What better activity to do at the weekend in Sedona than to get out doors and hike!

North and west of Sedona are a myriad of deep, meandering canyons as well as secluded forest trails that wind among towering, multihued cliffs, providing an exhilarating sense of isolation that’s tough to find on the more heavily traveled routes along Oak Creek Canyon and in the Bell Rock area.

However some hikers may find some of the canyons, such as; Fay Canyon, Boynton Canyon, Long Canyon and HS Canyon, to name a few, a little dull as they are “in and out”. So here is a great idea for this weekends hike: combine some of the canyons to create your own “Secret Canyon Loop” combining portions of different canyons and trails, for what can only be described as an exciting 5 hour 8.3 mile expedition!

Here is what Arizona Living suggests:

Start at the Secret Canyon Trailhead and hike north into the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness. The sandy orange fairly level trail takes you through a typical Sedona landscape. Around half a mile from the from the trailhead, you’ll come to the trail into HS Canyon; stick to the Secret Canyon Trail.

About 1.8 miles from the trailhead, look for the signed junction with the David Miller Trail, which goes up and over a ridge between two canyons. This is a steep, and narrow,trail which is very scenic and only lightly used.

After crossing the ridge, the trail switchbacks rather steeply down into Bear Sign Canyon. To explore the canyon, look for the signed junction with the Bear Sign Trail and go northwest (left). The trail will get narrower, brushier and fainter as you proceed up-canyon. After about a mile or so, the trail peters out amid the brush and snags.

Return to the junction with the David Miller Trail and proceed southeast on the Bear Sign Trail. As you cross and recross the bouldery creek bed, you’ll pass a couple of shallow rock overhangs. Look for the junction with the Dry Creek Trail about 2 miles past the David Miller Trail. Bear right and continue south about three-quarters of a mile to Forest Road 152 and the Dry Creek Trailhead. Follow the road as it winds generally southwest about three-quarters of a mile back to the Secret Canyon Trailhead and back to where you parked your car.

So get out there and have some fun in Sedona! Or, if hiking is not your thing, how about mountain biking!

Click here to subscribe to our RSS Feed.

Realty Times poses the question: Arizona: Is Now THE Time to Invest in the Grand Canyon State? The answer seems to be a very firm – YES!

If you have decided that you would like to own a home in Sedona as a full time resident or part time then contact Claudia Ault and her team in downtown Sedona.

For a complimentary search of the Sedona MLS and access to all property currently on the market in Sedona AZ, visit www.claudiaault.com. For the best in Sedona Real Estate service and knowledge, contact Claudia Ault at 928-301-3016.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.