Southwest Roadtrip: Sedona
Red-rock buttes, steep canyon walls and pine forests — Welcome to Sedona, AZ
This post is a continuation of my overview post on my recent Southwest trip. If you’ve just come to visit, start there before reading onward.
Here’s a reminder of my itinerary:
- Sedona, AZ
- Page, AZ
- Escalante, UT
- Moab, UT
This post will cover, in detail, all things done in Sedona.
Sedona
I’m so glad to have started my trip with Sedona. A paradise of day hiking, local artisans to visit, and great food. I had complete access to my cellular network, grocery stores, and well-paved roads.
Hikes
Seven Sacred Pools and Solider’s Pass: My first hike of the trip and a decent 5-mile loop. Most folks go to just see the pools but it’s worth hiking just a mile more to see the caves near Solider’s Pass. Parking is tough since the trailhead only has about 10 spots available. Most people, like me, have to park at Posse Grounds Park and walk the 1.2 mile to the trailhead.
If you see an elderly woman driving a gray minivan near the trailhead, it’s likely Debbie. She runs a local taxi shuttle service to and from most trailheads. Debbie very kindly picked me up for free and took me back to my car — basically my first hitch hiking experience. Thanks Debbie!
Boynton Canyon Trail (aka Subway Cave) & The Birthing Cave: Both out and backs, Boynton is a decent 6 mile hike and the Birthing Cave trail a steep 2 mile hike. I’ve listed them together since they’re close in proximity and one can easily do both these hikes in a morning.
They also include some scrambling and if you’ve never scrambled on a hike, just know that you should always keep three points of contact on the trail since it’s more than likely steep. Getting on to Subway Cave is actually a bit scary (as evidenced by the sheer vertical drop off in my photo above) but after seeing two badass seventy year old women do it, I felt compelled to try and I’m glad I did — if only for the views.
Airport Mesa Loop Trail: A 3.2 mile loop with amazing views of Sedona. There’s an easy access viewpoint for folks too tired to hike but in it for the views.
Bell Rock Trail: A very doable 0.8 mile out and back. I went during sunset time and you can make this trek as easy or as hard as you wish since a majority of the trail is just climbing up/down Bell Rock.
Cathedral Rock via the Baldwin Trail: A 3.7 mile hike that starts you near a winding stream before making the infamous ascent up Cathedral Rock. You can do Cathedral Rock without taking the Baldwin Trail but I found it worth doing if for more interesting waypoints and the ability to swim in the stream after the descent from Cathedral Rock.
Hiking Cathedral Rock is no joke. One should always keep three points of contact on the trail, know that you will literally slide down the side of Cathedral Rock and you should absolutely feel comfortable doing this. Proper shoes are required, poles encouraged.
Points of interest
Outside of hiking, I did take some time to visit and eat at a few places worth calling out.
Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village: Basically a great place for your grandma to pick up some local artisan wares and take photos the wrong way with iPads. Joking aside, I did stop at The Chai Spot for a great drink and I picked up a beautiful turquoise ring from Natural Wonders.
Tamaliza Cafe: Scratch kitchen with a friendly staff. Great green enchiladas!
Judi’s Restaurant: Classic fine dining restaurant. Very friendly staff and Judi herself cooked my steak.
Accommodations
Sky Rock Resort is fine — basically an old motel refreshed with a more modern vibe and style. They have an on-site pool and restaurant but I didn’t partake in either. I mostly appreciated the friendly staff and in-room refrigerator to keep my Pedalyte cold. 🥂
If I had more time…
- Hike Devils Bridge: I’ll be honest, I’m not exactly sure I’d be up for this hike. I hate contrived crowds and Devil’s Bridge has become a well known social media trap. The ideas of “waiting in a line” to take a photo of the bridge just put me off but a few folks that I met along my trip had highly suggested it…so yeah, maybe.
- Visit Slide Rock State Park: Fun times literally sliding down the currents of Oak Creek.
- Visit the many, many wineries in the area.
Like I said at the beginning of this post, I’m so glad to have kicked off my trip with Sedona. I loved the weather, the views, the hikes, the people, and the many, many things to choose to do in such a small area.
