Robert Stone - Day Hikes Around Sedona, Arizona: 100 Great Hikes

Published by Day Hike Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 865 Red Lodge, Montana 59068
www.dayhikebooks.com

Distributed by National Book Network
800-462-6420

Photographs by Robert Stone
Design and Illustrations by Paula Doherty

The author has made every attempt to provide accurate information in this book. However, trail routes and features may changeplease use common sense and forethought, and be mindful of your own capabilities. Let this book guide you, but be aware that each hiker assumes responsibility for their own safety. The author and publisher do not assume any responsibility for loss, damage, or injury caused through the use of this book.

Copyright 2006 by Day Hike Books, Inc.
2nd Edition

ISBN: 978-1-57342-049-5

eISBN: 978-1-57342-212-3

All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Control Number: 2005923476

Cover photo: The Crimson Cliffs, Hikes 7779.
Back cover photo: The spires of Twin Buttes at
Chicken Point, Hikes 8184.

T here is an old saying, God created the Grand Canyon, but he lives in Sedona. The Sedona region is visually stunning. There are extraordinary red rock formations, natural arches, bridges, majestic pinnacles, hanging cliffs, cool gorges, dozens of sculpted canyons, sink holes, mesas with panoramic views, caves with prehistoric pictographs, and 13th century Sinagua Indian ruins, plus year-round creeks and swimming holes. The varied terrain is located in a small geographic area of 25 square miles. This is where the desert meets the forest, between the southern edge of the vast Colorado Plateau, rich with the colorful geography of the Grand Canyon, and the northern edge of the Verde Valley farmland.

Sedona is commonly referred to as the Grand Canyon you can live in. The town was established in 1902. It sits at an elevation of 4,500 feet above sea level in central Arizona, 120 miles north of Phoenix and 30 miles south of Flagstaff. Sedona is an upscale resort destination, a thriving art colony, and a New Age energy vortex center with numerous spiritual sites. It ranks second, only to the Grand Canyon, as the most visited and scenic area in Arizona.

The surrounding landscape, with erosion-sculpted red rocks rising as high as 2,000 feet above the valley floor, is frequently used by Hollywood as a backdrop depicting the Old West. Dozens of western films have brought noted actors such as John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Henry Fonda, Burt Lancaster, and Elvis Presley to the area.

Sedona offers an abundance of outdoor activities. You may explore Sedona by jeep, hot air balloon, helicopter, airplane, and, of course, hiking. The unbelievable topography, plus the unique selection and diversity of trails, make hiking one of Sedonas most popular activities. Other activities such as golf, horseback riding, fishing, swimming in natural pools and water slides, bicycling, and camping are all easily accessible. The mild climate makes it possible to enjoy these outdoor activities all year around.

Sedona is surrounded by the Coconino National Forest, which covers more than two million acres. Within the national forest are two protected wilderness areasthe 43,950-acre Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness and Munds Mountain Wilderness, encompassing another 18,150 acres.

Day Hikes Around Sedona is a comprehensive guide to 100 day hikes within 12 miles of Sedona. Each hike includes a detailed map, accurate driving and hiking directions, and a quick overview of distance/time/elevation. Hikes range from one hour to all day. Relevant maps, including U.S.G.S. topographic maps, are listed with each hike if you wish to explore more of the area. A quick glance at the hikes summaries will allow you to choose a hike that is appropriate to your ability and desire.

The major access roads around Sedona and to all the hikes are U.S. Highway 89A and Arizona State Highway 179. These two highways intersect in the heart of Sedona. This junction is referred to as the Y. The driving distances to each hike are measured from the Sedona Y.

RED ROCK PASSES are required parking passes for all the trails in the national forest around Sedona. The fees are used for trail upgrades, restoration, maintainance, protection, and improved signage.

To the north along Highway 89A is Oak Creek Canyon. This 16-mile canyon has 1,200-foot steep sandstone walls. The multicolored cliffs are naturally landscaped with lush riparian forests, making the area especially beautiful in the fall with its brilliant autumnal foliage. Dozens of springs feed Oak Creek, which tumbles year-round down the canyon and through the town of Sedona, forming cascades, waterfalls, and swimming holes. (The popular Slide Rock State Park and its natural slick rock water slide is found in the canyon.) Rand McNally named Oak Creek Canyon one of the most beautiful drives in America.

Schnebly Hill Road lies at southern end of Oak Creek Canyon straight east of the Sedona Y. The road runs along an old cattle route to the top of Schnebly Hill. The route winds through a canyon along the red sandstone cliffs of Mitten Ridge and the cow pie mounds.

Sedona is located in a wide valley surrounded by plateaus that are edged with stunning rock formations. A network of trails adjacent to town can be accessed directly from the city streets or nearby. Trails from the valley lead up the plateaus for unobstructed vistas of the entire Sedona area. Highlights include Devils Kitchen, Seven Sacred Pools, Soldier Pass Arches, Coffeepot Rock, and vortex sites atop Airport Mesa.

The state park is a 286-acre nature preserve and education center surrounded by red sandstone mesas. Six miles of well-maintained hiking trails lead through meadows, canyons, across ridges, and up to overlooks with stunning vistas.

To the west of Sedona along Highway 89A is Canyon Country. Much of the area lies within the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness. There are dozens of colorful, hidden canyons with trails to mesas, arches, spires, and towering red rock formations. In the 12th and 13th Centuries, the Sinagua Indians built their homes among these canyons in natural caves using rock and mud mortar. Highlights include Vultee Arch, Devils Bridge, the Cockscomb, Boynton Canyon, secluded backcountry hikes, and the Palatki and Honanki archeological sites.

To the south along Highway 179 is dry, open terrain with world class red rock formations. To the east lies the Munds Mountain Wilderness. The eroded sedimentary formations, including Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, Snoopy Rock, Camel Head, and the Crimson Cliffs (cover photo), are more than 350-million-years old. Hiking trails run throughout the beautiful red rock basin, adjacent to sandstone formations that rise hundreds of feet above the valley floor.

OAK CREEK CANYON