The Little Horse Trail is one of our favorite hikes in town for two key reasons – the trail is relatively flat and lets you get up close to Sedona’s famed red rocks. The trail kicks off just past the parking lot on the Bell Rock Trail. Make an immediate right to get on the Bell Rock Trail. From there, the hike runs against the traffic on nearby AZ-179. See if you can spot Bell Rock in the distance. You’ll likely hear cars speeding by until you take a left to get on the Little Horse Trail. It intersects with Bell Rock Trail at 0.25 mile. The trail descends here. Tread carefully on the loose rocks. We’ll admit we lost our footing.
Sedona’s red rocks peek out on the horizon along the trail. At the end of this trail, hikers are rewarded with sweeping views from Chicken Point.
Little Horse Trail is relatively flat and winding, making it an ideal trail for mountain bikers too. Be mindful of them as you hike. The trail is mostly unshaded, and it’s important to bring a hat and sunglasses to prepare for the sunny journey. As you follow the trail, you’ll be surrounded by Cypress trees. Appreciate the unique vista of the Chapel on the horizon to the left. If you want to trek out to see this iconic site, the Little Horse Trail intersects with the Chapel Trail at just past the one-mile mark. Turn left if you want to see the Chapel. If you’ve never seen this, it’s worth a gander as there’s literally no other place in the world like this. Turn right to stay on Little Horse. At this point, you can see a choice view of the Madonna and the Nuns spire rock formation. Go past the gray fence at mile 1.4. As you hike, you’ll be close enough to almost touch the base of the red rocks of Twin Buttes – one of the many things we just love about this trial.
When hiking the Little Horse Trail, be sure to take a moment to spot one of Sedona’s most prominent sites, the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
As you hug the base of Twin Buttes, you’ll eventually make a slight ascent to reach the slickrock saddle Chicken Point. The trail can become a little hard to follow at this point. Search for cairns – stacks of rocks that mark a trail – wrapped in wire fencing to find your way. You’ll ascend just a few feet to enjoy one of our favorite viewpoints in town. From Chicken Point, you’ll enjoy 360 red rock views. Pause to soak them up. We even spotted a Pink Jeep Tour group there. You can extend your hike by tackling the Broken Arrow trail, which kicks off at Chicken Point. Or turn back the way you came for a 3.6-mile total hike. Post hike, we stretched our legs on a shaded bench just past the trailhead. Consider packing a snack. We spotted two people enjoying one at a picnic table in the parking lot.
A view from the Little Horse Trail.
Please check with the Red Rock Ranger District of Coconino National Forest before planning your hike. For more information visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=54892
