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Next week I’ll be traveling to Quebec to run the Canadian Mountain Running Championships which features a Vertical Kilometer race and a Classic Up/Down race. Compared to what I was running last year this time—a 100K in San Diego—these races are very short and very fast. The first one totals just under 3 miles while the second race is just a hair over 6 miles long. I feel ready to tackle the speed but outside of the time I spent in Vermont during low-residencies in grad school, I’m green to East Coast trail running. We’ll see what happens!
It’s been a couple of years since I’ve lived in Sedona, but it’s a popular place to visit throughout the year, and in particular right now. While the questions come less and less frequently, I occasionally still receive questions about where to run, eat and stay when visiting. So, take this as my personal guide to Sedona!
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is located in north central Arizona, 90 minutes north of Phoenix and 30 minutes south of Flagstaff. Unlike Phoenix, Sedona experiences a change of seasons with winter temperatures dropping below freezing and shoulder seasons bringing warm days and cool nights. While Sedona and its surrounding wilderness areas attract nearly 3 million visitors annually, the number of residents numbers less than 10,000. If you’ve ever lived along Highway 89A or Highway 179, you’ll understand the issue with this given the way Sedona was built, which funnels all visitors through one of only two main roadways. For perspective, I boarded my horse, Casper, 8 miles and 15 minutes from where we lived off of Highway 179 and on weekends I could get trapped in traffic up to 90 minutes—to the point that on occasion I parked my car somewhere along the way and walked home.
Sedona is known for its red rock formations, art galleries, crystals and new age shops, and proximity to several other Arizona features, like the Grand Canyon.
While I wasn’t a longterm resident, Nick and I lived there from March 2020 to April 2023, and because we spent the worst of COVID years in Sedona, we had the opportunity to experience, especially in the beginning, a very quiet side of the region.
Trail Running (or Hiking)
The most common question I received when we still lived in Sedona, usually via Instagram, looked something like: “Hey! I know you live in Sedona and am wondering if you recommend any trails to do when I’m there on vacation next week.”
Sometimes I’d receive these in Sedona’s off season, like summer, and wonder if the question asker was ready for triple digit temperatures. Sometimes I’d receive these heading into Memorial Day or Labor Day weekend and try to inform the person that traffic could get very, very bad and suggest off-the-beaten path trails to avoid the crowds.
In general, Sedona is a beautiful place to visit any time of year. If you do have the chance to visit during the weekday or in the height of summer or winter, you can avoid crowded trails, overflowing parking lots, and higher lodging costs.
Trail running can be done year round, particularly if you’re mindful of seasonal conditions. Summers can get very, very hot and dry and dozens of rescues happen each day on routes as short as 3 miles because of unaware tourists suffering from dehydration. Always bring enough water or have the experience to know what your body can and can’t handle (and know the route like the back of your hand or carry a reliable mapping system you can navigate.)
While a simple google search will yield thousands of results with links to various hikes, many of these are overcrowded and/or downright dangerous (the first hike from the first link in google suggests Bell Rock Climb, which is a route that has killed locals following one fatal misstep.) After running thousands of miles of Sedona trails, here’s what I suggest instead:
Western Gateway Trails
This underrated system of trails on the outskirts of Sedona was a favorite for us to run each week thanks to the number of routes that could be created. We frequently began our classic Tuesday run at Cultural Park and ran trails like Girdner, Roundabout, Saddle Up and Rupp, choosing which way to turn as we went. These trails are some of the flatter and least technical that Sedona offers, which make them great for faster trail efforts or beginner trail runners.
Each trail is .7 to 6.1 miles long, so you can create a route for the exact distance you want to cover. Keep an eye out for mountain bikers that also use these trails! For those who like to run with their dogs, be aware that rattlesnakes can be seen here in the warmer months. While I only saw rattlesnakes three times while living in Sedona, two of those were seen on these trails. Simply take a wide detour around any snakes and let them be (but do keep your dog away!).
North Wilson Mountain
Sedona doesn’t have true mountains in the sense of peaks you can summit. The geography lends itself instead to mesas, of which Mount Wilson is one. Mount Wilson sits northeast of downtown Sedona and has a few challenging routes. Wilson Mountain Trail is the more popular, but also the more technical, of the two with a trail so chunky that the Strava segment down is “Watch the cantaloupes underfoot.”
I prefer North Wilson Mountain, which follows a steep ravine up (you’ll gain views and feet quickly) into a canyon before traversing up several steep switchbacks. Most of the trail is fairly technical, though less so than Wilson Mountain. It’s beautiful any time of the year, but I prefer fall when you can get a glimpse of changing colors.
A few miles in, you’ll reach the intersection of Wilson Trail. You can turnaround here or carry on up to the mesa of Wilson Mountain.
For the full route, you’ll cover nearly 11 miles and 2,300 feet of climbing to reach Sterling Canyon Overlook. Here you can see views of Sedona far below.
North Wilson Mountain is the only other location where I’ve seen a rattlesnake, so watch where you’re stepping!
