Sedona scenic offroad trails

Dezert4Runner

Senior Member
I’d like some feedback on this area from people familiar with it. I’ll be in Sedona this weekend through Wednesday 4/12 with the family. We’ll be seeing some of the tourist sites for hiking/ scenery and I’m looking for scenic easy to moderate trails to hit while there, preferably close to town.

On my immediate list are:
Broken Arrow
Soldier Pass (by permit only?)
Outlaw Trail
Schnelby Hill Rd

Nothing’s set in stone so can any locals asses this list and give some feedback? I’d be game to hit a trail or two with a forum member if anyone’s free Sunday through Wednesday. Thanks in advance!
 
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I've been wanting to hit soldiers pass and broken arrow. Even the fire roads kick butt. Go to a tour place in town, so much to do you'll be amazed. 4/12 I may be able to make it up that way.
 
Schnebly is a good one. This is from an old post of mine.

We went to Sedona by the Schnebly Hill Road, good views on the way down.
Not sure I would want to take it going up.

My old post -- http://www.toyota-4runner.org/1723424-post4686.html

Search for other posts about Schnebly Hill road for more info and photos.

Thanks for the feedback, I’ve read this same sentiment a few times when researching this trail on Google.

I've been wanting to hit soldiers pass and broken arrow. Even the fire roads kick butt. Go to a tour place in town, so much to do you'll be amazed. 4/12 I may be able to make it up that way.

We’ll be focusing on hiking around the major landmarks like Catherdral Rock and for sure going to the Indian ruins just north of town but the must see offroad trails is kinda what I’m after firsthand info for. Broken Arrow and Devil’s staircase are #1 on the list but aside from that I’m open to suggestions.

Oops, Wednesday is 4/11 and is also the last adventure day for us since we’re headed home in the a.m on Thurs 4/12. I typo’d on my calendar day in the original post.
 
Devil's Bridge is a good hike and impressive to see. It is popular so expect a good crowd. Lots of folks don't park at the trail head because they don't have the clearance. You should be ok in the 4Runner.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55292

If you're heading to the Palatki Indian ruins, make sure you call ahead and get reservations. The area is limited to 10 visitors at a time.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/ohv/recarea/?recid=55368&actid=119

Thanks for the recommendations. I planned on the 2nd one but didn’t know how regulated the visiting the site actually is. I thought it was “recommended” to go with a guide but not required. Reading the info you linked, that’s not the case at all! I’ll have to call in a reservation to make sure we aren’t waiting around for an open slot. Thanks again!
 
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any recommendations for scenic trails to see the sights off the beaten path in and around Sedona? obviously know about Schenbly Hill down from 17, but any others? not looking to do any serious crawling, but any trails that are easy and enjoyable for a stock T4R Off Road to do and will give us tourists some pretty sights. thanks in advance any info is much appreciated!
 
*BUMP*

any recommendations for scenic trails to see the sights off the beaten path in and around Sedona? obviously know about Schenbly Hill down from 17, but any others? not looking to do any serious crawling, but any trails that are easy and enjoyable for a stock T4R Off Road to do and will give us tourists some pretty sights. thanks in advance any info is much appreciated!

Probably too late, but a stock Off Road can do any trail in the Sedona area; we did in 2018 and 2019 except those previously done in my Subaru. There is nothing off the beaten path though as they are full of pink tourist jeeps. The two exceptions that come to mind are Red Rock Powerline, which is a low-end difficult trail (honestly could be classified upper end moderate). Beautiful, fun to drive, no tourists. The other one is House Mountain. The trail is not interesting but the final point offers the best Sedona panorama I have seen. It can be driven as a loop, which makes it more interesting.

For both trails, you will need Charlie Wells' guidebook.

The most popular scenic trails are difficult rated Broken Arrow, which is also the hardest and the shortest, and moderate rated Outlaw which offers some great views. If you drive Broken Arrow, pay attention, crawl where needed, and watch out for the big hole in the top middle section of the Devil's Staircase. It is a straightforward trail to drive but requires attention; lack of attention can even result in a crash/rollover in spots. You may have skid plate contact being fully stock. Depends on how you drive a couple spots. Again, not a hard trail to drive but gotta be careful and avoid playing on optional stuff. The ledge up to Submarine Rock is also optional but not difficult for the 4R. The views on top that huge rock are the best. I drive the trail at street pressures, btw.

Greasy Spoon offered the hardest climb my Outback ever did, if driven towards Sedona (up the big hill). The tourist Jeeps drive the big hill down. They never thought the Subaru could climb it lol. That hill is the only interesting thing about this trail.

