The Hikes in Sedona That Don't Have a Wait List

Most people who come to Sedona do the same four trails. I understand why — they're famous for a reason. But if you drove six hours to stand in a parking lot queue and share a viewpoint with forty strangers, something has gone wrong. These are the trails I actually send guests to when they ask me what I'd do.

Huckaby Trail

This one surprises people. It starts off Oak Creek Canyon Road just past Midgley Bridge, and most visitors blow right past the trailhead without noticing it. That's good news for you.

Huckaby follows Oak Creek through a narrow canyon, crosses the creek a couple of times (bring shoes you're okay getting wet in spring), and opens up into a wide red rock basin that looks like something you'd see on a postcard — except you'll probably have it mostly to yourself. The full out-and-back is around 5 miles. Not technical. Moderate elevation. I usually go here in the morning because the canyon walls hold cool air longer than the exposed trails nearby.

Boynton Canyon Trail (on a weekday)

I know, I know — Boynton Canyon is not exactly a secret. But here's the thing: most people treat it like a weekend bucket-list hike, which means weekday mornings feel like a different trail entirely. Go Tuesday or Wednesday before 8am and you'll share it with maybe a dozen people.

The trail itself is about 6 miles round trip through a red rock box canyon. There's a spur near the trailhead that takes you up to Subway Cave, which is genuinely interesting and takes about 20 minutes. If you ask me, skip the main trail on weekends entirely and save it for a quiet morning midweek.

The kind of light you get in the canyon corridors around Boynton — warm, directional, nothing between you and the rock.

Loy Canyon Trail

This is the one I recommend most when guests want genuine solitude. Loy Canyon is out past Palatki Heritage Site on a maintained dirt road — about 20 minutes from the 89A turnoff. The trail is wide, relatively flat for the first couple miles, and cuts through a canyon that gets narrow and dramatic as you go further in.

Because there's a short dirt road approach, casual tourists often skip it. That's exactly why I like it. You'll see petroglyphs near Palatki if you go early and check in with the Forest Service site there first (free, no reservation needed, first-come). Then do the canyon trail after. Budget a half day.

Soldier Pass Trail — the Far End

Soldier Pass is moderately popular, but most people turn around at the sinkholes (the "Seven Sacred Pools") and never continue further up. The trail beyond the sinkholes keeps climbing into a quiet plateau with long views east toward the Village of Oak Creek. It's only another mile or so but it feels like a completely different hike.

Parking at the trailhead is limited and managed by permit — book through Recreation.gov a day ahead. But once you're past the first half-mile, the crowd thins dramatically.

A Note on Timing

All of these trails get harder to enjoy between 10am and 3pm in summer. The red rocks amplify heat in a way that's genuinely uncomfortable, not just inconvenient. I tell guests to plan for an early start — 6:30am is not extreme here, it's practical. You'll be back at the property before the parking lots are full and the temperature spikes.

This is what 10am looks like at the Y on a busy weekend. The trails feeding off this corridor look similar. The further you get from the main drag, the better.

If you end up on Huckaby or out at Loy Canyon, bring more water than you think you need, let someone know your plan, and give yourself time to just sit somewhere for a few minutes. The views don't get better the faster you move through them.

If you want specific directions or current trail conditions before you head out, just shoot me a message — I check in on these regularly and I'm happy to tell you what's changed since the last rain.