Hiking Sedona

slide rock AZ

Have you ever been somewhere and said to yourself- “This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.”

Go to Sedona.
You will say it again~~

One morning near the end of our vacation, we stopped for breakfast at a little cafe restaurant and my husband found a book in the gift shop there called “Sedona’s Top 10 hikes”. Looking through the book, we realized that we had already done 3 of the hikes without even knowing their significance. Not bad for being “new in town!”

fall scents for your home

Come along with me as I take you along on these amazing trips into, around, and on top of  the red rocks of Sedona~

Our first hike will take us to the famous “Cathedral Rock”.

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When we first arrived in Sedona, we stopped at the Ranger station to pick up some trail information. In one of the photo books there I saw THE most amazing photo of Cathedral rock towering over still waters, the reflection of the majestic rock shimmering in the water. “Where is this?” I asked. “I want to go here!!”  

The ranger explained that we would need to follow the river and that the trail to the reflecting waters was not marked. Just keep bearing to the left she said~~

Well, we found the water.  Come on — we must be close!  

~~famous last words~~

“Courthouse Butte” in the distance (we will go there later!)

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3 hours and a few wrong turns later~ we found it!

I was so hot — and tired– and hot– and that water looked so cool and wonderful~

I just had too!

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We just totally gave in to the cool waters swimming and laying in the sun but, eventually we had to leave~

~~

Trail info:
3 miles round trip
(via the Templeton trail)
moderate difficulty
trail head starts at Verde Valley School road

br50Sedona is more than just a quiet little town nestled between ruggedly beautiful red mountains~

It is something of an artistic mecca, with handicrafts, art galleries, and a hint of hippie/new age character thrown in for good measure.

Sedona is a haven for those who seek the healing powers of mystical forces. 

Deep within these mountains are reputed to be powerful soul cleansing vortexes. 

Bell Rock is said to be one of those places.

Along the trail head were artists painting the legendary scenery~ 

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There is no real trail that leads to the top- just a worn path over the rocks where over time souls have climbed in search of the mystical powers that are hidden within the rocks.

Our “just down from the mountain” pose!

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We did not actually make it all the way to the top — almost, but I admit that I kind of wimped out just short of the top! 

Trail info:
3.5 miles (to the top and back)
Moderate to hard difficulty
(this trail joins with the Court House Butte trail)

cb4The Courthouse Butte trail is a meandering hike that takes you through lush fields and desert areas as it circles both Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte~

No serious climbing for this hike — we are just taking the long way around~

Trail info:
4 mile loop trail
easy to moderate difficulty
(this trail intersects with the Bell Rock trail)

We hope you have enjoyed hiking with us in beautiful Sedona. My apologies (again!!) for such a long post — (I wanted to keep all the hikes in the same place.) During our visits to Sedona and the Grand Canyon, we stayed in Flagstaff and drove the short distances between our hiking destinations. We LOVED Flagstaff — it is a destination all by itself and it was the perfect place to stay on our trip. I have one more post to share with you regarding our trip to this area– Sunset Crater (and the surrounding Pueblo ruins). That post will be coming soon—

Originally posted on 2 Bags Full.

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Hiking Sedona
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