★★★★★ Easy / Flagstaff Area: Hiking through this maze of colossal cones is kind of amazing (sorry). But it really is! Surrounded by cliffs and thousands of sky-high Cinder Cones, the Red Mountain Hiking Trail makes one feel a bit like an ant in a sprawling city of hyper-tall anthills. And kids will have so much fun climbing and playing on these oversized formations that…
Cinder Cone, Cliffs, Dayhike, Easy, Family Friendly, Flagstaff, Northern Arizona, Red Rocks, Rock Formation, Short
★★★☆☆ Easy / Flagstaff Area: “Twisted” cliffs, punctuated with small caves, make hiking Walnut Canyon seem a bit surreal. Flanked by Dali-esque rock formations, the easy Sandys Canyon Hiking trail rambles along the base of a gentle canyon to Fisher Point. Here a bizarre 100 foot cliff looms, gnarled and frozen.
Canyon, Cave, Cliffs, Dayhike, Easy, Flagstaff, Rock Formation, Valley
★★★★☆ Moderate / Flagstaff Area: For lots of elevation gain with very little pain – the Kendrick Mountain Hiking Trail is one of Arizona’s best! The trail’s extremely gentle incline, to an impressively high summit, zigzags along some of the most hyper-long switchbacks I’ve ever encountered – making it a breeze to hike. And the views from the top? “Wowza!” A hundred miles…
★★★☆☆ Moderate / Grand Canyon Area: Visible behind Williams’ charming historic sign, Bill Williams Mountain harbors a surprisingly fun and varied summit trail. As it ascends, the Bill Williams Hiking Trail gradually transforms from a somewhat arid hike into a lush one, lined with ferns, moss and Aspens. At the summit the views back over Williams (with its many fun restaurants and…
★★★★★ Moderate / Flagstaff Area: It’s impossible to describe the stunningly beautiful Inner Basin Hiking Trail without yelling “Wait! There’s more!” This gorgeous hike surrounds hikers with fields of summer sunflowers and endless fairytale-esque groves of Aspens. Expect to encounter a whack-a-doodle mix of elk grazing the meadows beside high-altitude runners in training. Indeed, every twist and turn of this Flagstaff hike is truly extra-ordinary.
Aspens, Basin, Dayhike, Family Friendly, Meadows, Mountains, Pet Friendly, wildflower
★★★★☆ Easy / Flagstaff Area: Almost overwhelming in its beauty, Flagstaff’s easy Kachina Hiking Trail envelopes hikers in acres-wide meadows of fragrant wildflowers and plush fern-gullies during Spring and Summer, or shimmering golden Aspens in Fall. It’s no wonder that it is a popular “go to” hiking trail for mini-mees to Grandpas, and every age between.
Dayhike, Family Friendly, Flagstaff, Meadows, Northern Arizona, Pet Friendly, Scenic
★★★☆☆ Difficult / Flagstaff Area: Cardio lovers . . . meet your dream hike! With an uphill trail woven between fragrant Ponderosas, and soaring views at every turn, the Elden Lookout Hiking Trail is heart-pumping fun. It ascends from the base of Flagstaff’s Mount Elden to the lookout tower at its peak. You’ll feel like the King or Queen of the mountain once…
Dayhike, Difficult, Flagstaff, Mountains, San Francisco Mountains, Views
★★★★☆ Easy / Flagstaff Area: Kids, big and small, will have a blast exploring oversized rock-formations and their fun-filled nooks-and-crannies on the easy Fatmans Loop Hiking Trail. Whether it is scooching between the immense rounded boulders of Fatmans Pass or scrambling over curvilinear trailside boulders, this short hike offers a plethora of natural wonders and inviting views of the Flagstaff area.
