Top 5 Hikes in Sedona for Stunning Red Rock Views

Cathedral Rock is arguably the most iconic formation in Sedona, and this short but steep trail delivers you to a saddle between its twin spires with views that stretch across the entire Verde Valley. The trail begins at the Back O'Beyond trailhead and gains most of its 742 feet in the final 0.5 miles, where you will need to use your hands to navigate a series of red sandstone slabs. The rock is pockmarked with solution holes that serve as natural hand and footholds, but wet conditions make the final scramble genuinely dangerous. Check the forecast and turn around if clouds roll in.

The saddle at the top is one of Sedona's four recognized energy vortexes, sites where New Age tradition says the earth's energy spirals upward. Whatever your stance on metaphysics, the view from the saddle is undeniably powerful: Cathedral Spires frame the sky overhead, Oak Creek winds below, and Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock rise to the east. Sunrise photographers position themselves on these slabs before dawn and have been rewarded with some of the most shared landscape photos ever taken in Arizona.

What to Bring

• Sturdy hiking shoes with ankle support (not sandals)
• At least 1 liter of water per person
• Sun protection and a hat
• Trekking poles to assist the descent (optional but helpful)
• Camera for the summit views

Devil's Bridge is the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area, spanning 54 feet across and arching 45 feet above the canyon floor. The trail to reach it has become one of the most photographed hikes in Arizona, largely because standing on the narrow bridge above a 300-foot drop makes for a dramatic photograph. The hike itself is relatively straightforward on a well-maintained path through desert scrub and juniper trees, but the final staircase of rocky ledges to reach the bridge deck requires some scrambling.

Access is from Dry Creek Road via the Vultee Arch Road trailhead (standard 2WD vehicles can park at the main gate and add 1.8 miles each way on a dirt road) or via the Mescal Trailhead if you have a 4WD high-clearance vehicle. The bridge itself is narrow enough that park managers ask visitors to cross one at a time. Wait your turn patiently; the view from the bridge arch looking down into the canyon is worth the queue.

What to Bring

• At least 2 liters of water per person (longer distance means more hydration)
• Hiking boots with good traction
• Sunscreen and a sun hat (little shade on the trail)
• Snacks for the longer approach
• A tripod if you want a hands-free bridge photo

Bell Rock stands 4,919 feet above sea level and is shaped uncannily like an enormous bell rising from the desert floor. The Bell Rock Pathway is the most accessible of the five trails in this guide: wide, well-signed, and manageable for families with children, older adults, and beginner hikers. The packed dirt and gravel surface connects Bell Rock to Courthouse Butte on a looping system of trails that offers multiple extensions for those who want more mileage.

The base circuit around Bell Rock involves no serious scrambling, but dozens of use-trails lead up the flanks of the formation to ledges and ledges with progressively better views. How high you go is entirely up to you; the rock itself is climbable by experienced scrambles to a point just below the summit cap, where the angle exceeds comfortable third-class terrain. Most hikers settle onto a comfortable red ledge at 100 to 200 feet of elevation gain, spread a picnic blanket, and spend an hour or two soaking in the panorama.

What to Bring

• Trail runners or casual sneakers (adequate for the main pathway)
• Water (even easy trails in desert heat demand hydration)
• Sunscreen and layers in cooler months
• Binoculars for spotting wildlife (red-tailed hawks nest in the formation)

West Fork is different from every other trail on this list. Rather than ascending into the red rock formations, it descends into a lush riparian canyon carved by Oak Creek's West Fork tributary. The canyon walls narrow to as little as 15 feet at some points and soar 200 feet overhead, draped in bigtooth maple, Gambel oak, and Arizona sycamore. In October, the canyon ignites in spectacular fall color that many Arizona visitors do not realize exists in the desert Southwest.

The trail begins at Call of the Canyon trailhead on Highway 89A in Oak Creek Canyon and crosses the creek 13 times in the first 3.5 miles. In late spring and summer the crossings are easy hops between stepping stones or shallow wades. After heavy monsoon rains (July through September), the crossings can be waist-deep and the trail is closed when water levels exceed safe crossing thresholds. Check current conditions at the Coconino National Forest website before visiting. Beyond the 3.5-mile maintained section, the canyon becomes a technical slot canyon requiring wading and route-finding.

What to Bring

• Water shoes or sandals with straps for creek crossings
• A dry bag or waterproof case for your phone and camera
• Extra layers: the canyon bottom is notably cooler than the surrounding desert
• Snacks for the longer out-and-back distance
• A flashlight if you plan to hike to the end of the maintained section and back

Boynton Canyon is Sedona's largest and most culturally significant canyon, a place sacred to the Yavapai Apache people who call the canyon home to one of their most important origin stories. The trail winds through a narrow canyon beneath sheer red walls studded with ancient cliff dwellings, then opens into a broader amphitheater surrounded by pine-fringed spires on three sides. The sense of enclosure and silence in the upper canyon is profound.

About 0.7 miles in, a short spur trail on your left leads up a steep rocky ledge to a small natural promontory known as the Boynton Canyon Vortex, another of Sedona's four energy sites. The main trail continues through juniper and pinon pine forest, climbing gradually to the head of the canyon where cliffs close in on both sides. The final 0.5 miles is more demanding, with loose rock and steeper grades. Turn around wherever the canyon's grandeur stops you; the destination is the experience of being enclosed within the rock, not any specific endpoint.

The Enchantment Resort sits at the canyon entrance and adds to the sense of arriving somewhere special. Non-guests may use the public trailhead and should expect some foot traffic from resort hikers. The trailhead parking fills quickly; arrive before 7:30 a.m. on peak weekends.

What to Bring

• Hiking boots for the rocky upper section
• 2 to 3 liters of water for the longer distance
• Sunscreen and a hat (exposed stretches before the canyon narrows)
• Binoculars for spotting cliff dwellings on the canyon walls
• Respect for the cultural significance of this place to the Yavapai Apache people