New trail eases access to Sedona’s Bell Rock
A new trail has debuted in a hub of red-rock country old standards. Lodged in the middle of the Big Park Trails system just north of the Village of Oak Creek, the Rector Connector fills a void in the loop-centric routes that orbit iconic Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte.
For years, trail users who were unhappy that the Coconino National Forest trails went around but not between the massive rock formations along State Route 179 had been blazing their own routes. That created unsustainable, dangerous paths that damaged the sensitive environment.
In January 2018, Friends of the Forest — a non-profit Sedona organization that promotes stewardship of public land through financial support and volunteer labor — under the tutelage of the Forest Service, remedied the situation by wrangling a former social trail into a system-sanctioned route.
Named for Gene and Darl Rector, who have logged thousands of volunteer trail-work hours over more than 20 years, the mile-long path follows a gorge and slickrock passages in the space between the sedimentary stone behemoths.
Start at Bell Rock Vista
To find the new connector from the Bell Rock Vista trailhead, hike 0.6 mile north to the Courthouse Butte Loop junction. Turn right and go 0.2 mile to the junction.
The trail spins away from airy highdesert savannas and dives into a cypressand pine-shaded corridor with steep drop-offs on the west and the hulking form of Courthouse Butte to the east. Roughly halfway through, the trail enters Munds Mountain Wilderness and begins a steady ascent on bare rock to an exposed saddle.
A wide landing of rounded sandstone at this high-point gap provides a perfect platform to enjoy views of Horse Mesa to the south and the familiar forms of Thunder Mountain (Capitol Butte), Cathedral Rock and the flat-topped profiles of Wilson Mountain and Brins Mesa in the north.
Making your way back
From this point, the route winds down the smooth north flanks of Bell Rock where basket cairns (rocks wired into drum-shaped posts) mark the way amid sparse vegetation and stony bends.
Where the trail exits the wilderness area, pick up Bell Rock Pathway heading south for a 3-mile loop. Or, consult the forest service map for dozens of add-on opportunities.
Hiking the Rector Connector
Length: 3-mile loop. Rating: Easy. Elevation: 4,130-4,411 feet.
Getting there: Use Bell Rock Vista Trailhead in the Village of Oak Creek. From Phoenix, take Interstate 17 north to Exit 298 (Sedona/Oak Creek). Veer left (west) and follow State Route 179 to just past mile marker 307 and turn right into the parking area.
Details: Red Rock Ranger District, Coconino National Forest, www.fs.usda .gov/coconino. Friends of the Forest, www.friendsoftheforestsedona.org.