We are Ryan and Monica Hoffmann, proud parents of special needs children. It took a long time to get here, but we have been to 33 US states in the past 4 years and we are just warming up.
Hiking in Sedona AZ is like walking through a dream world. The landscapes are expansive, almost cartoonish in their grandeur. There is nowhere like it in the USA, so we would encourage anyone to get out and experience these incredible Sedona hiking trails.
The vibe in Sedona is undeniably good. They say it is one of three vortex centers on the planet, the others being the Egyptian Pyramids and the Bermuda Triangle. It’s an odd assertion, but one worth pondering. People are drawn here for the beauty, but perhaps there is something more to it.
We did our best to research which are the best hiking trails, and we managed to squeeze in seven hikes in four days. What follows is a loosely arranged ranking of the hikes with tips and photos. Rankings were based on the following criteria: Payoff View, Trail Experience, Child Friendly, Features, and Vibe.
We strongly recommend hiking in Sedona — Its one of the USA’s great places to visit — and we hope you enjoy the article!
The Soldier Pass Trail was our favorite of the trip. The payoff is big, the trail rolls between broad, rocky hillsides, and there are several stops along the way that give variety to the adventure.
There is so much to like and it is anything but boring. If a hike could be likened to a bento box, this is it.
The trail begins in a fancy neighborhood that disallows parking, so if you cannot find a space at the trailhead (maybe 20 parking spots), you are parking a couple miles away and hiking in on the roads.
Because this is a popular hike you may find yourself waiting for a parking spot along with a dozen other cars. The gate opens at 08:00, so arrive a few minutes before. Diehards get dropped off at sunrise.
The highlights of the trail are the Soldier’s Arch caves (pictured above).
The one on the left is fairly easy to recognize once you arrive in the area. Look for the arch in the rock wall; inside the arch on the right-hand side you will see a narrow incline with a rope hanging down. Climb up to enjoy a very unusual cave with a picture perfect window looking out to the valley.
The photo on the right is a separate cave which is hidden in the trees. To find it, while facing Soldier Arch, turn about 90 degrees to your right and look behind the small group of trees.
You walked past the entrance on your way in, so backtrack a short ways and look for the faint trail that leads through the trees toward the cliff.
Getting into the cave is fairly dangerous, so please, know your capabilities.
1.5 miles from the trailhead is a Y in the trail (pictured above). The “Trail” sign points left, and you can certainly go that way, but if you want to see the Soldier’s Arch caves head right. On our way back we ran into two consecutive parties that didn’t know which way to go.
After turning right at the Y, you will see what is pictured below. Head toward the rock wall in the distance — the caves are just over the hill to the left.
Another reason the Soldier Arch trail is superlative are the two incredible stops along the way.
About ten minutes from the trailhead is the Devil’s Kitchen feature. It is a huge hole in the ground, incredibly curious, and terrific for photo ops. I’m not sure what happened here, but something collapsed.
Below the pools are an assortment of cairns that dress up the area.
Hikers seem to collect in this area. It is a winsome milieu of curiosities and a good place to rest.
The trail is fairly easy. At 4 miles RT this is an acceptable distance for children. The hike is generally flat with slight incline/declines along the way, although the ascent to the Arch is uphill for about a half mile.
Bell Rock was the best time we had hiking in Sedona. The path to the rock is short, about a quarter mile. From there it is a puzzle on how to navigate the rocky slopes that lead to the handle of the bell.
The kids loved scampering up the rock so much we could hardly contain them. They went ballistic here, to the point that it frightened us as parents. No one lost their life, but a pair of pants didn’t make it home with us because someone had to butt-scoot their way down the steep slopes.
This is a very popular hike and the trailhead parking lot was full when we arrived mid-day.
The signs are easy to follow once you get out of your car. The Bell is on the right, although there is a large dome-shaped rock directly to its left.
Once you gain a little bit of elevation — about halfway up the slopes of the bell — the view is spectacular in all directions. Cathedral Rock is nearby, as are several other red-rock prominences.
Bell Rock is one of Sedona’s Five Vortices (plural for vortex is vortices). A vortex is an energy center on the earth — imagine a swirl of energy leaving the earth toward the sky, sort of like a tornado.
