Ride the Red Rocks: Top Mountain Bike Trails in Sedona

---

Spring is the best season for mountain biking in Sedona! The rugged red rock landscapes and wilderness areas surrounding the city offer the ultimate natural playground with some of the best and most beautiful mountain bike trails in the Southwest.

Sedona’s vast network of interconnected trails traverses hundreds of miles through the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness, Munds Mountain Wilderness, Village of Oak Creek, and across Arizona’s high desert to historic Old Town Cottonwood, with many trails easily accessible from town!

Whether you’re planning a casual cruise with the family, a mellow ride to a scenic Sedona overlook, or a hardcore mountain bike adventure through canyons, cliffs, and towering hoodoos, our guide to the top mountain bike trails in Sedona will have you on the right trail in no time!  

---

VILLAGE OF OAK CREEK

Bell Rock Path 

Trailhead: Bell Rock Trailhead or Little Horse Trailhead
Green Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 6.8 miles out & back
Elevation Gain: 500 feet
The Bell Rock Path is the only true green mountain bike trail in Sedona and a great starting point for beginners or mountain biking with kids. The trail is mellow with easy climbs and descents, minimal elevation gain, and breathtaking views of Bell Rock, an iconic Sedona landmark and vortex site. Begin your bike ride at the Bell Rock Trailhead near the Village of Oak Creek or 1.7 miles north at the Little Horse Trailhead – less congested parking and a longer ride! Once past Bell Rock you can connect to the Big Park Loop, Llama, or the Templeton Trail to Cathedral Rock, a variety of trails all with stunning Sedona scenery.

 

Llama Trail

Trailhead: Bell Rock Trailhead or Little Horse Trailhead
Blue Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 2.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 200 feet
The Llama Trail is a 2.9 mile intermediate loop trail off Bell Rock Path with fast and flowy sections, fun slickrock singletracks, and some technical challenges you can walk if needed! This is a great intro loop to get started on Sedona’s intermediate trails and offers incredible views of Mogollon Rim, Courthouse Butte, Cathedral Rock, and Bell Rock along the route. Connect to the Little Horse Trail to continue your ride to Chicken Point Overlook and on to the Broken Arrow Trail, or bike back to the Bell Rock Trail.   

 

Slim Shady

Trailhead: Yavapai Vista Point
Black Diamond Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 2.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 60 feet
Slim Shady is one of Sedona’s “smoother” singletrack trails, starting across from the Bell Rock Vista parking lot in the Village of Oak Creek. Slim Shady is super fun and flowy with short climbs and descents along the lower reaches of the red rocks. Slim Shady connects with a vast network of trails including the expert Hiline Trail and the Templeton Trail to Cathedral Rock. Rated a black diamond, Slim Shady is perfect for advanced intermediates to challenge their skills.

 

Templeton Trail

Trailhead: Bell Rock Trailhead or Little Horse Trailhead
Black Diamond Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 3.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 200 feet
Starting from Slim Shady or the Bell Rock Trail, Templeton is a fun 3.5 mile singletrack winding west past Cathedral Rock, to Buddha Beach on Oak Creek, and on to meet the Red Rock Crossing Trail and Baldwin Trail near Red Rock State Park. Templeton runs along a high ridge and is more technical than Slim Shady with lots of gravel, slickrock, tricky red rock sections, and a gnarly descent from Cathedral Rock into Oak Creek Canyon. Even advanced intermediates may find themselves having to walk.   

 

Hiline Loop Trail

Trailhead: Bell Rock Trailhead or Yavapai Vista Point
Double Black Diamond Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 3.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,310 feet
The south section of Slim Shady is a great warm up route for the famous Hiline trail, one of only two expert double diamond trails in Sedona! This Sedona trails is high-stake riding for the pros! Hiline is a steep and technical ride to the top of a mesa, along a steep cliff edge, and descending down chute-style slickrock on the west side of Cathedral Rock to meet the Baldwin Loop. The Baldwin Loop joins the Templeton Trail to take a breather at Buddha Beach before heading back to the Village of Oak Creek.

---

CHAPEL NEIGHBORHOOD

Broken Arrow Trail

Trailhead: Broken Arrow Trailhead
Black Diamond Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 1.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 53 feet
From the Broken Arrow Trailhead, you can take an easy ride on Margs Draw Trail north for 2 miles to Schnebly Hill Road in Uptown Sedona, or head south on the Broken Arrow Trail to connect to the Little Horse Trail at Chicken Point Overlook. If time allows, take a diversion for playtime on Submarine Rock, a large dome in the shape of a nuclear submarine! Broken Arrow is a twisty up and down trail with red rock, dirt, and slickrock sections to test your skills, and spectacular scenery along the way. Advanced intermediates can walk the short hard sections!

---

WEST SEDONA

Sedona Bike Skills Park

Posse Grounds Park | 525 Posse Ground Road
Admission: FREE!
If you’re traveling with tots, still honing your biking skills, or looking for some pumps and jumps, the Sedona Bike Skills Park in West Sedona is fun, and FREE! The park features a Tot Loop, Pump Park, Tech Flow Trail, Flow Trail, Bump Jump Trail, and Dual Slalom Track as well as connecting to the easy Sunrise Trail along Soldiers Pass Road.