Cliffhanger (Oak Creek Homestead) is a difficult rated trail that I would rate moderate. It is worth it for me with kids and a dog but I would not recommend it to you because other than a fun play area at the river at the end, there is really nothing to write home about on this trail. The "cliffhanger" portion is absolutely nothing like the crazy Moab namesake.

There is a trail called Van Deren's cabin, which is a waste of time. It is a short spur to a cabin. The longer spur, 4 miles, leads to the TH for an average hike. The better known hike is earlier off that rough dirt road.

Schenbly Hill is just an annoying, bumpy dirt road. It is no longer really worth driving. If you do drive it, it only makes sense downhill so you can enjoy the views. When driven uphill, it is just bumpy and the views are behind you. Used to be a fun road a decade ago.

The last Sedona trail, and the only one I have not done, is Soldier Pass. It requires a permit and you can expect paint damage. It is an easy hike to boot. Also, hikers and bikers on trail so not really worth driving, better just hike it.

A bit further south, avoid unremarkable Mingus Mountain, which sees heavy traffic. Blue Monster Spring, otoh, is a fun trail. There is one short spot where you will want to be careful to avoid pinstripping. The views are not unique, but it is a fun trail to drive. Recommend driving it in the direction described by Wells. The final, fast downhill segment is fun.

The trails east of I-17 are mostly dirt roads, with one lumpy forest trail called Home Tank Draw, one of the hardest trails my Outback did, not hard in a 4R but bumpy, slow and only offers commonplace scenery.
 
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Probably too late, but a stock Off Road can do any trail in the Sedona area; we did in 2018 and 2019 except those previously done in my Subaru. There is nothing off the beaten path though as they are full of pink tourist jeeps. The two exceptions that come to mind are Red Rock Powerline, which is a low-end difficult trail (honestly could be classified upper end moderate). Beautiful, fun to drive, no tourists. The other one is House Mountain. The trail is not interesting but the final point offers the best Sedona panorama I have seen. It can be driven as a loop, which makes it more interesting.

For both trails, you will need Charlie Wells' guidebook.

The most popular scenic trails are difficult rated Broken Arrow, which is also the hardest and the shortest, and moderate rated Outlaw which offers some great views. If you drive Broken Arrow, pay attention, crawl where needed, and watch out for the big hole in the top middle section of the Devil's Staircase. It is a straightforward trail to drive but requires attention; lack of attention can even result in a crash/rollover in spots. You may have skid plate contact being fully stock. Depends on how you drive a couple spots. Again, not a hard trail to drive but gotta be careful and avoid playing on optional stuff. The ledge up to Submarine Rock is also optional but not difficult for the 4R. The views on top that huge rock are the best. I drive the trail at street pressures, btw.

Greasy Spoon offered the hardest climb my Outback ever did, if driven towards Sedona (up the big hill). The tourist Jeeps drive the big hill down. They never thought the Subaru could climb it lol. That hill is the only interesting thing about this trail.

Cliffhanger (Oak Creek Homestead) is a difficult rated trail that I would rate moderate. It is worth it for me with kids and a dog but I would not recommend it to you because other than a fun play area at the river at the end, there is really nothing to write home about on this trail. The "cliffhanger" portion is absolutely nothing like the crazy Moab namesake.

There is a trail called Van Deren's cabin, which is a waste of time. It is a short spur to a cabin. The longer spur, 4 miles, leads to the TH for an average hike. The better known hike is earlier off that rough dirt road.

Schenbly Hill is just an annoying, bumpy dirt road. It is no longer really worth driving. If you do drive it, it only makes sense downhill so you can enjoy the views. When driven uphill, it is just bumpy and the views are behind you. Used to be a fun road a decade ago.

The last Sedona trail, and the only one I have not done, is Soldier Pass. It requires a permit and you can expect paint damage. It is an easy hike to boot. Also, hikers and bikers on trail so not really worth driving, better just hike it.

A bit further south, avoid unremarkable Mingus Mountain, which sees heavy traffic. Blue Monster Spring, otoh, is a fun trail. There is one short spot where you will want to be careful to avoid pinstripping. The views are not unique, but it is a fun trail to drive. Recommend driving it in the direction described by Wells. The final, fast downhill segment is fun.

The trails east of I-17 are mostly dirt roads, with one lumpy forest trail called Home Tank Draw, one of the hardest trails my Outback did, not hard in a 4R but bumpy, slow and only offers commonplace scenery.
thanks for all the tips, been exchanging emails with some other folks too and given the feedback i think we've decided to focus more on the endless hikes offered rather than wheeling in the area. that said, we're planning on taking advantage of the widely available dispersed camping the area has to offer too so we'll get our limited trail kicks in while exploring forest roads to set up camp. have a few spots already picked out.
 
