Return to Sedona

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We had visited Sedona during our first year on the road back in April of 2017. We had spent 6 nights in a state park in nearby Cottonwood with a couple day trips into Sedona. And then we had moved to the Elks Lodge in Sedona proper for an additional 6 nights. We realized we hadn’t gotten in all we wanted to see and do back then, so we figured it was time to make a return trip. The forecast for the Sedona was looking fairly good, at least for early October at an elevation of about 4500 feet. At least we would be coming down from the 7000 feet of Flagstaff so our odds of warmer conditions should improve.

It can be a beautiful drive from Flagstaff to Sedona down State route 89A, but we knew from our previous stay in the area, this is NOT the route to take in the RV. There are some extreme hairpin curves that would not be fun in a rig our size. So instead, we head down the more mundane Interstate 17 and come back into Sedona along Highway 179 from the south. This route has what seems to be a record number of roundabouts along the way - eleven of them. They are large enough to drive a larger rig thru, but they definitely require much more concentration to get around without scrubbing a tire in the process. We got to the Elks Lodge and found there was only one spot open but that would work. We got parked and headed into the bar to register. The plan was to stay 10 nights this time. During the first half of our stay, all the camping sites were occupied and there were often one or two rigs parked off to the side just boondocking for a night or until somebody left so they could grab the spot.

Having been here once before, we had already done some of the more popular hikes but there was more to see. On our first full day, we walked into town from the lodge. That’s one of the nice features of this lodge, it is close enough (about 1.5 miles) to the center of downtown. We even discovered a trailhead and was able to take an actual trail for about half that distance instead of walking the sidewalk along the busy street.

Beautiful Sedona Red Rocks

Sedona is a very quirky town. In some ways, it reminds us of Ithaca back in western New York except that Sedona would be Ithaca on steroids. The area is known for its vortex sites and has all sorts of shops geared toward the metaphysical. Not being true believers in such things, we are able to pass by most of the shops and avoid buying crystals or having a psychic reading. Scattered around town are a bunch of painted and decorated statues of javelinas. Lots of towns have done similar things with various animals. Cincinnati has its pigs, Custer has its bison and we remember horses in some place but cannot recall where. But using javelinas was a first for us. They aren’t necessarily the best looking animals and the real ones we have come across in the wild can smell a lot like skunks. But the statues have an adult and youngster and are creatively painted making them seem adorable.

Clothed Javelinas

Pink Javelinas

There are plenty of wonderful views right from downtown and many of the rock formations have been named. Snoopy and Lucy are two of the more popular ones but we still needed help to identify them. As we continued our walk around town, we stopped by the Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village. This is a fascinating little collection of shops, restaurants and even a chapel. We found lots of creative pieces of art but none would fit in our current home so we just looked. The water fountains in the courtyards were decorated with colorful pumpkins and gourds.

Views from Downtown Sedona

Fountain at Tlaquepaque

Larger Fountain

The next day we wanted to go for a hike. About a half mile from the lodge is a trailhead to the Airport Loop Trail. Since the parking area doesn’t hold many cars, we figured it made more sense to simply walk from the rig. We had done this trail before but this time we were going to add to it by taking some of the many trails on the west end of the loop. We followed the trail in a counterclockwise direction. It’s narrow, rocky and slightly downhill for the first mile. We were surprised to have several cyclists come up from behind. I know I wouldn’t have enjoyed the trail and Chris wouldn’t have even tried it. At the first split, instead of following the Airport Loop, we follow Bandit Trail and about half mile later get a couple more forks in the trail and continue on Old Post Trail.

View from Airport Loop

This route got us into new territory for us and gave us access to a few more geocaches along the way. There are some great views from this direction as well. Back in this section of trails, we run into very few people which is fine by us. We eventually work our way to the intersection with the Ridge Trail. From here we head south and expect to meet up with the steep Table Top Trail which will get us back to the Airport Loop. Apparently a short section of this trail has been closed even though there is a geocache part way up the climb. Our alternative is to backtrack over two miles, or follow the still obvious trail that heads up. We were already quite tired and figured we were better off taking the climb to the top. It wasn’t bad and made it to what is now the end of the Table Top Trail. Once we got back onto the Airport Loop, we started to run into lots of people again. As we got back to the trailhead area, there were dozens of people waiting for sunset in another hour. This is also the location of one of the vortex sites in Sedona so I suppose some people were here for that. We simply headed back down the hill to the rig with just over an 8 mile hike in the books.

Bell Rock in Distance

Color Variations

Airport Loop Tracks

The next day, we headed back to the new found trailhead just down Route 89A from the lodge. Like many hikes we take in areas with abundant trails, we start out the hike with one loop in mind but end up doing something different. The plan was a series of trails that would amount to a 4 mile loop from the Adobe Jack trailhead. We initially stayed to plan for the first 2 miles, but then we got distracted by a geocache called Devil's Kitchen Sinkhole. It was only about 1/2 mile out of our way so we went off script and found the right set of trails to get us there. It’s a very popular spot since there is a trailhead less than a quarter mile away. We check out the sinkhole and find the several geocaches in the immediate area. We were able to follow the Adobe Jack trail back to where we had started and our planned 4 mile loop turned into over 6 miles.

