Sedona Hiking: Devil's Bridge
One red-rock town, arches, slickrock & vortex hikes, all in northern Arizona.
Three days hiking in Sedona: hiking Devil's Bridge Sedona to the largest sandstone arch, hiking Cathedral Rock Sedona up the iconic slickrock, plus easy Sedona hiking trails, the vortex sites and Oak Creek Canyon.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
12 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Every stop is a real pin, in order.
Cathedral Rock, Devil's Bridge & Boynton Canyon · northern Arizona
Every stop on this trip, in order, opens as one driving route in the Google Maps app. No copying addresses across one at a time.
5 of the stops on these 3 days.
Plan and book your 3 days in Sedona, one step at a time
How 3 days in Sedona split up
Sedona sits in a bowl of red sandstone buttes and spires in northern Arizona, about two hours north of Phoenix and 45 minutes south of Flagstaff. The whole town is wrapped in trails, from easy red-rock loops the whole family can do to steep slickrock scrambles and the famous energy-vortex sites, all set against some of the most photogenic rock in the Southwest.
Day 1: Arrive & ease in · Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock & Airport Mesa sunset
5 stops · Day one
Day 2: Hiking Devil's Bridge Sedona & Soldier Pass
3 stops · Day two
Day 3: Boynton Canyon, the easy trails & a red-rock 4x4 tour
4 stops · Day three
Arrive & ease in · Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock & Airport Mesa sunset
Sedona is an easy drive in: about 2 hours north from Phoenix (PHX) or roughly 45 minutes south from Flagstaff (FLG). Warm up your legs on the Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte Loop (about 4 miles round trip, easy), a gentle, mostly flat circuit around two of the most recognizable buttes in town. Bell Rock is also one of Sedona's celebrated energy vortexes, so it is a fitting first taste of the red rocks.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Drive from~2 hr · easy highway run · DriveSedona is an easy drive in: about 2 hours north from Phoenix (PHX) up I-17, or roughly 45 minutes south from Flagstaff (FLG) down through Oak Creek Canyon. The last stretch into town opens onto the red rocks, so you arrive already in the scenery.
- Bell Rock & Courthouse Butte Loop
~4 mi RT · easy · vortex · HikeWarm up on the Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte Loop (about 4 miles round trip, easy), a gentle, mostly flat circuit around two of the most recognizable buttes in town. Bell Rock is also one of Sedona's celebrated energy vortexes, a fitting first taste of the red rocks.
- Cathedral Rock Trail
~1.2 mi RT · steep slickrock · iconic · HikeTake on the trip's signature climb: hiking Cathedral Rock Sedona (about 1.2 miles round trip, steep). It is short but a real hand-over-hand slickrock scramble up a chute to a saddle between the spires, with one of the most photographed views in the Southwest at the top. The tiny lot fills by sunrise, so take the shuttle or arrive at dawn.
- Airport Mesa sunset vortex
Short walk · 360-degree overlook · ViewpointCap the day at the Airport Mesa vortex for sunset, an easy walk to a 360-degree overlook that lights up gold and red as the sun drops. The small lot and road shoulder fill fast, so arrive at least an hour before sunset.
- Stay in Sedona
Base in town for all three days · lodgeBase in Sedona for all three nights so you can reach the trailheads and shuttle park-and-rides at dawn. Lodging in town is limited and pricey and books up fast for spring and fall weekends, so reserve early.
Hiking Devil's Bridge Sedona & Soldier Pass
Today is the big arch day: hiking Devil's Bridge Sedona, the largest sandstone arch in the Sedona area. The hike runs about 4 miles round trip from the Dry Creek Road trailhead (longer if you start from the Mescal trailhead), or much shorter if you have a high-clearance 4x4 and drive the rough road in to the closer parking. The payoff is a dramatic natural span you can walk out onto for the classic Sedona photo. Go early, because both the trail and the queue for the bridge photo get busy.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Devil's Bridge Trail
~4 mi RT · largest arch near Sedona · HikeHike to Devil's Bridge, the largest sandstone arch in the Sedona area. It is about 4 miles round trip from the Dry Creek Road trailhead, longer from Mescal, or much shorter with a high-clearance 4x4 that can drive the rough road to the closer lot. The payoff is a dramatic span you can walk out onto for the classic photo. Go at dawn to beat the heat and the line.
