Best Hiking Trails in Sedona with Views

Sedona, Arizona is well known for its stunning red rock formations, mystical vortexes, and of course spectacular hiking. I felt overwhelmed by the number of hiking options in such a small area when planning our outdoors road trip. However, after careful planning, I managed to narrow it down to five amazing hikes that maximized the number of views we could see in 3 days. We tried to mix it up between popular trails like Devil’s Bridge and less crowded hikes such as Airport Mesa Loop. Check them out if you want to get the most out of your limited time in Sedona!

Airport Loop Trail

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Length: 3.2 Miles
• Elevation: 416 Feet
• Views: 5/5

Airport Loop Trail is my favorite trail in Sedona, with some of the best views around. This trail has two starting points, one by the Sedona Airport overlook, with plenty of parking (for a small fee), and one by the Sedona Airport Mesa. The Mesa has much less parking but is also just steps from the Airport Mesa Vortex, which has a short but steep trail to the top where you can meditate (if that’s your thing) or just take in the natural beauty of Sedona.

The actual Airport Loop trail will take you all the way around Table Top Mountain, and the airport perched on top of it and offer stunning views of the surrounding rock formations including Cathedral Rock, East and West Twin Butte, and Bell Rock. Airport Loop and Airport Mesa are great for sunrise and sunset photography, as you can see both to the East and West.

Devils Bridge Trail

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Length: 3.9 Miles
• Elevation: 521 Feet
• Views: 4/5

Devil’s Bridge is one of the most popular spots in Sedona (if not the most popular spot), due to its unique rock formation that forms an impressive bridge with steep drop-offs. However the most challenging part of the trail is not hiking to the bridge, but battling the crowds also looking to get their photo at this iconic spot. Use the tips below to help you make the most of Devils Bridge.

Tips for Hiking Devils Bridge Trail

• Arrive Early!– This is good advice at any popular site, but this is doubly true in the desert where the heat will climb throughout the day. We arrived at Devil’s Bridge at 8 AM and the trailhead parking lot was full, the side of the road had a line of cars parked, and there was a line of 50 people waiting to take their picture on the bridge. The earlier you arrive, the better chance you will have of enjoying some solitude by the bridge!
• Bring a 4WD Vehicle– Several places in Sedona will rent out offroading vehicles, or you can bring your own, and bypass 2 miles of this 4-mile trail. There is a closer parking spot for vehicles that can drive the rocky road to the trail. Otherwise, you will have to walk this part.
• Photographing the Bridge– If you don’t want to take your photo on the bridge you can walk a little past it and snap a photo of just the bridge after someone walks off, while the next person is walking towards the bridge. The typical photo spot of this bridge is further down than from where I took mine, but this secluded spot was further up and did not have crowds of people around it.
• Where Hiking or Slip Resistant Shoes- Not just for the bridge, but some of this trail has large steps up on sandy rock.
• If You Are Afraid of Heights- There is a beautiful overlook right before the final ascent to the bridge. If anyone in your group is afraid of heights, they can wait there. It is a large spot, easy to spread out, and has panoramic views of the Sedona rocks.

Seven Sacred Pools via Soldier Pass Trail

• Difficulty: Easy
• Length: 1.1 Miles
• Elevation: 108 Feet
• Views: 3/5

Soldier’s Pass Trail is a 2-mile trail that can be hiked in a few ways. One of the longer options is to connect it to Brins Mesa Trail to create a 5-mile loop. This is what we did, and while it takes this trail up to moderate difficulty with 836 feet of elevation gain, it is worth it for the amazing views on Brin’s Mesa Trail.

However, if you don’t have the time for the whole trail you can also just hike to another one of Sedona’s vortexes. The Seven Sacred Pools are just 0.6 miles past the Soldier’s Pass Trailhead, and a truly unique site. This trailhead does fill up fast, but the Cibola Pass Trailhead is another parking spot a mile from the Soldier’s Pass Trailhead.

Note: If you are looking for even more of an adventure, past the pools there is a side trail that leads to some caves. They can be tricky to find so make sure to download a map and leave no trace!

Birthing Cave Trail

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Length: 2.0 Miles
• Elevation: 291 Feet
• Views: 4/5

The Birthing Cave Trail is a short but super cool trail only 7 miles from the heart of Sedona. It does not take long to get to the cave, and the view from the cave is one that can’t be beaten. Fair warning though- photos of the cave can be misleading. There is not a lot of room to sit in the cave, and the top does not overhang the whole cave, so depending on when you go there may not be much shade. The slope of the cave is also quite steep so tread carefully, and stay lower if you are afraid of heights!

Little Horse Trail (connects to Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock)

• Difficulty: Moderate
• Length: 4.3 Miles
• Elevation: 564 Feet
• Views: 4/5

The parking lot for Little Horse Trail is located off the Red Rock Scenic Byway. The trail will take you up to “Chicken Point”. Little Horse Trail is great because it connects to several other popular trails like Bell Rock Trail and Cathedral Rock Trail.

We happened to stop here on a whim and I’m so glad we did! The other trails we had bookmarked had full parking lots, but we were able to hike here and only saw a few people, giving us plenty of time to stop and take in the views and solitude.

Top Tips for Visiting Sedona

• Go places early!- I know I already mentioned this for Devil’s Bridge, but I recommend this for everywhere in Sedona if you can. You can beat both the heat and the crowds, and sunrise in the desert is spectacular!
• Research beforehand and have a backup plan- You’re already reading this so good job! If the original trail you wanted to hike is full, it is a good idea to have a backup plan that is less crowded. This will help you to make the most of your time in Sedona and not spend time on your phone figuring out where to go.
• Bring lots of water– Always bring water when hiking and bring even more in the desert. It amazed me how many people I saw hiking without supplies. Even if it is a short hike, you should always have water and essentials when hiking to prevent dehydration.
• Leave no trace!- Pack out what you pack in, stay on the trail, and don’t carve the rock! Vandalizing the rock is a large problem in the southwest recently. This can ruin these natural places and close them to tourists.
• Watch where you park- Many trailheads are near residential areas and have restrictions on parking along the road. Be sure to look for no parking signs. I saw several cars with tickets close to popular trailheads.

Other Things to Do in Sedona

• Go Offroading- All around Sedona you are sure to see some bright pink Jeeps. These are with Pink Adventure Tours, who can take you to some great locations in rougher terrain. You can also rent your own 4 wheel drive vehicle from a variety of rental places in town.
• Shop Local Art– The beauty of Sedona inspires so much beautiful art, it would be a shame not to at least browse some of it. Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village is an adorable walkable area with a variety of restaurants and shops that are so fun to explore.
• Go Wine Tasting- Don’t overlook Arizona’s wine! There are several tasting rooms in Sedona with samplings of local wine in the region. We had a great time at Vino Zona, trying different wines from the area!

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