Sedona is one of our favorite places we have visited in a long time! It’s an absolutely beautiful place with so much hiking, really nice camping options, and so much to see! We spent a few weeks in Sedona and still only scratched the surface of all of the hiking trails nearby. Here are 4 hikes to do in Sedona, Arizona that you don’t want to miss!
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I really don’t think there is any bad hike in Sedona! You are surrounded by red rocks everywhere you look that seriously never get old! Almost all trails within Sedona require a Red Rocks Parking Pass in order to park at the trailhead parking lots. It cost $5 a day or you can get a weekly pass for $15 or an annual pass for $20. We saw automated ticket machines at every trailhead we visited so you can purchase it on site.
- If you have the Annual National Parks pass it works in leau of the parking pass! Just make sure to hang it up in your vehicle before leaving.
Boynton Canyon Trail
Length: 6 miles out and back
Trailhead Coordinates: 34.907640, -111.849060
Parking: There is a small lot at the trailhead with a bathroom. When we visited the lot was full so we parked on the street.
Boynton Canyon is a beautiful hike to an amazing viewpoint looking out into the canyon. It’s about 3 miles to the top with an elevation gain of about 800 feet. It’s mostly flat for the first 2 miles and then goes uphill throughout the last mile as you hike higher to the top lookout.
We started hiking at 9:30 AM and had plenty of shade throughout our hike up which was really nice! The first section of the trail follows the red rocks. The path becomes thinner with bush on either side and then goes through a forested area. This area in particular is nice and shady if you’re hiking on a hot day! The last stretch is hiking up some larger rocks until you get to the top lookout spot! Up until the last section of the trail you can’t see the canyon around you and then you pop up and are surrounded!
At the top facing out towards the view there is a small path on the left. If you follow that path you can get even better views! Follow the path up the rocks out onto the large, flat red rock that you can see from the summit. It goes around the corner and gives you even more amazing views because you’re higher up!
- We saw a few other people continue on and are so glad we did! The views just got better and better.
- It’s a little bit of a climb but there is also a small cave area around the corner! You can sit in the shade and enjoy the incredible views!
Being that this hike is longer definitely make sure to bring water and snacks! After hiking for almost 3 hours we were glad to have our water bottles and this reusable bag of apple slices. That’s our favorite hiking snack because it’s so refreshing!
How Long Does Hiking Boynton Canyon Take?
It took us about 2 hours and 45 minutes to hike up to the top lookout point. We stopped to take a lot of pictures because the views along the way are incredible so we definitely could have done it quicker if we had stopped less! We hung out at the top for a while just exploring all the different areas and then it took us just over 1 hour to hike back down. So we would recommend giving yourself at least 3 hours depending on how fast you hike and how long you spend up at the top!
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Cathedral Rock Trail
Length: 1.2 miles out and back
Trailhead Coordinates: 34.825170, -111.788620
Parking: There are two small parking lots with a bathroom in the middle. This lot fills up fast so if you plan to hike for sunset definitely get there early. Sometimes they block off the road to get to the trailhead when it is particularly crowded
This is one of the most well known trails in Sedona! It’s actually a bit farther from Sedona than the other 3 hikes but it still isn’t too far no matter where you’re staying. Because it’s so well known it can be particularly hard to find a parking spot for Cathedral Rock so if you’re looking to visit for sunrise or sunset make sure to give yourself time to park.
Cathedral Rock is not a long trail but it goes up almost 800 feet in elevation so definitely don’t underestimate it! Cathedral Rock requires climbing over some pretty big and steep rocks so we were both really glad to be wearing hiking shoes to give our feet more grip especially when coming down!
At the top looking out there is a trail to the left that continues around the rock and up to a beautiful spot! It is steep so only continue if you feel comfortable. At the top are the tall rocks that you have probably seen in pictures when you look up Cathedral Rock!
- Just like on the Boynton Canyon trail we are so glad we kept going! There were a few other people who left shortly after we got to the top so we had the area to ourselves which was so cool! This is definitely a good photo spot especially if you time it right when there are no other people!
