Category: Adventure Travel

Mescal Mountain Loop

A great loop for hiking or mountain bike! All skill levels will enjoy the hike but have some experience is needed if you want to explore by mountain bike.

The Mescal Mountain Loop Hike circles Mescal Mesa using three different trails. Park at the Mescal Trail parking area on Long Canyon Road. The Mescal Trail is 2.4 miles long and winds up to the base of the mesa where it travels along beautiful open slick rock. It is an easy hike but the trail is also open to mountain bikers. For them, the trail is rated difficult to moderate. There are a few difficulty options pointed out by signs along the trail. I really enjoyed this portion of the hike because of the cliffs of Mescal Mesa and the surrounding Secret Mountain Wilderness of Sedona. It is very picturesque.

The Mescal Trail ends when it intersects with Deadmans Pass Trail. By this time, you are now on the opposite side of Mescal Mountain. Turn right and follow the trail for about one mile. Deadmans Pass Trail ends at when it intersects with the Long Canyon Trail.

When you reach the Long Canyon Trail, turn right. The trail travels through a section of desert not within the Secret Mountain Wilderness that surrounds it. To complete the loop, hike the 1.1 mile section back to Long Canyon Road. You will not be at the Mescal Mountain Trailhead but there is a .3 mile connector trail on the right that will take you back to the parking area.

In total, it is about 4.8 miles long and only gains about 500 vertical feet. I highly recommend this hike

Directions: From Route 89A in Sedona, turn right on Dry Creek Rd. Dry Creek Rd eventually becomes Boynton Pass Rd. At the first stop sign turn right onto Long Canyon Rd. Parking for the Mescal Trail on on the right and the trail is on the opposite side of the street.

Category: Adventure Travel

Bell Rock Pathway

The Bell Rock Pathway connects two trailheads along route 179. One is to the south of Bell Rock and the other is to the north. The pathway is very easy and is open to hikers, mountain bikers and horses. So if you are walking, be alert.

I did a portion of this pathway as I hiked a loop around Bell Rock. It was about 7am, a perfect time to beat the heat and people. It is a popular trail because of the easy path and easy access from Route 179. From the pathway, you have access to the Bell Rock Vista Trail and the Courthouse Loop Trail.

Equipment: light hiking shoes or athletic shoes and plenty of water.
Directions: Route 179. If coming from Sedona, park at the north trailhead on the left. If coming from Oak Creek, park at the south trailhead on the right.

Category: Adventure Travel

Primitive Trail

This is a great hike but I cannot recommend this for inexperienced hikers. The trail starts from the Devil’s Garden trail head. Just before you reach Landscape arch, there is a sandy trail that leads to the right. The trail is marked with a wood sign at the beginning.

Follow the sandy trail for about 1 mile until you reach a dry wash. the direction of the trail is marked with a wood sign. While in the wash you will come to a large pot hole usually filled with water and several logs. Try not to use the logs to cross the water because they are unstable. Get a running start and run along the left side, circling to the right. Don’t stop running! This should get you around the hole. You can also skirt the right side very high if you have good hiking boots and you are comfortable using friction to scale steep slick rock.

There is another tricky area as you start to cross the fin’s about 2/3’s of the way along the trail. It is steep slick rock that you ascend diagonally. This tends to be very slippery because of dry sand that other hikers inadvertently deposit when they ascend. I had one student slip here and slide to the bottom.

At the end of the primitive trail you will see Double O arch. This is a good place to stop for lunch. To return to the parking area, take the Devil’s Garden Trail. Make sure you take the side trip to Navajo Arch, it is well worth it.

Category: Adventure Travel

Fay Canyon Trail

Fay Canyon is one of the shorter box canyons located throughout Sedona. Total length is about 2.5 miles if you do not include Fay Canyon Arch or an attempt to find Fay Canyon Indian ruins. A very easy hike along the canyon floor with a dry wash on the right.

Fay Canyon Arch is just off to the right on the Fay Canyon Trail. It is about a 1/4 mile up the canyon. There is no sign post showing the direction of the arch. As the Fay Canyon trail follows a dry wash on the right, you will see a set of cairns that mark the trail. Cross the wash and follow the well established trail. Soon you will be able to identify the arch. You can walk all the way up to the arch. A nice little side trip form the main trail.

At the end of the trail is a sign stating the end of the maintained trail. Beyond this point you cross over the dry wash and there is a nice area in front of a sandstone fin of sorts that can be explored a bit on either side. If you go early you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the canyon and relax a bit at the end of the trail before returning.

Directions: Located on Boynton Pass rd, between Boynton Canyon rd and the Doe Mountain trail head. You can’t miss the large paved parking area.

Category: Adventure Travel

Superstition Mountains – Weavers Needle Loop

Great desert scenery in historic Superstition Wilderness. Circumnavigate Weaver Needle on this 13 mile loop hike.

This is a difficult hike! Plan on a lot of time and an early start. I did this hike in a clockwise direction which really doesn’t matter much but I recommend the direction to get the steepest part of the hike done first. Most people just do an out and back hike to Freemont Saddle to view Weavers Needle. This is the first section and very steep. If you are doing the loop plan on a 7am or 8am start. Much of this first section will be in the shade at this time.

From the Freemont Saddle, the trail descends to the left. I enjoyed this section as you have great views of Weavers Needle the entire way. The trail is also relatively easy to follow at this point. To continue the loop, the Peralta trail will meet the Dutchman Trail. Take the Dutchman Trail to the right for 1 mile. This has a difficult, rocky up hill section.

After one mile on the Dutchman Trail you reach a post with a sign directing to the Terrapin Trail. This section feels like the longest and never ending. There is also a point when you loss sight of Weavers Needle for the remainder of the way. You will see several side trails to the right which lead to views of Weavers Needle. There is one that looks like you are continuing on the Terrapin Trail and will take you up a steep climb to a saddle and a view of the needle. This trail is marked along the way with cairns making you think you are going the right way. YOU ARE NOT! This is the wrong trail. The Terrapin Trail never goes on the direction toward the needle. This is why it is important to have a good trail map.

Eventually you reach the trail junction with Bluff Springs Trail. From here it is back to the trail head but this section is longer than you think. Much longer. Every time you breach a hill you think you will see the parking area. It was defeating.

I tracked the loop at 12.5 miles with an altitude gain of about 3000 feet in total. I’ve seen other posts that have it at 13.1 miles. Either way it is a difficult hike!