Weather or not
These 3 beautiful hikes in Sedona are even better during monsoon season
Like every other corner of Arizona, the red rock country of Sedona undergoes a remarkable transformation during monsoon season. Walls of towering clouds fill the sky. The light turns streaky and wild, and colors grow even more vivid. The haunting perfume of moisture wafts through desert and forest. What’s most noticeable is how fiercely this rocky terraced landscape grabs hold of the rain. Every shallow scoop, dip and trough fills with water like brimming lizard ponds. Dusty arroyos turn into creeks, while cascades tumble down from high cliffs. While there is no bad time to be hiking in Sedona, monsoons add a splash of magic. Here are a few of the Sedona trails I always try to visit during monsoon season.
Just be safe out there. Carry snacks and plenty of water. Don’t hit the trail if thunder or lightning are present. Keep your distance from fellow hikers. And wear your mask if you patronize any businesses.
Munds Wagon Trail
If you want the wild scenery of Schnebly Hill Road without a bouncy jeep ride, this is the trail for you. Munds Wagon Trail is a beautiful hike anytime, and water flowing in Bear Wallow Wash makes it even more special.
Start from the same parking area that contains trailheads for Huckaby and Marg’s Draw. Munds Wagon Trail heads east, running parallel to Schnebly Hill Road as it switchbacks up through Bear Wallow Canyon. The trail was built in the late 1800s by Jim Munds to move cattle and later became a rough wagon road to transport produce to Flagstaff.
Views are excellent from the start. The trail stays level at first and crosses the road a couple of times before it descends though a forest of Arizona cypress to the creek.
The drainage is dry much of the year but on my recent visit a few pools were threaded together by a thin trickle of a stream. Nervous tadpoles fill the pools, dragonflies buzz around the canyon floor and I found cattails growing along the sandy fringe of the water. I’m witness to a limited-time mini-miracle.
Just past the 2-mile mark, the trail climbs above the creek. It crosses the road a third time and intersects with Cow Pies Trail. That was my destination. Munds Wagon Trail continues another mile up canyon but I got to see the monsoon juice I came for.
The Cow Pies Trail is a half-mile hike through scrubby woods onto some massive red-rock platforms that resemble, well, you know. But these pies are actually fun to step on. Painted white dots guide hikers across bare rock to the base of towering cliffs.
This also marks the beginning of the Hangover Trail, which I consider one of the most scenic hikes in Sedona. On another day I would continue on Hangover as it climbs over Mitten Ridge in a long traverse, circling around and reconnecting to Munds Wagon Trail. But not during monsoon season. The Hangover includes long exposed stretches on a high mesa. Not the place to be if a storm rolls in.
Instead, I find a patch of shade atop the big Cow Pie and enjoy a peaceful lunch surrounded by dazzling panoramas before returning the way I came.
Where: From the “Y” intersection of State Route 89A and State Route 179 in Sedona, travel south on SR 179 for 0.3 mile. Turn left on Schnebly Hill Road and drive 0.8 mile to the signed parking area.
Cost: A $5 Red Rock Pass, available at the trailhead kiosk, is required. Difficulty: Moderate.
Length: 7 miles round trip to the end of Cow Pies Trail.
Details: 928-203-2900, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.
Secret Slickrock Trail
This is another trail that blossoms with the addition of water. The short hike ends at a wide, pockmarked sandstone ledge with the spires of Cathedral Rock rising above. It’s a front-row seat to one of the most famous formations in the Southwest. During monsoon season the shallow indentations in the rock catch rainwater, creating a reflective surface prized by photographers.
From Chavez Ranch Road, the trail winds through scattered woodland for a short distance until the last 200 yards when it drops a bit more steeply. It deposits you on a big slab of slickrock perched above Crescent Moon Ranch, better known as Red Rock Crossing.
You’ll spot a few buildings down in the meadows flanked by a dense grove of cottonwoods, willows and sycamores, the riparian corridor that cradles Oak Creek. But the sandstone perch of Secret Slickrock is far removed from the picnickers, swimmers, vortex seekers and other touristas below. This is a quiet and reverent spot.
I wait until early evening to hike so the low slant of sun is behind me. Of course, I only go at a time when no storm is in the forecast. You don’t want to be caught on this exposed ledge if lightning is possible.
And even though Secret Slickrock is a stubby little route with a definite ending, it’s also a great connector. You can return the way you came or follow rock cairns off the backside of the ledge to Ridge Trail below. Turn right onto Ridge and it climbs back to Chavez Ranch
Road just 0.1 mile from where you parked. Ramshead, Sketch and other trails also peel off from Ridge. This is part of the Carroll Canyon trail system with all sorts of possibilities.
Where: From the “Y” intersection in Sedona (the junction of state routes 89A and 179), travel west on 89A for 4.2 miles to Upper Red Rock Loop Road. Turn left and go 1.8 miles to Chavez Ranch Road. Turn left and go 1 mile to a locked gate. Secret Slickrock Trail is on the right across from a few parking spaces.
Cost: Free.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Length: 0.8 mile round trip.
Details: 928-203-2900, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.
North Urban Trail System – West
These trails have nothing to do with post-monsoon moisture. Instead, I like them for the pre-monsoon buildup of roiling, boiling, seething clouds.
The North Urban Trail System is a se
ries of pathways that cut through the red-rock hills at the north edge of Sedona.
The western portion runs along the base of formations including Chimney Rock, Coffee Pot Rock, Sugarloaf and the sheer face of Capitol Butte, also known as Thunder Mountain, This high ground provides an excellent cloudwatching perch for storms throughout the Verde Valley.
The system’s three trailheads are in residential neighborhoods, so many visitors don’t even realize they exist. Many of the trails intersect, so it’s easy to create short loops and figure eights. This gives you a quick out in case a storm moves in quicker than you anticipate. I like hiking here in the morning just as bruised clouds begin to gather.
Of the three trailheads (Thunder Mountain, Andante and Sugarloaf) that provide access to the western portion of North Urban Trail System, I use Andante the most.
Where: From the “Y” intersection of SR 89A and SR 179 in Sedona, travel west on SR 89A for 2.5 miles to Andante Road. Turn right and go north 1.2 miles to the end of the road. There’s a small parking area next to the water tank. Cost: Free.
Details: 928-203-2900, www.fs.usda.gov/coconino.