Hiking Cathedral Rock Trail in Sedona

Staring up the steep and narrow red rocks on Cathedral Rock Trail in Sedona, Arizona, I was at the edge of my comfort zone.

Losing your balance on this section could easily result in a painful, potentially fatal fall, as there’s nothing to slow your momentum.

We’d already climbed higher than Kel had the first time a year earlier, when she wore running sneakers that lacked grip on the smooth rock.

Despite her recommendation that I buy hiking shoes, as she’d since done, I figured I could get by as I had during our hikes in Big Bend National Park.

I was wrong, and it was more than evident. I hadn’t considered the slick rock we’d be traversing, let alone a vertical scramble with few obvious handholds and lots of loose rock.

The Cathedral Rock Trail was among the most popular hikes in Sedona. How challenging could it be, I’d thought?

Unlike the Devil’s Bridge hike, I didn’t even read about it. And now I was wondering if I’d make it to the top.

Getting to Cathedral Rock Trail

Following a terrific brunch with pizza and cocktails at Hideaway House after our sunrise hike to Devil’s Bridge, we visited V Bar V Ranch to see petroglyphs before driving toward the Cathedral Rock Trailhead.

The best times to visit Cathedral Rock in the Coconino National Forest are sunrise and sunset, when the sun is low in the sky and (hopefully) the temperatures are cooler.

But, we didn’t have the luxury of time, as we only had one full day in Sedona and wanted to make the most of it.

Parking and Shuttle

The day before, we’d used a credit card to pay $15 for a weekly Red Rock Pass which allows you to use the small parking lots at trailheads. Purchasing a pass is a required. A day pass is $5.

Unfortunately, but predictably, there were no parking spaces available in the two Cathedral Rock Trailhead parking lots, so we again had to rely on the free Sedona Shuttle to get us there.

The departure point for Cathedral Rock Trailhead is the North SR-179 Park and Ride on Google Maps.

The shuttle departs every 15 minutes from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Thursday through Sunday, for the 10-minute drive.

To return, the Sedona Shuttle departs the Cathedral Rock Trailhead every 10 minutes from 7:10 a.m. until 5:12 p.m.

Keep these times in mind if you’re aiming to watch the sunset from atop Cathedral Rock, as you’ll need to rely on your own…