Oak Creek and Cathedral Rock, Sedona

Coconino National Forest,
Yavapai Counties,
Arizona

Hiking Trails:
Baldwin Trail
Red Rock Crossing Trail

Total Time: 0:30 hours
Estimated Distance: 1.2 miles

Pros: Very scenic area
Cons: None
Hike Type: Loop
Level of Difficulty: Easy

Google Maps of Parking:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/spLBSJnTFnL4ftuJ9

Hiking Partner:
Yehudah Koblick

Cathedral Rock is perhaps the most popular landmark in Sedona. It's a giant sandstone promenade jutting from the desert floor, with a good climb up to the middle of the formation. Due to its popularity, there are heavy crowds and very limited parking. We didn't want to compete with everyone climbing this formation, so opted for a back route to enjoy the scenery as well as the nearby scenic creek. We had already done a fairly large hike earlier in the day at Brins Mesa, so this was more like a short scenic walk as we departed Sedona and headed south.

We parked at the end of Verde Valley School Road the parking area. We took the Baldwin Trail east down to the valley, and at the bottom we took the Red Rock Crossing Trail west, and then at the creek we took a break enjoying the desert oasis. We then took the road at that point back up the road to the parking area.

Map of the Route

Yehudah and I with Cathedral Rock Behind Us

Cathedral Rock in the Distance

Descending into the Verdant Creek Area

Oak Creek