Tours$$Guided hikes
A local guide chooses a trail for your fitness and handles the navigation and parking.
Photo: Terrydarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Cathedral Rock Trail
Short and very steep, with a hands-on scramble up slickrock to a saddle between the spires.
- Distance
- About 1.1–1.4 mi round trip
- Elevation gain
- About 650–750 ft
- Difficulty
- Strenuous (Forest Service)
- Parking
- Red Rock Pass, or take the free Sedona Shuttle
The Forest Service rates Cathedral Rock Trail (No. 170) as strenuous. It's short, about 1.1 to 1.4 miles round trip depending on the source, but it climbs roughly 650–750 feet, mostly on bare rock with some hand-and-foot scrambling.
Cathedral Rock is also one of Sedona's best-known vortex sites. The views from the saddle at the top of the official trail are the reward.
Tips
- The trailhead is closed to private cars while the free Sedona Shuttle runs (typically Thursday to Sunday). Take the shuttle from the lot on north Highway 179.
- Wear shoes with grip. Coming down the slickrock is harder than going up.
- Stop at the end of the official trail. Going further is dangerous.
Sources
- Forest Service: Cathedral Rock Trail No. 170
- Sedona Shuttle: trailhead routes
- Coconino National Forest: Red Rock and Coconino passes
Facts last checked November 3, 2026. Prices, hours and rules change, so confirm with the official source before you go.
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