*BUMP*

any recommendations for scenic trails to see the sights off the beaten path in and around Sedona? obviously know about Schenbly Hill down from 17, but any others? not looking to do any serious crawling, but any trails that are easy and enjoyable for a stock T4R Off Road to do and will give us tourists some pretty sights. thanks in advance any info is much appreciated!

Once you're in the area and if you want more local information on the trails and current conditions you can pop into Barlow Jeep Rentals and talk with the guys and gals there. They've provided me with tons of information whether I rented a jeep or not. Really nice and really knowledgeable.

Yes, I've rented a JEEP...once before I had my 4runner and once so my buddy could drive the jeep and me my runner.

I love Broken Arrow (not every offshoot or feature might be doable in a stocker). Try to do it midweek though so it's not overcrowded with pink jeeps. They run every day so you're bound to run into them. Give them the right away since they're on a time schedule with paying customers.

Soldier's Pass, when done on a weekday, is fun and beautiful, but you will get arizona pinstriping. It's quite narrow. On the weekends it's filled with hikers. You do need a permit to drive it. Here is the link:
Coconino National Forest - Recreation Passes & Permits
The seven sacred pools and devil's sinkhole are pretty cool to see.

Cathedral rock and devil's bridge are fun trails with awesome views at the end. Highly recommend. Again, more crowded on weekends. You can drive to the trailhead for devil's bridge and laugh at all the people walking there. Makes the hike shorter and way more worth it since it's just a bumpy rocky dirt road to the trailhead.

Slide rock state park is fun and a nice way to stay cool in the heat. Recommend shorts for females though. Bikinis don't protect enough. Pack food and drinks and chill out there for a few hours. Pack it in and pack it out.

Flagstaff is a cool area if you plan to head up that way from Sedona. I highly recommend Flagstaff Extreme (FLGX), it's an adventure course and ziplines up in the trees. Multiple courses and they get more difficult as you progress. SO MUCH FUN. BUT TOUGH at the end and not for those with a fear of heights. And the drive up to Flagstaff is scenic especially from the top of the plateau looking back down at Sedona.
 
There’s some great info above since I last posted. Having taken the trip in April of last year that I asked about in the OP, I have a couple notes on my experiences there.

I find it odd both of the above posters mentioned trail pinstriping on Soldier’s Pass. I don’t remember brushing up against anything on that trail! The last stretch before it dead ends gets narrow in a couple spots but I don’t remember brushing up against anything. Driving the 4Runner on the trail made for a couple good photo ops with the 4Runner in it (especially at Seven Sacred Pools) but it would have been less hassle to hike because of the extremely short distance and having to deal with the reservation for the trail pass, locked gate, hikers on the trail, and Pink Jeeps. It is really funny looking at people’s facial expression when you get out of your rig, unlock the gate and drive in! The parking lot there fills up extremely fast so keep that in mind if you go there and decide to hike it instead of drive the trail. Get there early in the am. I recommend visiting one way or another because it has some cool points of interest. The trail pass and gate combo need to be setup (days) in advance, so plan accordingly.

Broken Arrow was nailed on the head above by [MENTION=306890]MAST4R[/MENTION]. The one thing I will note is if you aren’t comfortable on moderate trails, you probably would be better off just parking in the dirt lot and hiking in to Submarine Rock. That has IMO the best view of anywhere in Sedona. It’s a must see whether hiking or driving in, and it’s not too far from the parking lot. If driving the trail, Chicken Point is an offshoot at the top and has spectacular view next to spires and is a great offshoot you've made it far enough to get to the Devil’s Staircase.

Hiking will get you some of the best views aside from the trails noted above. The Airport Loop Trail (run clockwise in the afternoon) is also a must see. It gives panoramic views of the Cathedral Rock area while wrapping around the airport. Avoid morning because the sun will be in your face for the most scenic part of the hike, which is the east side of the airport.

The Cathedral Rock hike is also very scenic but it gets steep and it isn’t dog/ little kid friendly. Look up videos of it to get an idea. The views at the top next to the spires is classic Sedona.
 
I find it odd both of the above posters mentioned trail pinstriping on Soldier’s Pass. I don’t remember brushing up against anything on that trail! .

Thanks for this update. Trail conditions change all the time. It is the one Wells trail in Sedona that I have not driven. The Wells description warns of brush. Usually things only get worse over time, but sometimes trails get graded and/or otherwise maintained.
 
