Doe Mountain Trail

This is a less popular trail, but no less worthy to be rated a five star Sedona masterpiece. It's a relatively easy climb (about 30 - 45 min. for most) to the top with single track switchbacks and just a small bit of scrambling on all fours at times (for some). Daily / weekly Sedona parking pass needed for the nearby trailhead lot. Small fee and worth every penny, of course! Once at the summit you can sprawl out to one of numerous vantage points looking out every direction. What I enjoyed was not only the spectacular views, (overlooks mostly undeveloped Sedona) but also how peaceful and quiet it was compared to other trails. I was there in Jan. with my son. Since we're from MN and found a small patch of snow, we couldn't resist creating a couple of mini-snowmen to also enjoy the top of Doe Mountain with us.

A short, hard & steep climb with spectacular payoff. The 360 view at the top of the mesa gave expanded, breathtaking views of the Boynton area and surrounding mountains. The hike up also provided many wow moments. Mesa is reached by scrambling past a rock "slot". Wish I had my wide angle lens! We encountered one person who was hyperventilating from a particularly tricky part where you'd need hands and where the trail perched precariously on the face of the hill. She abandoned and it was probably the right decision. Bring poles if you want to save your knees on the way down. For able-bodied folk this is a moderate hike. Budget an hour for the climb, and timing it for sunset is a very good plan. When we went (~ 3:30 pm mid-week, last week of April) the parking lot was empty but we had to get down before the sun set.

Really enjoyed this hike. It’s dry and dusty but that’s to be expected. Well maintained easy to follow trail. It’s basically a bunch of switchbacks to get to the mesa on top. Some areas are narrow and can be thought of as steep. My heights-beware spouse had to turn around pretty quickly and go sit in the car. It’s beautiful at the top with astounding views. No railings and there are definitely drop offs if you wander near the edges. The whole trip took me about 1 ½ hours and included lots of picture taking. There is a Red Rocks parking pass required that is $5. Credit card only.