Sedona
2 / 5
Sedona is red rocks, wide skies, and very crowded. April is peak tourist season, and it shows immediately in the trailhead parking lots. We started the day aiming for Cathedral Rock, but the trailhead was blocked off. We tried the free shuttle and found it already full. After that, we asked Google for alternatives and ended up at the Little Horse Trailhead. Parking is $12, and I briefly hoped the fee might keep the crowds down. It did not. The lot was packed, but after a few laps we lucked out and grabbed a spot just as someone pulled out. The better news was that because it is part of the Coconino National Forest, our America the Beautiful annual pass covered the fee.
Little Horse Trail
1 / 32
The hike out to Chicken Point is about 3.5 miles round trip and turned out to be a great way to start the day. Partly cloudy skies, temperatures in the 80s, and steady red rock views made it an easy win. At the overlook, we stopped for lunch and watched a couple of Jeeps crawl in from the back side. Chicken Point is one of the destinations for the Pink Jeep Tours, and the wide slab of slickrock offers panoramic views in every direction.
From several points along the trail, we could see the Chapel of the Holy Cross tucked into the cliffs in the distance. Even from afar, it was obvious that it was packed with visitors, which quickly became a theme for the day. This hike was not originally in the plan, but it made for a solid first stop in Sedona.
After finishing our first hike, we decided to check out one of Sedona’s well-known vortex sites at Bell Rock. As expected, the parking lot was full. We circled briefly, then gave up and decided to check the Cathedral Rock shuttle situation again. When we arrived, a man was standing at the entrance turning cars away. Since this was our second failed attempt, we asked when the trailhead ever opens up. His answer was super early. It was already 2 p.m., and he told us he had turned away more than 300 cars that day. He also mentioned that once the shuttles stop running, the trailhead reopens to the public at 5:30 p.m., so we made a mental note and headed back to Bell Rock.
After about twenty minutes of circling, a spot finally opened up and we grabbed it. The hike to the base of Bell Rock is short at about 0.8 miles, but the real fun starts if you keep going. The trail technically ends, but the rock continues upward, so we scrambled as far as we could. From our perch, we had sweeping views in every direction, including another distant look at the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which was still packed with visitors.
Bell Rock is also considered a vortex site, one of several places in Sedona where people believe the earth’s energy is especially strong. Whether or not you buy into that idea, the scenery alone is enough to put you in a good mood.
After striking out twice with the Cathedral Rock shuttle, we decided to wait until 5:30 p.m. when the trailhead reopened to the public. To pass the time, we drove through nearby neighborhoods to see how the other half lives. Sedona’s real estate does not mess around, with a median home price of around $1.1 million, more than double the national average.
At 5:30 on the dot, we pulled back into the Cathedral Rock trailhead. The main lot was already nearly full, but we still managed to snag a spot. The Cathedral Rock Trail is short at about 1.2 miles round trip, but it is steep and requires a fair amount of scrambling. We climbed to the end of the trail and reached the saddle between the towering spires, where we were rewarded with sweeping views across Sedona’s red rock country.
We waited for a while to see if the heavy clouds would break and give us a sunset, but it was not in the cards. The clouds had been great for shade throughout the day, but they completely blocked the sunset in the end. Even without the sunset, it was a fantastic day with three hikes on three iconic trails and a full dose of Sedona’s scenery. We made our way down as the light faded, tired but happy.
From several points along the trail, we could see the Chapel of the Holy Cross tucked into the cliffs in the distance. Even from afar, it was obvious that it was packed with visitors, which quickly became a theme for the day. This hike was not originally in the plan, but it made for a solid first stop in Sedona.
After finishing our first hike, we decided to check out one of Sedona’s well-known vortex sites at Bell Rock. As expected, the parking lot was full. We circled briefly, then gave up and decided to check the Cathedral Rock shuttle situation again. When we arrived, a man was standing at the entrance turning cars away. Since this was our second failed attempt, we asked when the trailhead ever opens up. His answer was super early. It was already 2 p.m., and he told us he had turned away more than 300 cars that day. He also mentioned that once the shuttles stop running, the trailhead reopens to the public at 5:30 p.m., so we made a mental note and headed back to Bell Rock.
After about twenty minutes of circling, a spot finally opened up and we grabbed it. The hike to the base of Bell Rock is short at about 0.8 miles, but the real fun starts if you keep going. The trail technically ends, but the rock continues upward, so we scrambled as far as we could. From our perch, we had sweeping views in every direction, including another distant look at the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which was still packed with visitors.
Bell Rock is also considered a vortex site, one of several places in Sedona where people believe the earth’s energy is especially strong. Whether or not you buy into that idea, the scenery alone is enough to put you in a good mood.
After striking out twice with the Cathedral Rock shuttle, we decided to wait until 5:30 p.m. when the trailhead reopened to the public. To pass the time, we drove through nearby neighborhoods to see how the other half lives. Sedona’s real estate does not mess around, with a median home price of around $1.1 million, more than double the national average.
At 5:30 on the dot, we pulled back into the Cathedral Rock trailhead. The main lot was already nearly full, but we still managed to snag a spot. The Cathedral Rock Trail is short at about 1.2 miles round trip, but it is steep and requires a fair amount of scrambling. We climbed to the end of the trail and reached the saddle between the towering spires, where we were rewarded with sweeping views across Sedona’s red rock country.
We waited for a while to see if the heavy clouds would break and give us a sunset, but it was not in the cards. The clouds had been great for shade throughout the day, but they completely blocked the sunset in the end. Even without the sunset, it was a fantastic day with three hikes on three iconic trails and a full dose of Sedona’s scenery. We made our way down as the light faded, tired but happy.