Soldier Pass Trail~4.5 mi RT · pools, sinkhole & arches · HikeLink up the Soldier Pass Trail (about 4.5 miles round trip), one of the most feature-packed hikes in town. It passes the Devil's Kitchen sinkhole, the Seven Sacred Pools set in the slickrock, and a short side scramble up to the Soldier Pass Arches. The lot is small and gated, so the free shuttle is the easy way in.
CGP Grey / CC BY 2.0Second night in SedonaStay put for dawn trailheads · lodgeStay a second night in Sedona so you can be at the trailheads or the shuttle park-and-ride at dawn, before the lots fill and the heat builds on the exposed slickrock. Keeping the same base means no packing up between hiking days.
Boynton Canyon, the easy trails & a red-rock 4x4 tour
Spend your last morning on the Boynton Canyon Trail (about 6 miles round trip), a vortex hike that runs deep into a box canyon ringed by red and cream cliffs. Don't miss the short, steep side scramble up to the Subway Cave, a hollowed-out alcove with a window onto the canyon. If you want something gentler, swap in two of the best easy Sedona hiking trails: Fay Canyon (about 2.4 miles round trip, flat and shaded) or Doe Mountain, a short climb to a flat mesa top with big valley views.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Boynton Canyon Trail
~6 mi RT · vortex · Subway Cave · HikeSpend the morning on the Boynton Canyon Trail (about 6 miles round trip), a vortex hike that runs deep into a box canyon ringed by red and cream cliffs. Don't miss the short, steep side scramble up to the Subway Cave, a hollowed-out alcove with a window onto the canyon.
Fay Canyon or Doe MountainEasy options · flat or short climb · HikeFor something gentler, swap in two of the best easy Sedona hiking trails: Fay Canyon (about 2.4 miles round trip, flat and shaded) or Doe Mountain, a short steep climb to a flat mesa top with big valley views. Both are good family-friendly options on a hot afternoon or a recovery day.
Ray Sawhill / CC BY 2.0Red-rock 4x4 tour · Safari Jeep Tours (Ultimate Sedona Experience)Guided open-air Jeep · book ahead · activityFinish with a guided red-rock 4x4 tour with Safari Jeep Tours (Ultimate Sedona Experience), a long-running Sedona outfitter that runs open-air Jeeps over the slickrock to backcountry formations most visitors never reach. Reserve ahead, especially in spring and fall and on weekends.
Getting home: Phoenix or FlagstaffPHX ~2 hr · FLG ~45 min · DriveFrom Sedona it is about 2 hours back down to Phoenix (PHX) or roughly 45 minutes up to Flagstaff (FLG) through Oak Creek Canyon. Leave with daylight to spare, since the canyon drive is winding and the views are worth slowing down for.
Book the 2 nights
Beds near the trailheads are the one thing on this trip that genuinely runs out. Everything else can be decided later.
Tell us your dates and we will do the calling. We check every booking site, put your points and card perks against the cash price, and email you this plan back with the best room we can find for each night. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Sedona
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping indoors
For the driving days
Specific to Sedona
What we actually learned on the red rocks.
Get a Red Rock Pass or bring your pass
Most Sedona trailheads sit on Coconino National Forest land and require a Red Rock Pass to park, about $5 per day or $15 per week. An America the Beautiful pass also covers it. Buy a pass at a visitor center, a self-serve kiosk, or online before you hike.
Take the free Sedona Shuttle
The free Sedona Shuttle serves the most popular trailheads, including Dry Creek for Devil's Bridge, Cathedral Rock, and Soldier Pass, from park-and-ride lots. Those trailhead lots fill by sunrise on weekends, so the shuttle is often the only easy way in.