Thanks for this update. Trail conditions change all the time. It is the one Wells trail in Sedona that I have not driven. The Wells description warns of brush. Usually things only get worse over time, but sometimes trails get graded and/or otherwise maintained.

It’s used by the Pink Jeep tours, so I’m sure someone’s maintaining it which may mean trimming overgrown brush hanging over the trail. Who knows. I was on it well over a year ago, so the current conditions are unknown to me when it comes to overgrowth. I’m in a 3rd gen too, which gives me a couple inches of leeway on each side vs a wider 5th gen on the pinstriping issue. All things to take into consideration I guess.
 
Schenbly Hill is just an annoying, bumpy dirt road. It is no longer really worth driving. If you do drive it, it only makes sense downhill so you can enjoy the views. When driven uphill, it is just bumpy and the views are behind you. Used to be a fun road a decade ago.

Why do you say this? Just curious. I drove it for the first time - uphill - on our way from PHX to Flag. Views were fantastic - when we stopped. I can see the downhill being better for them. Definitely bumpy, but it was literally our first trail in the 4runner. Headed to Flagstaff tomorrow - do you have any suggested trails there?
 
Why do you say this? Just curious. I drove it for the first time - uphill - on our way from PHX to Flag. Views were fantastic - when we stopped. I can see the downhill being better for them. Definitely bumpy, but it was literally our first trail in the 4runner. Headed to Flagstaff tomorrow - do you have any suggested trails there?

I think you got it :) The views are downhill, uphill you have to stop to enjoy.

I really enjoyed that trail, 10 years ago, in a Subaru Tribeca. I drove it 4 more times in my Subarus last a couple years ago.

The reason I have come to dislike it is that there was no reason to let the dirt road deteriorate to rough dirt (as it was 10 years go) and then to easy trail status (from a few years ago) and Charlie Wells says he is contemplating giving it a moderate rating (bottom of the barrel moderate but moderate). This would be a fun dirt road, but it is too wide to be a trail, just feels wrong to me.

And I may have become spoiled for driving lots of trails.

Flagstaff. Well, too many pictures of rolled 4Runners where they should not have rolled and I know absolutely nothing about your experience, which may be well more than mine; I just don't know. Both trails that I like around Flagstaff have a tricky spot or element to them. Most other trails there are fine but nothing to write home about, typically forest roads, some seriously bumpy like the one connecting Kinnickinnick and Long lakes.

I will say this: the Charlie Wells trail descriptions are super terse but also extremely precise. He is a tad conservative but not much (unless you have a Rubicon). So I strongly recommend his advice. If you follow his Flagstaff trail descriptions, avoid optional segment forest road 9124C on O'Leary Peak loop not because of the tilted section per se, but because when we drove it in spring 2018 we got tilted a good 30 degrees on two drainages running across and increasing the tilt by a lot. It may have been repaired or gotten even worse. I am really worried about people without experience and/or without walking the section first rolling over. Hence I cannot recommend anything. I have similar reasons not to recommend his Cinder Hills OHV route to people I don't know because how that will go and be perceived depends on the driver's experience.

The new Wells guide for Arizona should be out by March, so you may want to wait till then.

For reasonable trails, this is a good site:
Offroad Trails — AZOFFROAD.NET

The above site uses an old lifted Grand Cherokee and I find it quite conservative for a Trail Edition 4R but that's a good thing for most people. The site below, conversely, uses a lifted 2dr Rubicon so here things work the other way round:

For GPX files and much more comprehensive coverage:
Phoenix to Flagstaff Jeep trails GPS tracks. - Jeep the USA

However, the latter site has very brief descriptions and I don't personally touch trails rated 3.5 let alone above. I would drive a couple of their 3.5s in Utah but not here. In AZ, I end at 3 and I would not drive just any 3 either. Has to be interesting. The 2s are the equivalent of Charlie Wells easy and 2.5s are equivalent to Charlie Wells moderate. For the most part. Trail conditions can change drastically at any time.


In sum, for trail selection use the ratings provided by those guides.

Have fun and stay safe! Always happy to talk trails but I need to know what you have driven to date to be more specific about trails.
 
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Will do. Peeked at it and yes looks fantastic. Is that paved the whole way? Any suggested camp sites?


From my understanding, it is a very smooth dirt road. Buddy was joking around and said you could set your cruise control at 70 and you wouldn't have any issues. But did advise to keep your head on a swivel with all the large game (elk and deer) that roam around the Rim Road.
 

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