Having covered the trails on both the eastern and western sides of Sedona’s stellar riding, we are now ready to complete our circumnavigation of this Southwestern red rock wonderland. Sedona’s north side contains both some of the area’s oldest, most established routes, which are now complimented by newer, equally-stellar rides.
In the northwest corner lies the Jim Thompson trail, a fine piece of roller-coaster singletrack that runs from the Midgley Bridge on Highway 89A at it’s eastern end to the Jim Thompson trailhead at the northern terminus of Jim Thompson Road. This trail rides well in either direction and makes a fine out-and-back, but by crossing Highway 89A and dropping down to the Huckaby trail, covered in the first installment, one can create a challenging and unique loop, albeit with a significant amount of road riding through town to complete the circuit.
The west end of the Jim Thompson trail connects to the Jordan trail, another fine roller coaster, which traverses another mile and a half to Soldier Pass Road and provides access to Sedona’s so-called “Secret Trails,” which haven’t really been secret for years.
This network provides a variety of stacked-loop options all within a single, undeveloped square mile which rests between Uptown Sedona and West Sedona. This is an intermediate playground where one can enjoy getting kind of lost, without getting totally lost.
The western end of the Jordan trail is a worthy destination for two of Sedona’s great landmarks. One is the Seven Sacred Pools, a series of depressions in the red rock which hold water and provide an attractive oasis in the desert. The other is one of Sedona’s sinkholes, known as the Devil’s Kitchen, where a giant hole drops into the earth at the base of a huge rock spire, further stretching the vertical relief of this stunning location.
Further west, after crossing Soldier Pass Road, is the Teacup Trail, one of Sedona’s original jewels. It skirts the base of Coffeepot, providing some of the best views in the area.
This original north Sedona playground ends with a series of trails, including the impressive Thunder Mountain trail and, lastly, the Chimney Rock trail. Along the way, a couple of these trails provide direct routes which are unavailable due to several passes, ever so briefly, through the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness. This forces the rider to take longer routes around rock formations, including the world-famous Chimney Rock. This is no real problem as this just means another mile or two of superb singletrack in awesome scenery.
However, after circumnavigating Chimney Rock, it would be easy to connect with one of Sedona’s newer and most spectacular routes, the Chuck Wagon Trail, except for one little spot where the trail dips into the Wilderness for less than a quarter mile. This is particularly frustrating because the only legal way around it is to make a large circuit on city streets.
Consequently, it’s best to hit the marvelous Chuck Wagon Trail by parking at the trailhead just east of Dry Creek Road. The basic Chuck Wagon is a 6.5-mile lollipop loop that is the perfect place for an adventurous intermediate to grow skills on a variety of moderately challenging stunts, all while enjoying some of Sedona’s best scenery. This area is also the most densely-forested with the Sedona junipers, so there’s a good deal more green to go with the reds and oranges of the ubiquitous rock.
If the six and a half miles isn’t enough, towards the end of the loop portion, a detour onto the Mescal trail will provide the intermediate rider with an opportunity to enjoy the same kind of benches on the rock with exciting exposure that the experts enjoy on the Highline and Hangover trails. By tying in further with the Aerie, Girdner, Cockscomb, and Dawa trails, one can create a seemingly endless combination of loops covering whatever amount of mileage you have the legs and lungs for. One can even take the Girdner trail all the way down to the Herkenham trail, connecting with the Airport Loop complex covered in the second installment here. In fact, a sequence of trails covered in these three installments can be combined to form a “Big Friggin’ Loop.”
Contingency Plans:
Sedona is best in the shoulder months, with spring and fall being the closest thing possible to a guarantee of superb weather and trail conditions. However, if you can’t make it during this time, fear not, you have a good chance of having a spectacular time any time of year.
If you go in the summer, you’ll want to be on the trail early and off before high noon, as the desert sun can take its toll quickly. If you can’t get an early start or just can’t face the heat, Sedona is little more than a half hour from Flagstaff, which sits at 7,000 feet and whose trails on nearby Mt. Elden approach 10,000 feet. The combination of altitude and dense forest provide a welcome respite from the heat. Similarly, the city of Prescott is about an hour away and also has some sweet, scenic routes up around 8,000 feet, including the delightful Granite Basin Loop.
On the other hand, if you hit Sedona midwinter, there’s a chance you’ll run into snow. Some of Sedona’s rugged geology can hide snow and ice in spots you may not need to deal with. If you’re squeamish about riding on snow, or if you may have a negative impact by riding wet trails, your first option is to head west 20 minutes to Cottonwood and the Dead Horse Ranch State Park with the Raptor/Thumper/Limekiln loop. This trail is both lower in elevation and more exposed than Sedona trails, meaning snow is rare and it dries out quickly. In a worst case scenario, Phoenix, fully rideable throughout the winter, is less than two hours south, and the rides on Phoenix’s north side, including the stellar Black Canyon trail, are even closer.
Logistics
Lodging in Sedona proper can be very expensive, especially during the high season. The further you move from central Sedona, the more reasonable things get. The good news is that the Village of Oak Creek has less expensive lodging options, most of which are within riding distance of the major trailheads. In addition to major chains like Days Inn and La Quinta, there are relatively economically, locally-owned lodging options. The abtly-named View Motel, while not a premier property, provides a clean room in a great location for less than you would likely spend for such a room in your home town.
If you don’t have to sleep in the shadow of the red rock, lodging in Cottonwood makes an inexpensive option. Again, there are major chains like Best Western and Super 8, but also numerous local options like the friendly, family-owned Pines Motel. There are also numerous campgrounds in red rock country, but competition for the limited sites can be keen, especially in the high season.
Sedona has over 100 restaurants from fine, five-star bistros to minor holes in the wall. Even the holes in the wall can be pricey. If you’re looking to save some $ and still fill the hole, take the trouble to hunt down Simon’s Hot Dogs; a full menu of gourmet hot dogs, including vegetarian and vegan options, can be had for a reasonable price all inside the Oak Creek Brewing Company, a locals’ favorite. If you’re in Cottonwood, there’re also plenty of options, including some more exotic, such as the Mai Thai on Main, for surprisingly good Thai food. Dining options in Oak Creek are somewhat more limited, with the more edible options also being more expensive.
I’ve taken three extended Sedona trips in the last four years and look forward to having more! If you’ve also had great experiences in Sedona, please share your riding and travel tips in the comments below:
4 Comments
Feb 20, 2014
Feb 18, 2014
GREAT set of articles! The only downside is that it makes me pine for riding even more, especially in AZ. The shoulder months are approaching: I vote to organize a Singletracks ride in Sedona for some gear testing :)
Feb 18, 2014
Feb 18, 2014