Hiline Trail
Yes, Hiline and not High-Line. The main attraction of this route is Cathedral Rock, but you’ll be looping all of Cathedral for a slick rock adventure. While the short trek to the base of Cathedral Rock gets very crowded (to the point that parking at the trailhead is all but impossible at this point: take the free Sedona Shuttle to avoid the mess!), the rest of the trail is much quieter, particularly if you can get out before the mountain bikers wake up.
This route follows Hiline to Baldwin to Templeton to Hermit for a 7.2 mile run with a modest amount of vert. The climbing you do, however, is somewhat technical. If the weather is reasonable, take a dip in Oak Creek along Baldwin trail!
If you’re okay with a longer hike, take the time post-run to enjoy Buddha Beach. This was a classic spot for us to go with our dogs following big training days.
Bear Mountain
This is probably the most rugged official trail in Sedona, with a climb that covers nearly 2,000 feet in less than 5 miles round trip. Large parts of the trail require modest amounts of scrambling, so save the handhelds for another day. Due to the slightly longer drive from town, this one doesn’t get a ton of attention.
Like most trails that are routed over slick rock, Bear Mountain Trail uses painted white dots as trail markers. As a reminder, don’t stack rocks to make cairns as this can disturb the environment and be detrimental to the critters that take shelter under these rocks.
Additional (Quieter) Favourites
Hangover Trail
Rabbit Ears Loop
Huckaby Trail
Trails to Avoid (If You Don’t Like Crowds)
Devil’s Bridge
Soldier’s Pass
Bell Rock
Airport Loop
Boynton and Fay Canyon
West Fork Oak Creek
All of these trails are beautiful, but they can get very, very busy during peak season so go early and know what you’re getting into!
Where to Eat
I’ll preface this by saying that I’m vegan and Nick is vegetarian, so our preferences are heavily weighted toward plant-based restaurants. That said, if you do eat meat, you won’t be missing out by trying any of these options below:
Chocola Tree
Chocola Tree (pronounce it as though you’re saying chocolate tree) is the most quintessential Sedona restaurant, offering 100% organic, homemade, gluten-free, vegetarian food. This was the first restaurant Nick and I ever visited in Sedona, and it was one we frequented often. Some of my personal favourites include the Green Goddess Salad, Mushroom Fantasy, and Saffron Coconut Dahl. If you’re a fan of dark chocolate, you can’t go wrong with any of their made-in-house chocolates, either.
For drinks, I enjoy the refreshing Ginger Lemonade and the warming Adaptovitalafuel Latte—so much so to the point that I became friends with the creator of Adaptovitalafuel, a drink mix containing a variety of adaptogens like reishi, rhodiola, and astragalus. The latte is delicious, thanks to cacao and mesquite. If you don’t live in Sedona and aren’t planning on visiting, you can purchase the mix directly from the owner here and enjoy a warm cup of it yourself this season!
If the weather is nice, sit outside in the Garden Oasis. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch an intimate concert or have the chance to join in community Kirtan.
Local Juicery
A post-run favourite, Local Juicery is another Sedona eatery that serves 100% organic, plant-based, nutrient-dense smoothies, snacks, and meals. We ended dozens of hot summer runs with a cold Dragon Bowl or a juice. While we moved before Wildcraft Kitchen opened, this sister-restaurant, owned by founder Summer Sanders, offers similar dishes, with additional options for those who follow paleo diets.
I’d recommend the Dragon Bowl, Back to the Basics Waffles, Simply Strawberry Smoothie, and the Matcha Latte.
What To Do (If You Don’t Want to Run or Hike)
Sedona is more than just trails and crystals, and when we weren’t running trails, we found several interesting places to check out.
Bubbling Ponds Preserve & Page Springs Fish Hatchery
This small preserve is a 15 minute drive from Sedona, offers roughly two miles of easy, graded trail and is one of the best birding locations in the area. If you enjoy birdwatching (or simply spending time in a serene setting), it’s worth a stop.
Montezuma Castle National Monument
Located just outside Sedona in Rimrock, Montezuma Castle is worth a visit at least once. Sedona has an extremely rich indigenous history and I’m purposely ignoring the large number of Indigenous dwellings, pictographs, and painted pottery sherds that can be seen in the Sedona area because I believe many of these special sites have been ruined. If you do come across any, please be respectful and avoid sharing photos of their location with the world.
Palatki and Honanki Heritage Site
Similar to Montezuma Castle, Palatki and Honanki are the sites of the largest cliff dwellings from 1150-1350 AD—shortly before what is considered the “disappearance” of the Sinagua people from Sedona. These heritage sites are wonderful places to learn about the history of Sedona’s original occupants as well as see rock art up close. For those who are mobility limited, the visits require a very minor amount of walking.
Where to Stay
Since we lived in Sedona, we did not experience what it’s like to stay in the area as a tourist. So, I don’t have recommendations to offer here. That said, Airbnbs have been extremely problematic for Sedona locals, so I recommend staying at one of many hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts or cabins in the area instead. For more context, you can read this article here.
Reminders
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Lastly, if you have any questions about Sedona—whether that’s about living there, the politics of the region, growing vegetables in the arid climate, or the best day trips from the area—just ask me in the comments below!