Devil's Bridge Trailhead — Attraction in Sedona

If you're a "legit" hiker (and I consider myself one), Devil's Bridge may not actually end up on your list. A lot of snobby hikers will dismiss this one automatically, citing the touristy nature and the incessant crowds (consisting of a lot of people who clearly don't know how to hike). That's a legit issue but you're doing yourself a real disservice if you forego a bucket list optic for that reason - in an area full of stunning views, this one is really close to if not right at the top.

I would STRONGLY recommend starting early, and I mean early. I'm an absolute machine of a morning person and even I set my alarm. My top-tier chum who literally went to the school of hospitality and I were up and slowly starting to caffeinate by 4:45ish. There might have been a little cranky side-eyeing as the coffee was sipped, but that's a small price to pay (and I've been dealing with those looks for years; second nature at this point). It was still pretty dark when we headed over, and it was literally 6:02am when we set out on the trail. Honestly? If I had to do it over again, I'd push it back 10-15 minutes earlier because there was already a small line of people at the bridge when we got there about 45-50 minutes later.

You have a couple of options here, but this is a rare hike for me at least where it actually IS about the destination, not the journey. I wouldn't get cute with this and opt for one of the 6-mile adventures. Go right to the bridge - it's why you're here. We parked at the Dry Creek Trailhead (which is flat out not going to be an option for you if you're here by 7ish, so another reason not to play around with your start time) and just went on the ATV/Dry Creek Road straight over there. Very simple, very easy and you still get some nice optics on the way. We walked silently most of the time just taking in the spooky mist rising in the canyons. It was really cool. Once we intersected with the official Devil's Bridge trail, it definitely got more crowded but we could hear people throughout this walk. It wasn't egregious, though I couldn't help but wonder in horror at what this is like a few hours into the day.

The vast majority of this trek is easy - it's on an unpaved road so it's not necessarily smooth but the up and down is pretty minimal. It DOES get frisky at the end when you actually get the bridge in your sights and have to climb up to the ledge it's on. It's close to the level of rock scrambling, though I think you can do this in decent running shoes (which I did with no slippage). It's also heavily used so it's easy to see the path you should take, and there are a lot of steps ground into the sides that help as well. I'm in good hiking shape so this wasn't an issue at all. My chum is active but not a huge hiker; she was able to do this with minimal drama as well.

The bridge is really neat and the pics barely do it justice. It looks so much like an optical illusion that some of the 'wow' factor is diminished. And it has the added benefit of looking much scarier than it actually is when you're facing it from certain angles. When you're actually on the side of it about to walk across, it's wider than it appears from the main ledge that a lot of people are hanging out on. Per the attached picture though, I wish I'd gotten a little further to the left - would not have been difficult but it was hard to gauge when you're right there (ask the gazillion people on the ledge for guidance). Another selling point? Even though there were way more hikers than I'd prefer in a normal situation, great vibes abounded. Everyone was very supportive of each other and willing to take pictures for those brave enough to pose and scamper over to the bridge.

Stockpile the coffee and start your day off right - it's worth it...

Fantastic trail! Here are some of the tips that might help make your visit more enjoyable: Park at Mescal Trailhead, especially if you don’t have a 4x4/high clearance vehicle. That trailhead has a restroom, a shuttle stop, and plenty of parking (even on the weekend). Meanwhile, all the cars parked in the very small lot for Devil’s Bridge were 4x4 jeeps and dune buggies and there was no restroom there. If you do the above, you will hike 1.1 miles from Mescal Trailhead to connect to Devils Bridge Trailhead. The trail to Devil’s Bridge itself is another 1.1 miles. The total trip took me about 1 hour up, 1 hour at the top for photos, and 1 hour down. Start early. I began at Mescal Trailhead at 7:30am on a Sunday in late April and when I got to Devil’s Bridge, there was probably a 40-minute wait to take pictures. By the time I came down at 10:30ish, there were about 3x as many people coming up as when I had gone up. The sun was also way less intense at 7:30 (my start) vs 10:30 (my return) and I don’t think I would’ve enjoyed it as much had I started later. Know your ability level. The Mescal and Devil’s Bridge trails are well marked and well travelled. I went solo as an amateur hiker and did just fine. There were people of all ages, though many folks over 60 used trekking poles because the ground is mostly loose dirt, gravel, and rocks. If you have poles, I’d say bring them. Prepare yourself for the last 20 minutes of the trail. This part is the most challenging. Some have alluded to it as “scrambling” and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect before I arrived. Essentially, the last 20 minutes is you, taking big steps up large, gray stones to gain some more serious elevation and hugging/scooting down on those rocks on the way back down. Bring snacks, a backpack, and at least 32oz of water. According to my smartwatch, I burned nearly 1,000 calories on this hike. And I felt it. Bring carbs. My 32oz of water was barely enough. You’ll need a backpack to hold all of this. Do NOT plan to hold it in your hands - you’ll need your hands for the last 20 minutes of the trail. Thank me later. :) The arch ledge is wider than it looks. Honestly, it’s more intimidating from the part where you wait in line/take photos. When you walk out onto the ledge, it’s at least 15 feet wide. You’ll be fine! Please do NOT bring your dogs on this relatively unshaded trail. I saw quite a few that were obviously starting to overheat (at just 10am) and most were not even a half mile from the trailhead. Dogs can and do overheat and the outcome is not good. Please keep them at home, drop them at doggy day care, or find a sitter on Rover. Lastly, enjoy! So many great views and a super cool...

It seems many reviews only cover the surface and don't cover any depth and Give the reader information that would be helpful on this hike. Keep reading and you're going to learn everything you need to know about this hike. 1st you can't park at the trailhead! They put rocks At the entrance near the parking lot a mile away to keep cars and low profile vehicles out of this dirt, sandy rocky road, that leads to the trailhead a mile away. Unless you have a dune buggy, high profile Jeep, plan to park at the parking lot or another quarter mile down the road at the intersection. Parking is limited. Plan to pay to park but I don't recall seeing a sign to pay. We made a habit of putting out our America the beautiful pass on our dashboard everywhere we went. From the parking lot or the intersection, off Dry Creek Rd further away this could easily be a 4 mile round trip hike. They recommend 1 gallon of water per person. We had a backpack with 2 liters each and we were at the end of the water when we got back to the parking lot. I didn't think we were drinking that much water so depending on the time of year you need to stay hydrated. We hiked, Monday 10 May! It was in the low 80's. This is a moderate hike if you take the dirt road to the trailhead. If you take the Chuckwagon trail, it could be a little bit longer. The map at the beginning of the trail at the parking lot doesn't show connector trails back to Devils Bridge, from Chuckwagon trail, but there are several! So you can walk it without adding miles to your hike, like the sign in my post appears to indicate. My wife and I, took 4 hours to complete this hike which included waiting about 45 minutes at the top to get our personalized picture on devil's bridge which is the main focus of this hike; to get to the top and get that iconic photo on the bridge. While waiting, we witnessed 2 proposals!!! We are both Retired Army Officers in our mid sixties high fifties but fairly decent shape for our age. Near the end of the hike you have to climb a fairly steep rocky steps in a few places. Several people brought their dogs and realized their dog could not make it up the steps and they were unable to carry the dog and themselves. You need all 4 limbs to make this climb. Therefore if you have concerns about height this may be intimidating. There are several places below the very top where you can get some very nice panoramic views of the Canyon. It was a challenge convincing my wife she could make it up those rocky steps but she was so proud of herself for getting on that bridge and getting those Unbelievable photos as you can see in my...