Dayhike, Easy, Family Friendly, Flagstaff, Mountains, San Francisco Mountains
★★★★☆ Moderate / Flagstaff Area: When Summer’s heat starts blasting, hiking in shorts & T-shirts through banks of snow on this Flagstaff loop trail is (yup . . . ) cool! Chilling in the shadows of Mount Humphreys, the upper levels of the Bear Jaw and Abineau Hiking Trail Loop often sustains crisp patches of snow through late June. Even post thaw, the trail’s cool mountain air…
Dayhike, Flagstaff, Moderate, Mountains, Northern Arizona, Pet Friendly, San Francisco Mountains, Views
★★☆☆☆ Easy / Sedona Area: Like a gorgeous museum wing, the “walls” of this easy mesa-top stroll are framed with incredible picturesque views. From the high pastel canyons (with their wildly sculptural forms) on one side, to the distant green, red and purple valleys on the other, some of Sedona’s most incredible scenery forms the backdrop to the leisurely ramble of the Brins Mesa Hiking Trail.
★★★☆☆ Easy / Sedona Area: With relaxed effort, the Baldwin Loop Hiking Trail’s mildly undulating path, blends spectacular views of Sedona’s iconic Cathedral Rock with creekside swimming options. Circling the base of the wind-carved Red Rock Butte, and beneath the shadows of Cathedral Rock, this scenic trail moves from the marshy habitat of the banks of Oak Creek to the dry arroyos situated between…
Butte, Canyon, Cathedral Rock, Dayhike, Easy, Family Friendly, Northern Arizona, Oak Creek, Pet Friendly, Sedona
★★★★☆ Easy / Sedona Area: The irresistible “splash canyon” on Bell Trail, makes for a perfect day hiking and doing cannonballs. Located 3-miles along Wet Beaver Creek and wedged between tall canyons, this crisp, crystal clear, swimming hole, beckons hikers to cool off, with leaps from its sandstone ledges into the translucent pools below. Jump in! Cool off! Your clothes will dry completely on the hike back along the lush,…
Canyon, Creek, Dayhike, Easy, Family Friendly, Moderate, Northern Arizona, Pet Friendly, Sedona Area, Swimming, Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness
★★★★★ Difficult / Grand Canyon Area: Even more world famous than the Kardashians, the Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Hiking Trail is THE quintessential Arizona hike. Descending 4.5-miles into one of the planet’s greatest wonders, this dayhike to Indian Gardens (the small, lush-green oasis just visible on the Canyon’s middle-plateau) is an experience of a lifetime, with views that will never go out of style.…
Canyon, Creek, Dayhike, Grand Canyon, Long, Switchbacks
★★★★★ Easy / Grand Canyon Area: If someone asked me to define “grandeur” it would have to include standing on the Plateau Point overlook in Arizona’s Grand Canyon. Witnessing the white capped Colorado River roaring 1,300 feet below the tip of the Plateau Point Hiking Trail is an experience for the memory books. Surrounded by the soaring technicolor cliffs, and with the South…
Canyon, Colorado River, Dayhike, Easy, Grand Canyon, Overlook, Plateau, Views
★★★★★ Easy / Sedona Area: It’s easy to feel a bit like Superman flying through the air – with hundred-foot Pines peeking up from below the ledge at the end of this incredible red-rock trail. As an easy hike (containing only a short, moderately steep jaunt at the very end) the views of majestic canyons and sculptural rock formations found within the Boyton Canyon Hiking Trail are truly “above and beyond!”
★★★★★ Moderate / Sedona Area: Ka’ching! It’s not often that a hike reaches a scenic jackpot with so little effort. At only two miles in length, the Devil’s Bridge Hiking Trail does just that! Its wide, gently tiered, Juniper-lined pathway leads to one of Sedona’s most prized formations: a 50′ high, natural sandstone arch. Incredible, miles-long views from…
Arch, Dayhike, Moderate, Rock Formation, Sedona, Short, Views
★★★★★ Difficult / Sedona: No matter how many times I hike this iconic red rock trail, its juniper laden slopes and towering summit spires make it a mind-blowing outing every time. As one of the most captivating rock formations visible on the drive into Sedona, Cathedral Rock is a popular destination for those who enjoy scrambling up the area’s sandstone surfaces. As an added bonus, the breathtaking view from the top of the Cathedral…
Cathedral Rock, Dayhike, Difficult, Hiking, Northern Arizona, Red Rocks, Sedona, Short
