Brin's Mesa/Solider Pass Loop and Soldier Pass Arch

If you are in Sedona and want a great hike that captures the beauty of the area then do this hike!  This is a five mile loop hike.  If you add the side trail to the arch you will be adding an additional 1/2 mile to your hike. Trust me you want to do the side trail to the arch.  This is one of the most unique arches I have ever seen in all my years of hiking and exploring.  You can get "inside" of the arch by climbing up a few rocks that someone has stacked for easier access.  Trust me, you want to climb into the arch!  Like I said before this is an incredibly unique formation.  Click here for map.

There are two trail heads you can start this hike from.  I chose to start the trail at the Jordan Road Trailhead and my description will follow from that starting point.  Directions to this trailhead are at the end of this post, along with directions to the alternative starting point, Soldier Pass Trailhead. ( You can also click on the trailhead names to go to a google map of the location). Just be aware parking is limited, however there is more parking spots at the Jordan Road Trailhead than at  the Soldier Pass Trailhead. You will need to purchase a Redrock Pass to park at either parking lot.  Conveniently there is a Redrock Pass vending machine at the Jordan Road Trailhead which takes credit cards.  Click here for information on obtaining a Redrock Pass.

From the Jordan Road Trailhead you will start out on the Brin's Mesa Trail and hike this trail counter clockwise.  This trail begins to the right and behind the Trailhead Information Sign/Map.  A few hundred feet into your hike the Cibola Pass Trail will head to the left.  Stay on the main Brin's Mesa Trail.  About 1 mile in you will begin a steep climb to the top of Brin's Mesa.  It's nothing too steep or long, but in my case it did get my heart pumping.  At 1.4 miles you will come to the top of your climb.  You have reached Brin's Mesa and will notice a lot of dead trees.  A fire in 2006 swept through this area.

Continue on the trail for approximately .5 miles where you will come to a split in the trail.  Take the Solider Pass Trail to your left.  You will begin a descent down into the canyon below.  As you begin your descent look to your left along the canyon wall where you will see three alcoves.  The furthest on on the right is the Solider Pass Arch.  It does not look like an arch from this vantage point.

View across to the arches

Once you have reached the bottom the trail will wind through trees, providing some nice relief from the sun.  You want to keep your eyes out for the Soldier Pass Arch Trail around 3 mile that will go off to the left.  This side trail was not marked.  However, you will know you are close to the junction when you pass the Secret Mountain Wilderness sign.  Another hundred feet or so and the Arch Trail appears to the left.

The Arch Trial begins a steep ascent up the side of the canyon wall.  You will come to a large clear sandstone area.  Head across this and you will see the trail begin another steep climb.  Continue up the trail which will end right at the Soldier Pass Arch.  You can access the inside of the arch by walking up to the alcove and look to your right.  Some has stacked rocks to make the entry through the crack easier.  Climb up this crack and then check out what awaits you inside.

Inside the Arch

After you are done exploring the arch, then head back down the way you came.  When you come back to the Soldier Pass Trail Junction, head to your left and continue down the trail.  You will come to another junction in the trail.  Stay on the trail to the left.  The trail to the right turns into a jeep road and will take you to the Soldier Pass Trailhead.

Seven Sacred Pools

You will soon come to what is called the Seven Sacred Pools.  This is another open sandstone area where water has created levels of pools.  On my visit there was standing water in several pools and also plenty of bees, so be careful.  They left us alone though. 

Devil's Kitchen

Continue on the trail to another unique geological formation called Devil's Kitchen.  This is a massive sink hole, what it would have been to witness the collapse of this?

Once you pass Devils Kitchen you will come to another junction.  You want to take the Jordan Trail which heads to the left across another open sandstone area. 

Jordan Trail

Follow the Jordan Trail for about .5 miles where you will come to your final junction.  Take the Cibola Pass Trail to the left.  This trail will head up and over the hill in front of you for .7 miles.   It is another steep climb, but not long.  When you reach the top you will quickly head back down and should be able to see the cars parked in the trailhead below.

This is a great loop hike that packs a lot of variety in its short 6 miles.