Carry more water than you think
Sedona is high desert and the slickrock is fully exposed. Carry at least 2 to 3 liters per person on a half-day hike, more in summer. There is no shade on Cathedral Rock or the approach to Devil's Bridge, so start at dawn and turn around if you run low.
Match the trail to your group
Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass involve real scrambling, while Bell Rock, Fay Canyon, and the West Fork of Oak Creek are easy Sedona hiking trails that work for kids and beginners. Mix hard and easy across your days so nobody is wrecked by the heat.
Go in spring or fall, hike at dawn
Spring and fall bring comfortable days and cool nights, the best time to hike Sedona. Summer afternoons regularly reach the 90s and 100s, so do exposed hikes like Cathedral Rock and Devil's Bridge at first light. Winter is mild and quiet with occasional snow on the red rocks.
Chase the light at the vortex sites
Sedona's celebrated energy vortexes, at Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, and Boynton Canyon, double as the best photo spots. Airport Mesa is the classic sunset overlook, while Cathedral Rock and the red rocks glow most at sunrise and the last hour of daylight.
Everything you'll actually want to know.
Bell rock Sedona: the questions people ask most.
The best hiking in Sedona centers on three classics: Devil's Bridge, about 4 miles round trip to the largest sandstone arch near town, Cathedral Rock, a short, steep slickrock scramble to the most iconic viewpoint in the Southwest, and Soldier Pass, which packs a sinkhole, the Seven Sacred Pools, and arches into one trail. For easier miles, the Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte Loop and Boynton Canyon round out a perfect 3-day lineup.
We'll find the cheapest way to do this trip.
Tell us your dates and we price the plan you just built: every booking site, the hotels direct, and your own points and card perks against the cash price. You get it back by email with a link for each night and what it saved you.
- It is free. The hotel pays us, not you. You pay their normal price.
- Nothing is charged and nothing is held. You decide at the end, or you walk away.
- Beds near trailheads are the part that runs out. Everything else can wait.
The figures below are estimates from local nightly rates, so you know the ballpark before you ask. The real number comes back once we have checked what is free.
- 2 nights, a campsite near Sedona
2 × $22$44 - Phoenix desert ATV tour
2 × $108$216 - Phoenix sunrise balloon ride
2 × $239$478
- 2 nights, a room in Sedona
from $127 a nightfrom $254 - Phoenix desert ATV tour
2 × $108$216 - Phoenix sunrise balloon ride
2 × $239$478
Yulia, ExplorOFF founder★★★★★5.0 from 20+ guided tripsGoogleAirbnbFrom$2,2202 people, 2 nights- Everything in Glamped, plus a local guide
- Airport pickup, every drive, all the gear
- Weather turns, they rewrite the day
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Booking Sedona
Everything below is booked with the operators direct. We earn a commission on some of them, which is what keeps the itineraries free to read.
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What adventurers say about us.
All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
"We did this as a couple's trip and it was perfect. Yulia adapted everything to us, our pace, our interests, our photo obsession. The mountain views were unreal."
"Phenomenal experience. Yulia has deep local knowledge and a real passion for the outdoors. She went out of her way to show us the hidden gems tourists never see. Will remember this forever."
"I've done a few guided hikes and this was by far the best. Yulia is warm, funny, and genuinely expert. The trail she chose had the most insane wildflower bloom, we got so lucky."
Fees, reservation windows, shuttle dates and trail closures are planning estimates. Confirm hours, road status and any reservations with the land manager before you go.
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One tap. It goes straight to Yulia and Margarita.
You can't hike it if you can't get the permit.
The best hikes in America run on lotteries that open once a year and sell out in minutes. Every trail runs on its own calendar. Pick the ones you want and we do the watching.
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How it works
- An email the morning each window opens, never the day after.
- A 14-day heads-up so you can line up your group and dates.
- Win odds and a ranked backup plan for every trail you pick.
Didn't win? We keep watching. We check recreation.gov every day for The Enchantments, Half Dome and Angels Landing, and email you the moment a sold-out date frees up. Cancellations are the second chance most people never hear about.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”