Cathedral Rock — Attraction in Four Corners States

Sedona is located 100 MI (160KM) north of Phoenix near Flagstaff. It is a small town known for the red rock formations and overall outdoor feel of the area. During the summertime many people venture up north to Sedona and Flagstaff to escape some of the summer heat in the Phoenix area. This is a great location to visit if you want to do hikes and is great for photographers. It isn’t uncommon to see couples taking engagement photoshoots all throughout Sedona due to the beautiful backdrops the mountains provide. There is limited parking for this trail so you may need to park on the side of the road, so if you want to avoid the hassle of parking and maneuvering around others during the hike as well as avoid the heat try looking into starting your hike prior to 9AM. It takes around 2 hours to arrive to Sedona from Phoenix and certain trails like this one can get very crowded after around 10AM and even earlier in the summer so you have to plan accordingly. This particular hike which leads you to cathedral rock takes around 1.5 hours to complete depending on how busy it is and how many stops you make. It is very tricky in certain parts where you must climb on all fours up narrow waterways. Because of this we suggest traveling light and in clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and to complete the hike you may need to leave your furry friends behind unless they’re small enough to carry. During the summertime it is also necessary to be aware of monsoon season which causes heavy rain in short periods of time which can lead to flash floods in the area. Nevertheless, once arriving at the top you will see a vast landscape that showcases the various layered textures of the surrounding mountains in the desert. If you’re ever in Northern Arizona this is definitely a place worth visiting and a good hike to do! As you approach the top of the Cathedral Rock Trail it will open up into this large bowl below and there will be space to walk around the edges like this one pictured. Despite how it seems the path to get there is not too narrow and there is plenty of room to stand but it can be quite scary depending on how close you are to the edge. To get this particular angle of the area this photo was taken near the end of the trail as you first come up onto this concourse. This angle allows you to get the edge of the rocks to the side as well as the area below. At the time that we went we were able to take pictures with only one other couple waiting to take photos after us. Because this is the ideal location to take photos at we imagine there is probably quite a long wait during popular times of the day. Prior to hiking anywhere we always like to check the recent conditions using @alltrails to see if there are any recent hazards to know of. It’s also good at providing you with more accurate info on the amount of time to complete a hike as well as how busy it gets during certain...

Summary: Drive to Sedona parking spot during spring break season as they do not allow for any trailhead parking. Starts off with light walk and there are a few scrambles to make your way up. We are novices and found it doable but with a few challenging areas. Has numerous points as you elevate to enjoy the views. The last part of the trail is very nice as the end of trail offers a "new" view of the other side of the valley. There's another trail to the left of the "end of trail" sign that acts as a side quest for anyone wanting just a little more and has a short scramble to one of the "vortex" with a small bonus view. Then downhill back to the shuttle which runs every 15 min to get back to the parking lot.

Pros: very doable 1-2 hr commitment with shuttle with numerous views throughout the trail. Simple but fun climbing elements offer a sense of achievement as well. Shuttle runs every 15 min so you are not waiting too long.

Cons: We went in am but when we left more crowds were definitely filtering in making it more difficult to come down. When we first came we tried to go to the trailhead directly as that's what most YouTube information we found recommended only to find it was shuttle only and wasted some time figuring that aspect out.

Conclusion: Despite our worries this was a hyped up touristy trail this is considered one of the "fun" hikes for a reason. Lots of high reward views along the way with a sense of achievement. ...

Breathtaking scenery and challenging hike. I would say this hike is simple for those who are regular hikers but for those who have no hiking experience or are used to dirt trails that you can drive a vehicle on then this will be a challenge for you. We hiked this trail to the top and then some. When you get to the top you can make a right and check out an anamazing view from the northern most rock and if you take a left from the top(this is coming up from the east side as it’s the side we came up) you can go left and hike around the western most southern rock. There will be more rock scaling to get to the top of this scenic but worth it spot. We came across all types on this hike. We noticed the Europeans and Japanese folks took to this hike as if it was nothing. There are folks here in slip on vans, gym shoes, expensive hiking boots to Birkenstock’s! The one gal who came up as we were going back down had on not only Birkenstock’s but she was carrying her dog. Another couple had a small dog as well. So it all depends on your level of comfort and experience. I was in gym shoes and would have felt much more comfortable if I had hiking shoes like my boyfriend had on. I was nervous in some spots going up as it can be slippery on the rocks and was surprised that for me going down was easier. Usually going back down has proven to be harder for me. We are all different when it comes to hiking. Bring water...