Length: 6 miles loop
Difficulty: Moderate
Traffic: Heavy use
Fee: $5.00
Hike Time: 3-4 hours
Season: Fall through Spring 

Directions: 

To Jordan Trailhead:
From the Sedona Y (Junction 89A and 179) go north east, towards Uptown Sedona, for 0.3 miles. Turn left into Jordan Rd and follow Jordan Rd for 0.8 miles to a T intersection with Park Ridge Drive. Turn left on Park Ridge Drive to the end of the pavement and continue on a fairly bumpy dirt road (but passable for passenger cars) for about 0.7 miles to parking and trailhead.

To Soldiers Pass Trailhead:
An alternate trailhead about 1.2 hiking miles away from the Jordan Road Trailhead. From the Sedona Y (Junction 89A and 179) go west towards West Sedona and Cottonwood for 1.2 miles to the first light and turn right into Soldiers Pass Road. Follow the winding Soldiers Pass Road north for 1.5 miles to Rim Shadows Drive. There is a small brown trail sign there. Turn right and go on for less than 0.2 miles. The names of the roads are screwy around here, but there are little brown signs steering you to the parking area. The parking is on the left, up a gated drive (only open from 8am to 6pm!) with a limited number of parking spots.

From PHX (I-10 & AZ-51) 123 mi, 2 hours 16 mins
From TUC (Jct 1-10 & Grant) 228 mi, 3 hours 56 mins
From FLG (Jct I-17 & I-40) 29.3 mi, 41 min

Red Rock Crossing/Crescent Moon Picnic Area - Sedona

Chances are if you have seen a photo of Sedona, then you have viewed this photo from Red Rock Crossing of Oak Creek flowing below Cathedral Rock. 

While this spot is not a hiking location, it is a great destination and one not to miss.  Red Rock Crossing is located 7 miles southwest of Sedona, and unfortunately you will not be alone when you visit.  In fact while we were there several tour buses unloaded to enjoy the view. However, it is still worth your time to visit.  Try to go early or during the week.  Red Rock Crossing is operated by a private concessionaire on Federal Land. The entrance fee is $9.00 a car (up to five in a car).  Yes, it is a tad pricey! You may visit from 9:00 a.m. until dark. There are several picnic tables and a nice path that will take you to various parts of the creek.  Take your time to explore the path network and play in the water.

 One spot not to miss is called Buddah Bay, this is a location that some people believe is an energy vortex.  Regardless of your beliefs people have built up small rock monuments, like cairns along the path.  It is actually quite the sight and fun to build a few with your kids.
 Here is a link to the official Forest Service page.

Directions: Drive west from Sedona on US 89A. Just outside town, turn south on FR 216 (Upper Red Rock Loop Road). Drive about 1.5 miles and follow the signs to Red Rock Crossing.
Fee: $9.00
 

Bell Trail to the Crack- Wet Beaver Creek

No people, how did I get this shot!

Warning:  Be aware of the risk of flash floods in this canyon/drainage.  Always check the weather forecast before entering any canyon/drainage.  Flash floods can occur with little to no warning and cause the water to rise exponentially. Summer thunderstorms at the head of a canyon can cause flash floods in your area.  Be aware of your surroundings.  

Note: I strongly advised you to hike this trail during the week.  The crack has an excellent swim hole that is also a party location for locals and teenagers.  I'm not sure how populated the location is during the week, but my guess is there will not be as many partyers. With that said, this is a great hike.  I want to return and try this during the week to hopefully have more of the place to myself or with less of a rowdy crowd when I arrive. The trail is out and back and is 3.5 miles to what is known as The Crack.  This is an excellent swim hole with several places to jump off the cliffs into the cool pools.  The highest cliff to jump off of is about 30 feet.  The trail is located to the east of Sedona in the Coconino National Forest.  Directions to the trail are at the end of this narrative.

Little shade on hike to swim hole

The trail is wide and easy to follow.  It does not skirt right along side the creek rather stays several hundred yards from the creek; however you can see the green trees framing the pathway of the river to your right as you hike along the trail.  The trail is exposed.  There is not much shade.  There are many spur trails that lead down to the creek to give you an opportunity to cool off.  The creek flows lightly through this area.  About half a mile in is a large black boulder sitting to the left of the trail.  Stop to take a look as their are several hieroglyphs on the rock.   

