Easy Hikes in Sedona: Adventures for Every Pace

You don’t have to scale a mountain to experience Sedona’s iconic red rock views. Beauty surrounds you at every turn in this magnificent landscape. The secret is knowing which trails to choose, and what sections are the most beginner-friendly. We’ve rounded up six easy hikes in Sedona that feature mostly flat terrain, shorter distances, and spectacular scenery.

It doesn’t take much coaxing to get outside and hike in this environment. Red rocks captivate visitors from first sight, beckoning a closer connection with the natural world by simply walking outdoors and becoming attuned to the surroundings. Under a big blue sky, easy hikes in Sedona AZ lead you to massive rock walls striated with eons of geological history; deep, quiet canyons with babbling streams; and an abundance of wildlife—large and small.

After a gentle day of exploration in nature, there’s nothing better than a soothing soak, a great meal, and a lovely place to relax. Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel, has it all. Conveniently located in town (and adjacent to a trailhead) the forty elevated guest atriums of this boutique hotel are carefully placed within the landscape, preserving an ancient arroyo and maximizing guest views with floor-to-ceiling windows and private rooftop decks. Two must-try amenities featured in the hotel are Velvet Spa offering massages, body treatments, and energy work; and Restaurant Forty1, featuring seasonal organic fare sourced directly from the Verde Valley. There’s no better place to enjoy the view and indulge yourself.

Here are six of the best easy hikes in Sedona:

Red Rock Crossing at Crescent Moon Ranch – A Nature Walk for Photographers

This peaceful walk alongside the banks of a calm creek, through grassy meadows and shaded groves, is about 1 to 1.5 miles long, depending on how far you choose to walk. It’s a pleasant stroll on a mostly flat trail that winds through cottonwood and sycamore trees to Oak Creek. Along the way you’ll find sandy beaches where you can dip your toes into the stream. Reflected in the water is Cathedral Rock, a massive red rock butte that rises 1,515 feet above and changes color throughout the day. It’s picture-perfect and one of the most photographed views of Sedona. Photographers will want to be here for sunrise or at the golden hour just before sunset to capture the most dramatic colors. This hike in a lush, riparian environment is just a five-minute drive from Ambiente in West Sedona at the Crescent Moon picnic site.

Bell Rock Pathway – A Flat Trail for Vortex Vibes

Bell Rock Pathway is like a red dirt runway to the energy vortex, and it’s the perfect entry point for first-time hikers to Sedona. The wide path is flat, well-maintained, and lined with the Southwest’s distinctive juniper and prickly pear.

This can be a scenic 20-minute walk or a leisurely 3.6-mile roundtrip hike—it’s up to you. With an elevation gain of less than 300 feet, it’s an easy trail with “wow” views the whole way as you’re walking towards two of Sedona’s major vortexes. Beginning your walk from the Courthouse Vista parking lot, the bell-shaped Bell Rock is on your left, and Courthouse Butte is on your right. Just make sure to stay on the main trail; the steeper spurs that head up Bell Rock are for more experienced hikers.

There’s no shade on this walk, and it can get crowded, so plan for an early morning excursion or time it for late afternoon when the red rocks appear to glow.

Fay Canyon Trail – Maximum Beauty for Minimal Effort

Short, shady, and scenic sums up this gem of an out-and-back trail that clocks in at 2.3 miles roundtrip. Fay Canyon Trail begins in a sandy wash lined with juniper, manzanita, and prickly pear cactus, then gently meanders beneath towering red-rock walls. It’s a wide, easy-to-follow path with soft and flat terrain, and the shade makes it a great option for mid-day hikes. Begin at the trailhead in West Sedona, off Boynton Pass Road, where there’s a small parking lot.

Almost immediately, you’re surrounded by soaring cliffs and the quiet hush of the canyon, making this hike a good choice for a meditative experience. At about one mile in, the trail ends at a mass of boulders. You can turn back at this point and retrace your steps out. Otherwise, the short path leads to the Fay Canyon Arch, a small natural bridge tucked into the cliffside which requires a bit of a scramble up the rocks.

Soldier Pass Trail to Seven Sacred Pools – Short Hike, High Drama

The short out-and-back walk from Soldier Pass Trailhead to the Seven Sacred Pools packs a lot into a short distance of about a mile. Within the first half-mile, you pass the mysterious Devil’s Kitchen Sinkhole, a gaping red-rock chasm big enough to swallow a building. It was created centuries ago by an underground collapse. Keep walking another 10–15 minutes, and you’ll reach the famous Seven Sacred Pools—a series of natural sandstone basins that collect rainwater and reflect the red cliffs above.

The terrain on this hike is mostly level with gentle undulations, and the path is well-marked. There are a few rocky steps and roots to navigate, but nothing overly technical. The Soldier Pass lot at the trailhead fills quickly, but as with many popular trailheads, you can take the Sedona Shuttle from Posse Grounds Park.

Airport Mesa Loop Trail – For Summit-Like Vistas Without the Climb

Panoramic vistas such as those from atop Airport Mesa usually come after a strenuous climb, but this loop trail at the airport is accessible by a road and there’s parking at the summit. The Airport Mesa Loop trail circles Sedona’s small airstrip and the total loop is just over 3 miles, but you can walk just a mile or less and turn around, still getting views and a feel for being on top of the world. The trail is mostly flat but there are some rocky areas that require solid footing. There’s also very little shade up here so early morning when the light is beginning to illuminate the red rocks is the most pleasant time of day for admiring the views.

Adobe Jack – An Ambiente-Adjacent Hidden Gem

This trailhead couldn’t be easier to access as it’s just steps from Ambiente’s doorstep.

It’s an easy trail that still feels a bit wild—close enough to Ambiente for a spur-of-the moment walk, yet secluded enough to hear nothing but the wind and melodic song of Western bluebirds. Take a quick hike in the morning and be back in time for an Adobe Jack Burrito or Chorizo Eggs Benedict at Restaurant Forty1. 

The Adobe Jack is an out-and-back, 3-mile roundtrip trail that winds through a quiet landscape of juniper, manzanita, and pinyon pine that scent the air with a rich desert-woodland fragrance. You can choose to walk only a mile and still feel that you’ve done a little forest bathing and caught cinematic views of Steamboat Rock and Snoopy Rock. It’s seldom crowded, but do watch out for mountain bikers who share the trail with hikers. There are some mild rolling hills through washes which keep the trail interesting, and it does intersect with several other trails so be sure to follow the well-marked signage for Adobe Jack. 

With a variety of easy hikes in Sedona to choose from, even novices will enjoy the outing. As Paul Dudley White, a pioneering 20th century American cardiologist said, “A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.”