The Hikes in Sedona Worth Finding (and Why Most People Walk Right Past Them)

Sedona has something like four million visitors a year, and a good number of them walk the same loop: Devil's Bridge, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock. Those are fine trails. But when I have guests staying with me who want something quieter — something that actually feels like wilderness — I send them somewhere else.

Here's where I point them.

Huckaby Trail (And Why It's Underrated)

Huckaby starts just off Schnebly Hill Road, which already filters out the people who aren't paying attention to a map. The trailhead parking is small, it doesn't appear on most curated "best of Sedona" lists, and the terrain isn't the kind of dramatic spire shot that ends up on Instagram.

What it is: a four-mile out-and-back along Oak Creek with real canyon walls, riparian shade, and almost nobody on it before 9am. You cross the creek twice. Wear shoes you don't mind getting wet.

If you ask me, this is the best morning hike in Sedona for people who want to feel like they actually found something.

Brins Mesa Trail

This one's on the map, but it gets a fraction of the traffic of the more famous mesa hikes. The trailhead is on Jordan Road, which means you can walk to it from Uptown — no shuttle, no parking lottery.

The payoff is a broad, flat mesa with 360-degree views and almost no shade. Go early or late. Bring more water than you think you need. The elevation gain is gradual, which makes it accessible without feeling like a tourist loop.

I've hiked it a dozen times and run into other people maybe half of those. That ratio is basically unheard of in Sedona.

The Soldier Pass Area (Before 8am)

Soldier Pass is technically a well-known trail, but most people don't realize the parking is capped at about ten vehicles. That means if you show up at 10am in spring, you're turned away. Show up at 7am and you often have the whole thing to yourself.

The trail leads to a series of sinkholes — locally called the "Seven Sacred Pools" — and eventually to a natural arch. The geology here is different from the red rock spires you see elsewhere. More collapsed, more intimate. It feels old in a way that's hard to describe.

The Sedona Red Rock Pass is required. Don't skip it — the rangers here are attentive.

Cathedral Rock area at night — the same formations that get crowded by day look entirely different under dark skies.

Fay Canyon Arch Trail

Fay Canyon is a short trail — about 2.5 miles round trip — that dead-ends at a small natural arch tucked against a canyon wall. What most visitors miss is that the arch is slightly off the main path. There's a use trail on the right that splits off about a mile in. Most people walk past it and turn around when the canyon narrows.

The arch itself isn't massive. But the canyon is cool and shaded, and on a warm afternoon it's legitimately pleasant in a way that exposed red rock hikes aren't. No fees, no shuttle, no recreation area permit required as of when I last checked — just a small pullout on Boynton Pass Road.

A Note on Timing and Permits

Sedona's trail system has gotten more managed over the last few years. Some trailheads — Bear Mountain, Boynton Canyon, Devil's Bridge — now require timed entry permits through Recreation.gov during peak season (generally March through May and October through November). Others are still walk-up.

It's worth spending five minutes on the Coconino National Forest site before you go. Not to plan every minute of your hike, but just to avoid driving out to a trailhead that's been closed for the morning.

Bell Rock — familiar from every Sedona photo, but the surrounding area has quieter trails most people don't find.

The honest truth is that Sedona's popular trails are popular for good reasons. But there's a different kind of hike available here — one where you're not actively waiting for a gap in foot traffic to take a photo. Those are the ones I'd rather walk.

If you make it out here, try Huckaby on your first morning before you've looked at a single "top 10" list. That order matters.