Off Roading In Sedona

Outlaw Trail

The Outlaw Trail is an approximately 23.2 mile loop road that’s ideal for intermediate off- roaders. Outlaw starts off mild with a few pretty rugged parts. The trail allegedly was used by, you guessed it, outlaws back in the day. “I like it to call it a climatic trail,” says Daryl. “It starts off and you can see the base of the red rocks off in the distance and as you keep getting further on this loop, you get right up to the base of the red rocks.” In order to experience these views, you’ll have to go from South to North. diamondback Gulch OHV trail Daryl refers to the 9.2 miles long Diamondback Trail as “nature’s roller coaster.” This is a technical trail meant for intermediate off-roaders. “It is a rugged 4 x 4 trail. Sometimes it feels like you’re going straight up. Sometimes it feels like you’re going straight down on the back of an angry diamondback rattlesnake,” he says, with a smile. The Diamondback Trail was originally created by the Forest Service as a gas pipeline that travels out to Cottonwood. You can enter the trail from the South or North. At the beginning of the day, enter from the South. When the sun is lower in the sky, start from the North. By timing it right, you can prevent the sun from being directly in your eyes. Look forward to an open 360-degree view and cinder cones or small volcanic vents, where the magma came out. Sedona’s red rocks are off in the distance. “You get the best of both worlds of how this area was shaped,” he says.

Schnebly Hill Road

Schnebly Hill Road is one of Sedona’s classic off-road trails that offers up some of the most stunning red rock views of town. This 13 mile Jeep road was built by T.C. Schnebly, one of the area’s
original homesteaders and husband of Sedona Schnebly, the city’s namesake. If you have the time, you might want to stop at these two spots: Merry Go Round rock—an iconic Sedona red rock formation that offers stunning vistas all around. Daryl says that an Elvis movie “Stay Away Joe” was filmed there. You may be able to spot anchor holes at the spot where the cameras were placed here. Another must-see highlight on this road is Schnebly Hill Vista where you take in North and South views of Sedona. “It has some of the most traditional views of Sedona,” says Daryl. “It’s one of the few trails where you can get those elevated views.” The road climbs about 2,000 feet in elevation—providing you with a unique perspective. “That’s one of my favorite trials. It goes up in elevation,” says Daryl. “You get to feel climate. You go from the pinon pine to juniper to ponderosa pine forests. You get to see a whole ecosystem change.” Although not a technical trail, you’ll want to have some knowledge of wheel placement. You’ll want to follow where you see tracks advises Daryl.

Forest Road 525

If you’re a beginner, Daryl tells us that many of the off roading trails that branch off of Forest Road 525 in West Sedona can be a good place to start. “Anything off 525 is a nice, smooth trail,” he says. “Just beautiful, 365-degree views. You really get to see the shape of the landscape. You get to imagine this would have looked like millions of years ago.”

Off Roading Tips

When you’re in a residential area, it’s important to be mindful of the people who live there. Daryl says to slow down near houses because speeding kicks up dust. The Forest Service speed limit is
usually 25 miles per hour. If you go faster than this, the Forest Service could ticket you. “You don’t need to go fast to have fun,” he says. It’s important “to be mindful. To be humble. It’s a machine that can turn deadly if you don’t have respect for it.”