Sedona is a small town in Arizona that’s well-known for its scenic wilderness and numerous hiking trails. There are so many hiking trails throughout the area for beginners and experts – more than we could go on. In this article we’ll highlight some of the most popular spots that are suitable for families with young children.
Here are the places we recommend visiting in Sedona:
- Bell Rock
- Cathedral Rock
- Chapel of the Holy Cross
- Chapel Trail
- Raven Caves
- Devil’s Bridge
Places to Visit in Sedona
Bell Rock
Towards the south end of Sedona is large rock formation shaped like a bell. There are multiple trails that go around the base and up the rock. It’s also right next to Courthouse Butte, another large rock formation with trails that connect to it. The Bell Rock Trail starts out flat towards the rock, then starts going up. Some parts require a bit of scrambling. The trail gets a little bit steeper before turning around. It’s about 0.8 miles roundtrip. There’s a small parking lot that can get crowded quickly.
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Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock is one of the more popular hikes in Sedona. The trail starts off with a mild incline along a path. Halfway through, the trail gets steep and involves a lot of scrambling. When you reach the top, you get breathtaking views. The full trail is about a mile round trip. There’s a small parking lot that fills up fast, and you’ll often need to park elsewhere and take the free Sedona Shuttle to the trailhead.
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Chapel of the Holy Cross
This is a unique Roman Catholic church built into the red rocks on a hill. The main sanctuary is a small but architecturally unique building that you can visit. You also get great views from lookout spots around the church. There are a lot of visitor and a small parking lot, so it can be a long wait driving up the road to the parking lot.
Chapel Trail
This trail starts right next to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It’s a short path that goes alongside the mountains with unique peaks. The trail technically ends at just over half a mile, (1.3 miles round trip) but connects to other trails. There are great views of the mountains, the valley and the church.
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Raven Caves
This a short trail to a set of caverns that’s not well-known. The trail starts from a small parking lot off the side of the road that’s easy to miss. It’s a mild dirt path for the first half. You’ll arrive directly above the caves, but to get to the entrance, you need to continue past the caves and go down a slightly steep and narrow path down and around. There are multiple sets of cave tunnels to explore (we counted about 3), but to get to each set, it requires walking along a ledge on a steep hill to get to the next cave. It was doable for young kids, but take appropriate caution when navigating between caves. The trail from the parking lot to the cave entrance is a quarter mile.
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Devil’s Bridge
Devil’s Bridge is a natural archway you could walk across. There are multiple trails to get there, including Chuck Wagon Trail (5.7 miles) and Dry Creek Road (3.9 miles). We took the Mescal Trail which was 3.9 miles round trip. The trail is a gradual incline until at a mile and a half, where it turned into steep rocks to climb up. When you get to Devil’s bridge, there can be a long line of people waiting to walk across the bridge and take photos. Either start on the trail really early or be comfortable waiting 30-45 minutes in line if you want to cross the bridge. Otherwise you can just enjoy the view like we did.
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Hotels in Sedona
While you’re in Sedona, here are a few hotel suggestions that are kid friendly – they have a swimming pool and/or spa, and have either complimentary breakfast or a restaurant on site for convenience.
Tours & Activities in Sedona
In addition to seeing the scenic vistas and hiking on trails on your own, there are other activities that can enhance your experience.
Tips When Visiting
- The trails get busy quickly, so try to head out early in the morning to find parking and avoid crowds.
- Depending on what time of year you visit, it can either be really hot or really cold, or mixed throughout the day. Check the weather and bring appropriate clothing, layers, sunscreen, and water.
- Traffic gets really congested going through the town center of Sedona, with one-lane and two-lane roads, so expect long drives and delays.
- Sedona has a free shuttle that takes people around to different hikes. Get familiar with it and take advantage of it, as it can help you avoid trying to find parking. https://sedonashuttle.com/
- Popular restaurants can also be very crowded with long wait times during peak hours.
- Overall, Sedona is a small town with a lot of tourists, and their infrastructure doesn’t handle the crowds very well. Try to visit and see attractions in off-season (late summer & winter), middle of the week, or early mornings.
Video of Sedona