Up above the creek along the ridge

At 1.5 miles you will come to another trail, the White Mesa Trail that leads off to your left.  At 1.75 miles another trail leads off to the left called the Apache Maid Trail.  Stay on the main trail, but it is nice to know how far you have come when you reach these junctions.  At about 2 miles the trail begins to climb up the ridge to your left along a sandstone cliff.  This is not a difficult hill, but is exposed with little to no shade.  The trail skirts along the edge of the ridge and as you progress you can here the creek below running at a faster pace and also several good swimming holes which would be worth exploring from the creek below.  At about 2.5 miles the trail begins to descend towards the creek again.  Before you cross the creek you will see a spur trail that heads to your left.  This is the trail you want that leads to the swimming hole, known as The Crack.  It is only about 100 yards to this location.

The Crack is a beautiful spot, surrounded by red sandstone cliffs and green vegetation it is a place you could stay and play all day.  Unfortunately that is what we found when we got there, a lot of people.  I look forward to hiking this again in hopes to find it less populated during the week.

Remember the hike out is going to be hotter than your hike in.  Take plenty of water.  I would recommend bringing a water filter so you can just take the water straight from the creek if needed.  This hike is kid friendly, but it is 3.5 miles to the fun swimming hole along a trail with little shade.  Make sure your kids have plenty of water. FYI the Beaver Creek Campground is just a bit further down the road from the trailhead.

Length: 7 miles
Elevation Gain: 520 feet
Difficulty: Easy, but exposed
Recommend: All hiking levels

Cliff jumping at The Crack

Season: Spring-Fall
Hiking Time: 4 hours.  Add in more time to play in the pools.
Directions: From Phoenix go North on Highway I-17 to the Sedona Exit, 179 turn right, this is FR618. Follow FR618 2 miles and turn left onto FR618A. Follow the signs to the trailhead.

West Fork of Oak Creek

Put this hike on your list to do!  This trail is very popular but worth fighting the crowds to see.  Fortunately you can beat most of the crowd by arriving early to the trailhead, which is highly recommend as the parking area will fill up fast after 10:00 a.m. on a weekend.  Speaking of parking, as of 2012, the cost to park at the trailhead is $9.00.  The only way around this fee is to buy a Red Rock Pass from various Ranger Stations in the area for $5.00 and park on the main road of Oak Creek Canyon.  The trail is located in the beautiful and popular Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona. See directions at the end of this narrative.

"Official" end of the trail at 3 miles

This trail is an out and back. Although there is the option of backpacking the entire 14 mile length; one which I hope to accomplish in the future.  The "official" trail ends at 3 miles, your turnaround point.  You will know you have reached this spot as the trail ends and further progress requires the hiker to walk in the creek.  The turnaround point is a beautiful spot where the creek has carved out a small tunnelish area, (is that a word).

The trail starts by crossing over Oak Creek via a large bridge and then turns to your left through an old apple orchard.  You then will come to an old homestead area with an interesting cabin.  The trail then turns right into the "Secret Mountain Wilderness."  This trail has several creek crossings.  Although on the official section of the trail you can manage to keep your feet dry by rock hopping across the small crossings.  This trail is simply put, beautiful.  The trail is extremely vegetated and its hard to believe you are in Arizona with how green and lush the area is.  Sandstone canyon walls tower high above, small waterfalls and inviting pools line this trail.  The trail stays pretty much right next to the creek the entire time.  The only exception is near the end at about 2.7 miles where you will climb a short but fairly steep hill onto a small ridge, you quickly descend back down and follow the trail another hundred yards.  The official trail ends at this location, where the canyon suddenly narrows and forms a tunnel like area. 

3 mile point

The day I hiked this trail, in June, there were hundreds of butterflies.  It was incredible.  There is also poison ivy along this trail, so be careful if you leave the main trail for any reason.  Also, we were able to filter the water and drink with no problems.

The group I hiked with entered the creek at the 3 mile mark and we continued upward about another 1.5 miles.  This required us to be in the creek about 60% of the time.  The other 40% was bushwhacking through a lot of overgrown vegetation.  There is no official trail to follow, although you can see some areas that have been stamped down a bit.  If you have the time and don't mind getting wet it is worth the extra time to explore up the canyon.  The canyon narrows and about 3.75 miles in is a large pool.  The pool is shallow but the beauty of the spot is incomparable. Further up at about 4.5 miles we found a pool large enough to swim in.  This is the point our group turned around and began the hike out.