View from Trails Heading to Devil's Kitchen

We took the next day off to recuperate from two days of hiking. Plus, being a Sunday, we figured we could let the locals clog up the trails and we could come out on Monday to try the Boynton Canyon Trail again. We had done this hike when we were last here in the springtime. We figured it would be interesting to check it out in autumn. The parking lot at the trailhead was full but we did find a legal roadside parking 1/3 mile away. There were initially lots of people on the trail and at times it was slow going to get around groups out for a casual walk instead of a hike. Once the trail gets past the point of overlooking the housing development below, it became more scenic and a bit less crowded. We could hear somebody playing a flute in the distance, but were unable to see their location.

Neat Shadow from Trail Marker

View Along Boynton Canyon Trail

The trail heads up Boynton Canyon and has lots of trees along the way. The fall colors were pretty. With the narrow canyon and the low sun angle much of the later portion of the hike was in deep shade. When we finally made the last push up the steep section of trail to the end of the canyon, we were greeted with the gorgeous view of the canyon below. We found a spot in the sun to have our lunch. To our chagrin, we weren’t even halfway done with lunch when the sun started to drop behind the steep canyon wall to the south. The temperature dropped dramatically and we found the need to put back on our windbreakers for warmth. The return trip was uneventful but we did see lots of others heading up and they were not dressed warm enough for the cool fall day in the shade. It was a pleasant six mile hike.

Homes Along Trail

Looking Back Down Canyon from Lunch Spot

End of Boynton Canyon

Our Shade Maker

The following day will bring us back to the same general area of town. Doe Mountain Trail isn’t very long at 1.6 miles round trip but it does climb over 500 feet up the side of the mountain from the trailhead on Boynton Pass Road. With the trail being on the north side of the mountain, most of the climb is in the shade. It was a cool morning to begin with so we did not overheat on the way up. There are great views on the way up and it works out well to stop for a picture or two while catching our breath.

View Along Doe Mountain

Small Alcoves in Doe Mountain

Doe Mountain ended up to be more like a plateau with a fairly flat top and a perimeter of a mile or more. We walked along the edge of the plateau for a quarter mile or so to both take in the views and find a geocache hidden up top. Fortunately not many people wander much past the section near the end of the trail up so we didn’t have any muggles to contend with. As we were heading back to the trail down, we came upon a couple and started to chat. There are Canadians down in Sedona for awhile and even own a place in the area. We got some good insights from them as to what else there is to do in the area since they have been coming here for several years now.

Incredible Views from Doe Mountain

Pretty Flowers on Edge of Cliff

We did have a few cold days with temperatures dropping below freezing overnight. I suppose it being the end of October has a lot to do with that. After a couple days of taking it easy and my being a bit under the weather, we came out for one last hike before leaving Sedona. Devil’s Bridge is the largest natural sandstone arch in Sedona. There are several trails that can be taken to the arch. Most people will park near the intersection of Dry Creek and Boynton Pass roads and walk up the road. But our Canadian friends had suggested a more scenic and less crowded route. Starting at the same spot, we search out the Chuck Wagon Trail which starts out just to the northwest of the dirt road. The trail meanders around as it heads back towards the road and will take two miles to do what only takes one mile walking the dirt road. But I would say the views and the solitude are worth the added distance.

View Along Chuck Wagon Trail

Yet More Colored Mountains

Chuck Wagon Trail hits the road where Devil’s Bridge Trail heads up so its pretty straightforward and had no trouble following the path. Once on the trail to the arch, it is very crowded again. It’s about 3/4 mile each way from the dirt road to the arch but it’s all uphill gaining about 300 feet in that distance. There is a great view of some of the surrounding red rock mountains. Partway up the trail was a small area with dozens of rock cairns that almost look like a staging area in case they are required somewhere along the trail.

View Heading Up Devil's Bridge Trail

Rock Cairn Holding Area

Getting Better Views Higher Up Trail

The last few hundred feet of the trail are up some narrow stone steps that definitely became a bottleneck for those wanting to come up or go down. With a little patience, we make it to the arch. It isn’t as large as the ones we saw in Arches National Parks but is still impressive. The arch runs parallel to the trail with about a 40 foot gap. The arch spans nearly 100 feet and is relatively flat across the top with about a 100 foot drop off.   It is possible to walk around the gap and out onto the arch. We had become accustomed to signs warning people to not go onto the arches but no such sign or policy is in place here.

Devil's Bridge

Side View

Close Up of Center Looks Cracked

With all the visitors, there was actual a line of people waiting to walk out onto the arch for somebody else to take their picture. Since the arch is only ten feet or so wide at its narrowest section, I knew Chris wasn’t going to head out and I found myself unwilling to walk out very far. We watched many of the people go out to pose. Most of them would just walk out and smile for the photo but a few people would go out and sit right on the edge of the arch. Even worse, one couple went out to do handstands! It took them a couple attempts to successfully pull it off but they managed to do it. I hope their photo turned out to be as good as mine.

A Somewhat Sane Pose

A Bit More Risky

Would You Believe Jack and Chris Pose???

Since it was later in the afternoon as we headed down, there weren’t quite so many people on the way back down the trail. There was one spot along the trail where it was possible to see the arch from a distance and apparently there is a trail that leads to the bottom of the arch but we didn’t have the energy to seek it out. Once back to the dirt road, we decided to take the shorter route back to the car. The road itself can be driven if you have the correct vehicle but it looked to be a bit of a challenge. We saw a couple ATVs and some Jeep Wranglers in the parking area at the start of the hike to the arch. As we were part way back to the car, there was a stock GMC SUV trying to make it. Without aggressive tires or much ground clearance, I wonder if he actually made it in and out without damage.

View of Devil's Bridge from Trail

Afternoon Sun

Next stop Prescott Arizona.