here you will find plenty of other smaller caves and the Sinagua ruins, which are worth checking out. You can then continue around the ledge (this part is not for those afraid of heights!) and it will take you to the right side of the cave. The views from the inside of the cave are beautiful.
Subway Cave
Bear Mountain
If you are looking for more of a challenge, Bear Mountain will provide it. While not long, at 4.6 miles round trip, the elevation gain is 2,100 metres. Because of its difficulty, it is not a busy trail and you will have most of it to yourself at times. The trailhead for this hike is actually across the road from the parking lot . You will see a sign next to the metal gate where it begins. There are four ‘fake peaks’ that you’ll see along the way, so don’t get your hopes up until you see the ‘Trail End’ sign at the top! At times it is difficult to know where the trail is, but look out for white arrows painted on rocks at intervals. The hike will take you up and down (but mostly up) and bring you expansive views over Sedona and the national forest on both sides of the mountain.
The Bear Mountain trailhead featuring one of the fake peaks! The mountain itself is behind this one
Birthing Cave
Another famous cave in Sedona is the Birthing Cave, and you’ll see why it’s called that once you’re inside. The hike to this end point is very short and flat, and you can reach the cave in around half an hour. It can get busy inside the cave so head there for sunrise or in the late afternoon to avoid the crowds, and beware the cave walls are slippy if you try to climb up them! You will need a wide-angle camera lens to get a photo of the full cave from inside it like I have here.
From inside the Birthing Cave
There are several other hikes in the area to explore: Little Horse is an easy hidden gem and Bell Rock takes you around one of the iconic buttes, which you can even climb up if you want to. One that unfortunately we could not access because the road was closed was Cathedral Rock. This is one of the iconic places in Sedona and I would recommend doing that short hike if you can. Prepare for crowds though! Soldier’s pass was also unfortunately inaccessible, and we did not have enough time for the West Fork trail, but would have loved to try it.
We were absolutely blown away by Sedona and I would go back there tomorrow if I could. I would highly recommend this place to anyone and if you do go, let me know what you think!
Please remember when you visit any area of nature (or anywhere for that matter) to follow the Leave No Trace principle. Take all of your rubbish home with you and don’t take anything out of the area that belongs there.
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