Sedona hiking

Hiking Beautiful Devil’s Bridge Trailhead in Sedona

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As a native Seattleite who moved to Scottsdale a little over a year ago, I know how hard it can be to find a hike that’s not muddy and rainy, so I didn’t hike as much as I wanted to when I lived there. Plus, I need the sun and because it was frequently overcast, it was hard for me to be motivated to hike, so one of the things I wanted to get back into was hiking when I moved, and immediately bought hiking shoes! I started doing small hikes in Scottsdale, but knew I had to get out to Sedona and see the area. For those of you yearning for a sunny desert hike right now, you can get it in Sedona. Here’s my account of a beautiful hike there.

Over the years I’ve heard a lot of hype around hiking in Sedona and the vortexes you can experience on the mountain. While I was hesitant that I would walk through a vortex⎯even though I really wanted to, I was excited to hopefully experience one. 

As I turned left off the exit, the stunning red-orange mountains peaked into view. It felt so calm, the air was fresh, and I felt like I was in a special area. When I got to the parking lot for the Devil’s Bridge Trailhead, there was a good amount of parking at 11am, but when I left at 1pm, the parking lot was packed, so I would definitely recommend going early. 

I didn’t look at the map when I started and realized I was offroading, going through brush, shrubs, and cacti. My husband kept saying we were off the trail, but I didn’t believe him until I saw hikers in the distance to the left of us, and then realized we were off the route.

sedona hiking

Once we got to the trail I could see the mountains better, and the breathtaking view of some of mother nature’s most beautiful sites. I’m a long distance runner⎯my husband is not, so I would run up the mountain, and then take in the view while I waited for him to catch up. As the path winds through desert terrain, there were so many breathtaking views. The color of the mountains and the trees and cacti blended together perfectly like a Bob Ross painting. What’s so amazing about Devil’s Bridge is that it’s the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area.

Hiking Devil’s Bridge Trailhead in Sedona, Arizona, is one of the most beautiful and magical experiences I’ve had, as well as one of the best workouts. The hike was moderate in terms of an uphill climb, so you could walk or run up it depending on your workout preference. Here’s a list of other popular trails:

Sedona hiking

The drive from Scottsdale (where I currently live) to Sedona was about an hour and a half, so it was definitely an easy day trip. There were fruit stands along the way, which were fun to stop at and helped to break up the drive because I don’t like to drive at all! So if you’re thinking about coming to the Phoenix area, the drive from the airport to Sedona would be around two hours. If you’re into hiking and want some Vitamin D, the Sedona mountains are a must visit!

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