Spring is our favorite time of year to hike. The weather is usually perfect. The wildflowers are blooming. And we can’t think of a better way to appreciate this season than by tackling the Woods Canyon Trail. The relatively flat terrain and changing scenery make this one of our top long hikes.
The trail kicks off just past the Red Rock Ranger Station building. The trail does branch off quite a bit in the beginning. But if you’re ever confused, just follow the arrows on the metal signs marked “Trail.” You descend briefly and cross a shallow river just a few steps from the trailhead, your first of several shallow river crossings. Next, you’ll happen upon a metal gate with a sign – the first of two – that asks you to latch it. Look to your left and see if you can spot Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte on the horizon. One nice perk of this trail is that it’s ideal for hikers seeking solitude.
A yellow wildflower that has just blossomed.
The hike eventually opens up in a spectacular way as you head toward Woods Canyon – with expansive blue skies and green-studded mesas all around. Following the recent rainfall, we loved seeing the lush and deep green color of the mountains as we hiked on the red soil Sedona is famed for. At roughly just past 2 miles, the trail comes to a fork and intersects with the Hot Loop Trail. Stay right to continue into Woods Canyon.
A manzanita located on the red soil of the Woods Canyon Trail.
To complete the latter part of this hike that takes you into Woods Canyon, just remember this: follow the river. At times, you’ll be perilously close the edge of trail and could potentially fall in. Be sure to hike in single file here. Mind your footing. But mostly, we’d encourage you to pause and listen to the soothing sounds of Dry Beaver Creek flowing. We saw a few people hiking in swimsuits and plenty of dogs on this trail too. Now, this is one long out-and-back trail and clocks in at just over 10 miles long. Feel free to turn back when you’ve had enough. Overall, this is just a marvelous way to spend a springtime afternoon before summer’s heat makes it nearly impossible to hike in the afternoons. We even spotted a yellow Monarch butterfly on the way back.
