Day trip · Sedona and Red Rock Country

Red rock trails, Oak Creek
and a free trailhead shuttle,
north of the Valley on I-17.

The trails around Sedona are Coconino National Forest land, run from the Red Rock Ranger District. Most trailheads need a parking pass, the two state parks on Oak Creek charge their own entry, and the City of Sedona runs a free shuttle to five trailheads Thursday through Sunday.

Doug Palmer, AZ REALTOR® · My Home Group Real Estate · Published 19 October 2026

Passes

Who charges what at the trailhead

Red Rock Pass: $5 a day, $15 a week, $20 a year.If you leave your vehicle at a Forest Service fee site around Sedona, you need a pass. One pass covers everyone in the vehicle. Buy it at the kiosk at the trailhead, at Recreation.gov (it records your license plate instead of printing a pass), at the Sedona Chamber of Commerce, or at the Red Rock Ranger Visitor Center (daily and weekly only). Red Rock and Coconino passes
America the Beautiful pass works at many of the same sites.The Forest Service accepts it in place of a Red Rock Pass at many Sedona-area sites, including Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Little Horse, Soldier Pass and Boynton Canyon trailheads. The cardholder must be present.
Four picnic and swim sites take neither pass.Crescent Moon, Grasshopper Point and Call of the Canyon (the West Fork trailhead) charge a $15 daily concessionaire fee, and Beaver Creek charges $14. These sites honor only their own Coconino Hospitality Annual Pass, sold in person at the sites.
The state parks charge their own entry.Red Rock State Park and Slide Rock State Park are run by Arizona State Parks. A Red Rock Pass or a federal pass does not get you in.

The free shuttle

Park once, ride to the trailhead

Thursday through Sunday, all year, no reservations.The Sedona Shuttle trailhead routes are free, and so is parking at the three park and ride lots. Service runs daily during spring break and some holidays. The shuttle is public transit run by the City of Sedona, launched in March 2022. Trailhead shuttles
Route 15: Cathedral Rock and Little Horse.From the North SR-179 Park and Ride, 1294 SR 179. Departures every 15 minutes from 7:00 a.m., with the last trip out at 4:30 p.m. Route 15 schedule
Route 11: Dry Creek Vista and Mescal.From the West SR-89A Park and Ride, 905 Upper Red Rock Loop Road. Departures every 30 minutes from 7:00 a.m., with the last trip out at 4:30 p.m. Both trailheads connect to Devil's Bridge. Route 11 schedule
Route 14: Soldier Pass.From the Posse Grounds Park and Ride, 20 Carruth Drive. Departures every 50 minutes from 7:00 a.m., with the last trip out at 4:10 p.m. The Soldier Pass trailhead itself has only 14 parking spaces. Route 14 schedule

The buses are wheelchair accessible and carry up to three bikes. Real-time departures are in the TransLoc app.

Five shuttle-served hikes

From the easiest to the hardest

Bell Rock Pathway No. 96. Easy.3.5 miles one way with 185 feet of elevation change, about 2.5 hours round trip, from a 4,192-foot trailhead on SR 179. Little Horse on Route 15 is one of its shuttle stops. Forest Service trail page
Little Horse Trail No. 61. Moderately easy.1.5 miles with 330 feet of gain, about 1 hour one way, from a 4,300-foot trailhead on SR 179. The Forest Service calls it good for beginners. Forest Service trail page
Devil's Bridge Trail No. 120. Moderate.1.6 miles round trip with 371 feet of gain from its own trailhead, but the last stretch of Dry Creek Road to that trailhead needs a high-clearance vehicle. From the Mescal trailhead it is 4.0 miles round trip; from Dry Creek Vista, about 5.8. Both are on shuttle Route 11. Forest Service trail page
Soldier Pass Trail No. 66. Moderate.4 miles round trip with 641 feet of gain, about 2.5 hours, from a 4,444-foot trailhead. Bicycles are allowed only on the first 1.3 miles, to the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness boundary. Forest Service trail page
Cathedral Rock Trail No. 170. Strenuous.Only 1.1 miles round trip, but 669 feet of gain in that distance, about 1.5 hours, from a 4,043-foot trailhead on Back O' Beyond Road. Forest Service trail page

Order: the Forest Service's own difficulty rating for each trail, then elevation gain. Lengths, gains and times are the Forest Service's figures, one way or round trip as each trail page states them.

State parks on Oak Creek

Two parks, two sets of rules

Slide Rock State Park: an 80-foot sandstone chute in Oak Creek Canyon.The slide is 2.5 to 4 feet wide. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from February 3 to December 1, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from December 2 to February 2; entry and the swim area close an hour before the park. A vehicle with 1 to 4 adults pays $20 through October 31 and $10 from November through February, and up to $30 on summer weekends and holidays. Entry is by vehicle only, first come, first served, with no walk-ins or drop-offs. There is no lifeguard, glass is not allowed, and no pets are allowed from May 1 through September 30. The apple orchard Frank Pendley planted in 1912 still stands. Slide Rock State Park
Red Rock State Park: trails along Oak Creek, no swimming.Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., last entry 4:30 p.m. Entry is $10 for adults 14 and older, $5 for ages 7 to 13, and free for ages 6 and under. About 5 miles of interconnecting loop trails lead to red rock views and along the creek, and the Miller Visitor Center has an interpretive area and a theater. Swimming and wading in the creek are prohibited, and only service animals are allowed. Red Rock State Park

Getting there

From the Valley to Red Rock Country

How far it is.About 97 miles in a straight line from Phoenix City Hall to the Cathedral Rock trailhead, 97 miles from Mesa City Hall and 92 miles from Scottsdale City Hall. Road miles and drive times run longer.
The way in from I-17.Take the Sedona exit, exit 298, and follow State Route 179 west through the Village of Oak Creek. The Bell Rock Pathway's southern trailhead is 8.3 miles in.
Start at the ranger station.The Red Rock Ranger Visitor Center is at 8375 State Route 179. It is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Wednesdays, noon to 4:30 p.m., and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Phone 928-203-2900. Red Rock Ranger Visitor Center
West Fork is closed through October 31, 2026.A Forest Service order closes West Fork Trail No. 108 and its drainage through 11:59 p.m. October 31, for rockfall and flood debris hazards in the Oak Creek watershed after the Pocket Fire. Check before you go. West Fork closure

Sources

Pass types, prices, fee sites and where to buy: Coconino National Forest, Red Rock and Coconino Passes Program. Shuttle days, park and ride lots, routes, departures and accessibility: City of Sedona, Sedona Shuttle trailhead shuttles, Route 11, Route 14, Route 15, About Sedona Shuttle and the November 2025 rider guide. Trails, trailhead parking and the drive in: Coconino National Forest, Bell Rock Pathway No. 96, Little Horse Trail No. 61, Devil's Bridge Trail No. 120, Soldier Pass Trail No. 66 and Cathedral Rock Trail No. 170. Visitor center: Coconino National Forest, Red Rock Ranger Visitor Center. West Fork: Coconino National Forest, West Fork Temporary Area Closure. State parks: Arizona State Parks, Slide Rock State Park, its swimming page and facility information, and Red Rock State Park. Distances: straight-line miles from each city hall's Maricopa County address point to the Forest Service's published Cathedral Rock trailhead coordinates. Photo: Bell Rock, Sedona, by Carol M. Highsmith, Carol M. Highsmith's America, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division (public domain, via Wikimedia Commons). All checked 19 October 2026. Fees, hours, shuttle schedules and closures change, so confirm with the Forest Service, the City of Sedona and Arizona State Parks before you go.

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