 

Sunrise Trail & Adobe Jack

Trailhead: Sedona Bike Skills Park
Green & Blue Trail
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 6 miles
Elevation Gain: 377 feet
For an easy bike ride in West Sedona, follow the groomed green Sunrise Trail along Soldiers Pass Road onto the Devil’s Kitchen Sinkhole and Seven Sacred Pools, with stunning views of Sedona’s Coffee Pot Rock. From Devil’s Kitchen connect to Adobe Jack Trail, a 1.9 mile intermediate trail taking you right back to the trailhead on SR-89. Adobe Jack has several narrow climbing sections that may require a walk.

 

Chuck Wagon Trail

Trailhead: Dry Creek Trailhead
Blue Intermediate Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 5.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 529 feet
West Sedona is bordered by the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness with 47,195 acres of stunning scenery and miles upon miles of mountain biking trails to explore. The Chuck Wagon Trail runs up and down the high-desert ridges and north into the canyon connecting with the Mescal Trail, Devil’s Bridge Trail, and ending at the Long Canyon Trailhead. The trail is busy at first but becomes secluded and technical with rocky sections, cliffs, streams, and tight trees – bring your repair gear and be prepared! 

 

Long Canyon Trail to Deadman’s Pass

Trailhead: Long Canyon Trailhead
Blue Intermediate Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 0.9 miles
Elevation Gain: 133 feet
Long Canyon is a 7.5 mile easy intermediate hiking trail in the upper end of Dry Creek, with the first 0.9 miles to Deadman’s Pass open to mountain bikers. The wide, open trail takes a gentle climb around Mescal Mountain with little elevation gain, a few rocky sections you can easily walk, and amazing views of Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness and the red rock layers of Mescal Mountain. At 0.9 miles near Seven Canyons Golf Club, stay to the left to join the Deadman’s Pass Trail into Boynton Canyon.  

 

Mescal Trail

Trailhead: Mescal Trailhead
Blue Intermediate Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 2.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 167 feet
Join the Mescal Trail from Chuck Wagon or the Mescal Trailhead parking on Long Canyon Road. The Mescal Trail is a scenic singletrack trail that is mostly slickrock and slightly more challenging than Chuck Wagon for strong intermediates to test their skills. Be prepared to walk a few sections! The trail branches off to Canyon of Fools and ends at a junction to the Deadman’s Pass Trail.   

 

Canyon of Fools

Trailhead: Dawa Trailhead
Black Diamond Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 1.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 178 feet
Canyon of Fools is accessed from the Mescal Trail (at a stunning viewpoint) or from the Dawa Trailhead on Boynton Pass Road. This short trail is fun and flowy, starting as a single track and dropping into a creek bed with ten foot high wall ride sections to rail, tight descents, and lots of mud in Sedona’s rainy seasons! The trail connects with the intermediate Dawa Trail and easy OK Trail into Boynton Canyon.

---

UPTOWN SEDONA

Munds Wagon Trail

Trailhead: Schnebly Hill Trailhead
Black Diamond Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 8.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,085 feet
The Munds Wagon Trail parallels Schnebly Hill Road up to Window Cave Lookout and Merry Go Round hiking areas, and on to connect to the Schnebly Hill Trail through the Munds Mountain Wilderness. This up and down singletrack trail features long slickrock wash sections, gnarly climbs, and technical downhill rides.

 

Hangover

Trailhead: Schnebly Hill Trailhead
Double Black Diamond Trail
Red Rock Pass Required
Dogs on Leash
Distance: 8.1 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,059 feet
Around 1.7 miles up Munds Wagon Trail is the junction to the Hangover Trail, the toughest mountain biking trail in Sedona. The trail climbs up a series of steep switchbacks to an expansive saddle diving two large red rock formations with stunning views over Oak Creek Canyon. The trail continues along a 4-6 foot narrow shelf on Mitten Ridge (200 feet above the canyon floor!) before descending down steep slickrock as it loops back to the Munds Wagon Trail. This heart-pounding Sedona trail is for pros and experts only!

---

SEDONA SHUTTLE

The trailheads in Sedona can get crazy busy and congested, especially on holidays and weekends, so why not take advantage of our Park & Ride locations and convenient Sedona Shuttle to the mountain bike trails. The Sedona Shuttle runs Thursday through Sunday year-round, with a daily shuttle service during Spring Break 2023 (Mar 1 – April 17). Starting mid-2023, Sedona Shuttle Connect will also offer an on demand, shared ride shuttle service around Uptown and West Sedona.

Park & Ride Locations:

 

SEDONA BIKE RENTALS

The mountain biking culture in Sedona is BIG and there are several local bike shops to rent bikes for the whole family and even ride straight to the trails! Rent high performance mountain bikes built for Sedona’s rocky trails, car racks to transport, gear and apparel for the ultimate ride, and even e-bike rentals for the few trails that allow them! Here’s our go to guide for mountain bike tours and rentals in Sedona.
 

 

WHERE TO BUY A SEDONA RED ROCK PASS

A Red Rock Pass is required at most day-use sites and trailhead parking areas in Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. Digital passes may be purchased online or click HERE for a list of local vendors and Red Rock Pass vending machine sites at the trailheads.

Prices for 2023

Red Rock 1 Day: $5
Red Rock 7 Day: $15
Red Rock Annual: $20
 

STAY ON THE SEDONA TRAILS WITH FOOTHILLS RENTALS!

Ready to ride the red rocks of Sedona?

Check out Foothills Rentals collection of private vacation rentals near the top Sedona trails with iconic red rock views, luxury amenities to relax after your red rock adventures, and a team of local vacation experts to help plan your stay!

See you on the Sedona trails soon!