The town of Sedona is quite married to this idea of energy and vortex and healing crystals and psychic voodoo chicanery, and these energy centers are a big reason why. You can read all about our experience hunting down the Five Sedona Vortexes here.
Maybe, perhaps, you will “experience” it… head around the left side of the bell, between it and the dome-shaped neighbor. When the valley appears around the backside of the rocks, this is the approximate area of the Bell Rock vortex.
We like to think we are discriminating folks who aren’t easy duped into silly ideas. However, we are open-minded enough to give certain silly ideas a chance. Nobody saw the Apache Chief around the backside of those rocks. No one took up their bed and walked, and we didn’t spy Alice in Wonderland amongst the shrubbery.
The most commonly reported sensation in the presence of a vortex is a heightened sense of well-being. We absolutely — without a doubt — had a good time near the “vortex”.
Even our younger autistic boy smiled for the camera. He is a notorious serial killer in photos (see below, taken before we found the “vortex”), so we have digital proof.
However, we cannot deny that everyone felt amazing around the side of that rock.
It could have been the funny visual of a fart riding high into the sky on the winds of a vortex tornado that had us laughing… fart jokes make everyone feel amazing.
But maybe there is something to this “vortex” thing after all. Just saying. Learn more HERE.
Related Article: 10 Beautiful Things to do in Sedona
This is the most popular trail in the land, and if you’re hiking in Sedona you’ll probably end up here.
The mile long trail is all uphill, and the view from the top is a worthy payoff. There is a posing bench along the right side of the cliff just for the Instagrammers — if you’re lucky hot-air-balloons will fill the sky behind you.
The narrow saddle at the top of the trail is an excellent place for hikers to sit and watch the sun rise, eat lunch, or relax to the sound of a drone in flight.
Children could navigate the path alright, but it might not be the best for those with balance concerns. There are some uncertain moments in the trail — which way to go? Is this safe? — but millions of boots have worn a visible path in the rock.
When in doubt, follow the cagey rock pillars.
Below is the posing bench, which will usually draw a line of social media fiends (us included). Everyone was friendly and took pictures for each other.
Note to future self: don’t go during spring break. The highways in and around Sedona were gridlocked with cars by 10:00 am. In every parking lot we waited for someone to leave to grab their spot.
Cathedral Rock, as immensely popular as it is, has a small parking lot at the trailhead (maybe 30 cars). We arrived at 05:50, 25 minutes before sunrise. By the time we had our hiking boots on the lot was full.
When we finished the hike there was a line of cars waiting to park. As we drove out we noticed a city official had blocked off the road with his car. He stood there wearing an official green vest, informing hopeful hikers there was no room at the inn. It was eight-thirty-am.
The highlight of the trail for us was the couple we met at the top. Monica started talking to them while I was fooling around with the camera (photo above).
They were friendly and we had a surprising amount of things in common with them. In the early morning sunshine, looking over a spectacular vista, we chatted for a solid hour like we had nowhere else to be.
We wish that happened more!
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Devil’s Bridge is the other most popular trail when hiking in Sedona. If payoffs are your thing, this should be at the top of your list. Unfortunately, everyone else has it at the top of their list, too.
When hiking in Sedona you get used to parking being an issue. This one has ample parking, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be packed out during spring break.
From the trailhead you will see the sign shown above. The three photos below will show what you can expect early in the hike. For the first fifteen minutes it looks like a trail, but the below right photo shows what you can expect for the next 1.5 miles.
Yes, that’s a dirt road. The Devil’s Bridge trail is basically a dirt road until the last half mile. This is precisely why we ranked it fourth.
About 1.5 miles in, you’ll turn right and the trail gets much more interesting. You can sense the energy from the crowd at the bridge, but cannot see it until you’re there. This builds anticipation.
It builds character. Because it sucks.
It was impossible to get a photo on the bridge without a crowd of people jacking up the milieu. And the drones. Oh, the friggin’ drones! They’re like the world’s biggest mosquito.
While the drone pilot is an irksome disturber of the peace, everyone is simultaneously jealous of them. It looks like fun to operate that awful thing, and the photos they get are surely cool.
Note to self: Buy drone, embrace being a loathsome human.
We could have spent all day at the Devil’s Bridge. Once the busy scene grows old, just walk off a few hundred feet, plant yourself on the precipice and have a taco.
