Sedona is one of our favorite places to hike. It has tons of incredible hikes and breathtaking scenery. While some of these hikes are toward the more difficult side, many are perfect for beginners. In this list, we will show you 5 amazing beginner hikes in Sedona that give you spectacular views without much effort.
2.1 miles | 144 ft elevation | 1.5 – 3 hours
If you are new to hiking, or it’s your first time in Sedona, Fay Canyon is a great trail to start with. The main trail will take you on a nice and easy stroll. It ends at a small red rock hill where you can scramble for some gorgeous canyon views. If you are looking to add some excitement, you can take the fork to scramble your way up to a massive arch. This is a bit more technical, but the arch and the views from the top are totally worth it in our opinion.
2.7 miles | 249 ft elevation | 1.5 – 2.5 hours
The Baldwin Trail gives hikers wonderful views of the iconic Cathedral Rock and also access to one of Sedona’s swimming holes. It’s really one of the wonderful beginner hikes in Sedona. This trail has a fair amount more climbing on it than Fay Canyon. However, if you do the trail counterclockwise as we did, the climbs won’t ever get too steep. If you are up for adding .4 of a mile to your hike, you can take a side trail over to Oak Creek for a refreshing dip. This is especially awesome if you are visiting on a warmer day.
2 miles | 232 ft elevation | 1 – 2 hours
This 2-mile beginner hike will take you to a famous cave known as the Birthing Cave in Sedona. While the first part of the trail is pretty much flat, a climb is required to get up to the cave. Grippy shoes are highly encouraged for this trail. This tall cave is absolutely stunning as it peeks out over the red rocky landscape. If you want a picture, we recommend bringing an action camera or a wide-angle lens to get as much of the cave in your shot as possible. This spot has a lot of cultural significance, so please be respectful to both this area and any other places that you will be visiting.
3.7 miles | 337 ft elevation | 2 – 3 hours
Courthouse Butte & Bell Rock Loop is the longest trail on our list of amazing beginner hikes in Sedona. This trail also has the most elevation gain, but trust us, it’s worth it. This trail forms a loop around 2 prominent rock formations in Sedona, being Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock. These formations are stunning. They are one of the first things that you see as you drive into Sedona. If you’re up for the challenge, the official climb up Bell Rock is pretty fun, and the unofficial route is even more spicy. Luckily, the loop around the massive formations is much easier. This is an amazing trail to do around sunset, but be sure to bring a light because the sun sets behind the mountains pretty quickly.
0.5 mile | 55 ft elevation | 1 hour
Raven’s Caves Trail is hard to call a hike because it is so short, but it deserves a place on this list. The trail starts nice and easy, but you will eventually come to a down climb. Be sure to take your time here because the ground can be pretty uneven. After rounding a corner, you will see the cave. This cave is split into 2 sections. The first section is easy to access, but getting into the second section requires a sketchy climb. The second half is really neat and takes you way further into the tunnel system, with windows that give you peeks out into some beautiful nature. Just for this awesome cave, we think this hike is a great addition to our 5 amazing beginner hikes in Sedona!
On the way to Sedona, we recommend checking out Montezuma Castle and Well. These two locations are packed full of history. When you’re in Sedona, we highly recommend doing the Pink Jeep tour. And if you have experience, driving a UTV yourself is even more fun. Our favorite UTV trails are the Diamondback Gulch and Outlaw Loop and the Broken Arrow Trail.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
Nice to meet you!
Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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