Sedona, November 2003
Summary:
Route/Directions:
(links are to maps)
From Pheonix, we took I-17 north to exit 230 and onto
Schnebly Hill Road.
This is a long way into Sedona
(~12 miles from the I-17 exit), but the scenery on this
road is worth the extra miles. On the second day, from the small town of
Oak Creek
just south of Sedona, off of highway 179, we took Verde Valley School Road
and parked at the Oak Creek trail head (~6 miles from 179) and hiked around Cathedral
Rock. That afternoon, we hiked to Devil's Bridge. The trailhead is about 1.3 miles down
forest road 152(C) off of route 89A north-west of Sedona. On the third day, we braved
the infamous Broken Arrow.
From route 179 in Sedona, turn onto Morgan Road with the sign
for "Broken Arrow Estates". That afernoon, we hiked the Airport Loop. The fourth and
final day was the drive home (route 179 south out of Sedona to I-17 south).
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Sedona
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Schnebly Hill Road
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Oak Creek
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Devil's Bridge
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Broken Arrow
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Trip Report:
(links are to pictures)
Day 1 
We stayed in Phoenix the night before, which is only a couple hours south of Sedona.
This gave us a head start on the first day. We entered Sedona from the east on
Schnebly Hill Road. This
is a very scenic and easy drive. It has spectacular views of red rocks
formations surrounded by green trees, and passes by an interesting formation called
Merry-Go-Round Rock. After getting into Sedona, we checked in at Grace's Bed and Breakfast
where we had a perfect view of Courthouse Butte.
We had our Thanksgiving dinner at ??.
Grace had kindly called us before we arrived to ask if she could make a reservation
for us - we recommend staying with Grace.
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Schnebly Hill Road
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Merry-Go-Round Rock
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Courthouse Butte
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Day 2
We took Grace's recommendations that morning and hiked along Oak Creek around
Cathedral Rock. This hike had more great views of the red rock formations.
After lunch, we hiked to Devil's Bridge. Both trailheads are located on well-maintained
dirt roads - Oak Creek is at the end of Verde Valley School Road and Devil's Bridge
is off of forest road 152(C) which continues on up north to Van Derin's cabin or west
around Doe Mountain and Boynton Pass. This was an area that
I wanted to expore more, but just didn't have the time. We'll be back.
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Cathedral Rock
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Devil's Bridge
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Day 3 
We were a little more adventurous this day, and decided to try Broken Arrow.
This is a very popular road, especially with the local tour guides. We passed
many Jeeps of many colors, including the famous pink Jeeps. Some of these guys
seemed like they didn't have much patience for out-of-towners who didn't know
the etiquette (hand signals). I pulled over for one guy, and when he passed,
he motioned for me to roll down my window just to ask why I pulled over when
he had given the "signal" to continue ahead! That's what I get for trying to
be nice.
Anyway, this was a fun road. It had many challenging driving sections, as well as
more incredible views of the red rocks and green valleys. We drove all the
way out to Chicken Point which was worth the dents in my skid plates. After
snapping a few pictures, we headed back taking the alternate one-way route
which goes up higher for more views, then down a section appropriately
named "The Stairs".
At one popular vista point, a tour guide was having
some fun with his customers. He parked the Jeep on a rock for a good view,
then with a scream, dropped the Jeep down a steep side of the rock, coming
to a halt again in an almost vertical position. The kids seemed to like this.
That afternoon, we drove to Aiport Tower, parked at
the trail head, and hiked the entire Airport Loop. This was a good 6-mile
or so hike that went all the way around the airport, giving great views
in all directions.
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Broken Arrow
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The Stairs
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More Stairs
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Day 4
The fourth day was all pavement (sadly, for me, but I'm sure Rachel and
Reilly were happy for the break). We had our final breakfast with Grace
(her best) and headed for home. This was the Sunday after Thanksgiving.
We expected the traffic to be bad, but never in my wildest nighmares did
I think it could be backed up east of Palm Springs! That's right, aside from
an opening at the 60 split, and another when we got extra lanes, the 10 Freeway
was bumper-to-bumper for more than 100 miles! Rachel slept, and I just took
deep breaths, and we made it. The trip was well worth it - one of our best.
Maps, books, etc.
"Guide to Arizona Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails" (by Charles A. Wells)
Trips: Van Deren Cabin (19), Schnebly Hill Road (20), and Broken Arrow (23).
MapSource Topo Map
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