This hike is easy and flat, all but the small hill toward the end.  On our hike out in the afternoon the trail was very busy.  We began our hike at 9:00 and returned to the trailhead at 3:00.  

The following photos are all past the 3 mile turnaround point.  

Just past tunnel area at 3.1 miles

Large pool. 3.75 miles in

Backpackers heading down West Fork

 

Length: 6 miles out and back (official trail)
Elevation Gain: 200 feet 
Difficulty: Easy to 3 mile point.  Past 3 miles requires walking in water, scrambling over boulders and bush whacking- that's where it gets fun.
Recommened: All hiking levels to 3 mile point
Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Hiking Time:  2 hours to 3 mile mark.  Plan on extra time to explore and play in the water


Directions:  From Phoenix take Interstate 17 North, Exit 298, just north of Camp Verde to State Route 179 North, turn left.  Drive through Sedona to the "Y" junction with Highway 89A. (large roundabout) Turn right onto 89A,  cross the large bridge over Oak Creek that enters the canyon.  Drive 9 miles and watch for the sign for the Westfork trailhead, the trailhead and parking are on your left. The parking area is called "Call of the Canyon".

Oak Creek Canyon

There are two things I can say about Oak Creek Canyon: 1- Absolutely beautiful and 2- Absolutely packed with people. Oak Creek Canyon is a 12 mile long gorge along the Mogollon Rim south of Flagstaff, Arizona. Oak Creek cuts through the gorge forming pools and small waterfalls. The gorge towers with red rock spires and is lush and green with vegetation. Due to this beauty located in such a small concentrated area Oak Creek Canyon is second only to the Grand Canyon in Arizona tourist destinations. If at all possible, visit this unique place during the week. A few things to know about Oak Creek before your visit.
Obtain a Red Rock Pass: Required for parking anywhere in the canyon for longer than 15 minutes. A pass may be obtained at the visitor center in Sedona or local gas stations. Daily passes are $5.00 and do not allow entrance into private and state entities (Slide Rock State Park, Call of the Canyon and others) If you plan on spending more than one day and visiting several locations I would suggest purchasing the
Grand Annual Pass $40.00 (50% Discount for Golden Age/Access Passport holders and America the Beautiful Senior/Access holders)This pass is valid for use as a parking permit to recreate in Red Rock Country including these sites.

• Red Rock Country Heritage Sites
• Banjo Bill
• Grasshopper Point
• Crescent Moon
• Call O' The Canyon (West Fork Trail)

In the end this will save you money, especially if you take repeated visits.

Oak Creek Canyon is a hikers dream. It has close to 100 hiking trails all within close distance of each other. The hikes range from easy to difficult to overnight backpack trips. See the following map of the area.
One hike I would highly recommend is West Fork of Oak Creek. This trail leads into a side canyon of Oak Creek and follows a small stream with tall red rock towers above. This trail is easy, the whole family can hike this. There are small stream crossings, but nothing that will get you wet if you are careful. The only downside to this hike, there is a large amount of poison ivy and poison oak alongside the trail. Remind your kiddos to keep away!!! The downside to this trail, due to its ease it is extremely busy. Start early!!!!! The trail is 3 miles one way. We turned around after about 1.5 miles.
FYI: if you don't buy the Grand Annual Pass it costs $8.00 to park in the parking lot called Call O' The Canyon.

Another spot not to miss is Slide Rock State Park.
The name says it all. This place is a lot of fun, but again incredibly busy with people. Oak Creek runs across a section of rock at this point which has created great swimming holes and natural chutes cut through the rock that you can slide down. The kids love this place!!!!! Down side to this is there is another $8.00 fee to enter.

Oak Creek also has several campgrounds. The campgrounds fill up fast and are available to reserve. We camped at the Manzanita Campground which is tent only. This was a nice little campground that sits right next to the creek. The creek is close enough for the kids to explore in. Plus it is right across the street from a challenging trail head which leads into the Wilderness area.

This is just an introduction to Oak Creek Canyon. I plan on a return visit and to post more on individual hikes in the area soon.