If you’re going hiking in Sedona, Devil’s Bridge is a must-do.
Fay Canyon is a one mile, out-and-back, level path. If you want to take your children hiking in Sedona, Fay Canyon is one of your best bets.
The trail is a pretty stroll through an amiable canyon amongst the trees. We really enjoyed the manner in which the path lazily winded along the river bed.
Our two youngest never even set foot on the trail — they used the river bed the entire way. At times they disappeared from sight and we got a little nervous, but they were never far.
There is an unprecedented amount of parking across the street from the trailhead, which was shocking to us. Suddenly all this parking like Sedona wants us here? Do we even know you, Sedona?
Because you are winding along the canyon floor, there aren’t any big views along the way.
It was easy to get lost in conversation amongst the trees. The vibe was chill without the crowd.
The trail ends abruptly at a cliff (according to the sign). It is clear people have continued up the rocky detritus immediately behind the sign (above right), and the trail also appeared to turn right, into the trees.
We climbed up the rocks and enjoyed the view looking back over the canyon. I believe we could have pressed further around the cliff to the left, but the sun was setting we wanted to enjoy a little personal space in the parking lot before heading back to the rat maze.
Related Article: Is the Sedona Vortex Real?
Boyton Canyon is one of the five vortices in Sedona. Are vortexes real? Click to find out.
Boyton is just down the road from Fay Canyon; both are out of the way and less trafficked other primary hiking in Sedona venues. Hiking them back-to-back makes a lot of sense.
The hike to the vortex is only .4 miles and provides 360 degree views of the area. This trail branches off from the main Boyton Canyon Trail 0.2 miles from the trailhead.
We met someone that continued up the canyon for several miles and they said there wasn’t much of a payoff. To get to the vortex, turn right at the Y and head toward the above pictured rock tower.
This is one of the views from the payoff (above). The Enchantment Resort is nestled in the canyon nearby. The sun hit it perfectly in the late evening.
Ryan’s parents joined us for this hike. Ryan’s dad was pretty nervous watching our children scale the rock tower. Let’s see if I can conjure the gist of it… “What would you do if one of your kids fell and died?” Yeah, that’s pretty much the essence of the lecture.
No one died and we had a great time!
When informed that vortexes are known for feelings of well-being, Ryan’s mom said with confidence, “Well I definitely feel good, so maybe it’s true!”
This is the same person who cannot watch sci-fi because suspension of disbelief is difficult for her, so I think it might mean something.
Not to be confused with the Airport Mesa Viewpoint, which is a large parking lot (sigh) with a terrific view of the town, the Airport Mesa hike is just down the hill toward town.
If you are driving up the mesa you will pass a tiny trailhead parking area on your left. That’s the spot.
Pictured below is the parking lot view. You don’t even have to go hiking in Sedona to catch a whopper!
A brief incline leads to expansive views on the backside of the mesa. You can take the trail to the left to scale a rocky hill — we saw some people at the top and it looked like they had a great view up there. If you take the trail to the right (which we did) you will head toward the vortex in the area.
From back here you can see Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, and plenty of other rocks. You will also see many twisted trees. The hike isn’t anything special by itself, but the usual good vibes accompany the stroll.
Airport Vortex Hike is a great choice if you want some big views close to town and don’t want to work for them. This would be an excellent place for hiking in Sedona with small children.
I mentioned three paragraphs up that you could take a left and head up the hill to what looked like good views. In the photo below you will see two people standing atop the red rock mound on the right-hand side. Those aren’t trees up there. I imagine they are enjoying themselves (but maybe they’re burying someone’s ashes). You never can tell.
Related Article: The 7 Best Things to do in Phoenix
The internet is ridden with Sedona photographs, few more popular than Devil’s Bridge or Cathedral Rock.
The trails are relatively easy with some moderate-to-difficult scampering required on certain paths.
The best time to hike is at sunrise because it is cooler and the trails are less crowded. Sunset is also spectacular, but people are everywhere at that time.
Because Sedona is a popular place to visit, the trails are inundated with hikers at certain times of the year. We visited in late-March and it was ridiculous how crowded the entire area had become.
Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!
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I love, love Bell Rock. Did this walk with our American friends – they said it was gonna be amazing, and it was!
We loved it, too! So much. We are happy to hear about your positive experience. Thanks, Janet!