5 Sunrise Hikes in Sedona
We spent an entire month in the Sedona area, hiking over 15 of the most popular trails at sunrise or sunset, to find the best time of day for each hike. See below for our favorite sunrise hikes in Sedona.
Birthing Cave
This is a fairly easy 2 mile out and back hike in Sedona. The only slightly challenging part is the end, getting up and into the cave. It was gorgeous sitting in the cave as the sun came up and lit the cave.
Tips for Best Experience
There is not a lot of parking at the trailhead and we snagged one of the last spots, so I recommend getting here early. We arrived just before sunrise and there were several others already in the cave before us.
Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock - This is a difficult 1.2 mile out and back trail, and very popular for sunset. However, we decided to try it at sunrise as well and was pleasantly surprised. We had wonderful views of Sedona and the hot air balloons. Although we do agree that sunset is more beautiful at this location, it is definitely a hike you can do either time of time for spectacular views.
Tips for Best Experience
Parking was much easier to come by at sunrise, and it was a much quieter, more peaceful experience. If you are arriving for sunrise or staying for sunset, I do recommend bringing a headlamp, as it can be treacherous in the dark.
Keyhole Cave
This is a 2.2 mile hike that starts at the Sugarloaf trailhead parking lot. The lighting was gorgeous on the hike to the cave as the sun came up.
Tips for Best Experience
This cave is not off of the main trail, as you have to take an unmarked spur trail once you get to the fork. The trail is right behind the sign and you can see the cave from there. We used our downloaded All Trails map, but as long as you keep the cave in sight, you will get there. It is very hard to get up into the cave, as you have to climb and there is not a lot of hand holds. I would not try to climb this alone, and it is even worse getting down.
Devil’s Bridge
This is an extremely popular 6 mile out and back trail. The exact mileage depends on which way you decide to take to get here. If you have a high clearance vehicle, you can drive to the official start of the trail, and shave off an additional mile each way. The road looked pretty rugged, and we decided to park and walk the extra mile. We actually went at sunset, and although the lighting was fine, we did not think it was spectacular lighting. We had heard from other people that arriving at sunrise was a better experience.
Tips for Best Experience
We did not have any issue finding parking here near sunset, but usually the parking is pretty packed. We see a lot of people parking on the side of the road, but there is also a free park and ride shuttle in Sedona. There is typically a line here for a photo opt, but if you get here early enough (before sunrise), you will have a much better chance of getting a photo without waiting. We arrived here only 10 minutes before sunset and only had to wait for two groups to take their photos. Unfortunately, this did not make for the best lighting, as the sun was setting by the time we reached the bridge.
Bear Mountain
This is a difficult 4.9 mile out and back trail with an elevation gain of 2,024 feet. Although we did not find the views from the top of Bear Mountain that spectacular, the views on the way up during sunrise were beautiful and made this difficult trek in the dark worth it.
Tips for Best Experience
This was a difficult hike and it took us longer than we expected due to the elevation gain. We wished we would have arrived a bit earlier. I also recommend lots of water and headlamps on this hike (if going for sunrise).