There is a ledge on the right (at the top looking out) that continues out so you can see more of what is out in front of you. Definitely be careful it dramatically stops and then there is nothing so make sure you are paying attention if you walk out! This is another really good photo spot!
We did notice the closer to sunset the more crowded it got at the top. Around 2 pm we pulled into the trailhead parking lot and hung out in the van for a while. We were actually glad to have gotten there so early because by the time we left to start hiking around 4 PM there were no open parking spots and a line of cars waiting for a car to leave.
- If you hike this trail for sunset make sure to bring a headlamp! It is definitely too steep to try to use your phone flashlight while hiking!
How Long Does Hiking Cathedral Rock Take?
It took us 1 hour to hike up to the top. We stopped a few times to take pictures and had to wait in one section for people to pass before we could climb up. If you’re not as comfortable scrambling up rocks it might take a little longer. Hiking back down took us about 35 minutes but if you’re doing it in the dark make sure to take your time and don’t rush!
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Doe Mountain Trail
Length: 1.5 miles
Trailhead coordinates: 34.893270, -111.864990
Parking: Parking lot shared by Doe Mountain Trail and Bear Mountain Trail so it fills up fast! There is parking along the street as well.
If you’re looking for a shorter hike that still has incredible views then Doe Mountain trail is for you! It’s about 0.7 miles up to a plateau that you can explore as little or as much as you want! The trail up (and down) is wide open and gives you views looking across to Bear Mountain.
One of the really cool things about this trail is you can make it shorter or longer depending on your ability level and how far you feel like going. From the top plateau you can see Bear Mountain, Boynton Canyon, and then from the backside you can look over all of Sedona!
We hiked along the edge looking at Boynton Canyon to the overlook on the backside facing towards all of Sedona. There is so much to explore which is really cool! On the west side of the plateau the trail is a little more overgrown and we had to turn around in a few spots because we couldn’t see where it continued.
If you only have time for 1 hike while you’re visiting Sedona we would recommend hiking Doe Mountain! It’s not too long but packs in some absolutely stunning views of everything around it.
How Long Does Hiking Doe Mountain Take?
It took us just over 1 hour to hike up the top. We spent about 2 hours walking around the top looking at all the views! We really enjoyed exploring the different viewpoints and not just immediately turning back around. You can of course choose to spend 10 minutes or 4 hours at the top!
- In total it took us about 1 hour and 40 minutes to hike up and down and then however long you choose to spend at the top although we would recommend giving yourself at least 30 minutes to walk around!
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Subway Cave via Boynton Canyon
Length: 4.8 miles out and back
Trailhead coordinates: 34.907640, -111.849060
Parking: Parking is at the Boynton Canyon trailhead.
Subway cave is a really cool cave that can be accessed via the Boynton Canyon trail. Hike about 2 miles along the Boynton Canyon trail until you get to a slight divide where the main trail continues straight and a small trail goes slightly to the right. It’s a little tricky to find and we actually didn’t see it when we hiked up to the top of Boynton Canyon because we didn’t even notice it went anywhere else.
The easiest way to find the Subway Cave is to download the Alltrails map for the hike. On the map you can see a small trail that continues about 0.4 miles to the cave. Once you’re on the path it’s easier to follow it to the cave. The last section is climbing up steep rocks to get to the entrance of the cave but it’s so worth it!
We’re so glad we went back to see this spot! At the top facing out continue the trail to the right around the corner and the path continues. You can even follow it to a small cave dwelling!
- Even though it’s close to Boynton Canyon it’s a much different perspective than from the top because you’re a lot lower. If you have time we would definitely recommend checking out both! If you start early in the day you can do both at one time!
How Long Does Hiking to Subway Cave Take?
It took us about 45 minutes to hike to the cave. Because we had already hiked that trail previously to get to the top of Boynton Canyon we were able to move pretty fast. The cave itself isn’t too big so if there are other people there isn’t a lot of extra room so we didn’t spend too long at the top before continuing back down. We would recommend giving yourself around 1.5-2 hours to hike to Subway Cave depending on how fast you get up and how long you explore the cave area.
