Devil’s Bridge Trail in Sedona Arizona is a popular hike to a natural bridge. This is a very popular trail and landmark so we decided to do a sunrise hike here in early March, 2020.
Information
According to the hiking guide I used, Devil’s Bridge Trial in Sedona is listed as a moderate 4.4 mile in and out round trip trail from the Devil’s Bridge Trail Parking Lot. You can also drive to Devil’s Bridge Trail head and park there if you have a high clearance vehicle and then only had a 2 mile round trip hike. Personally, after walking along the road, we wouldn’t have driven it even if we had our Jeep. It was pretty rough in spots, but we did see a few Jeeps driving it, so it is doable. My fit bit tracked this hike at 4.1 miles and took 2 hours and 5 minutes.
The Hike
The first mile you will will be hiking along a rough Jeep trail. It was dark on our way there, but very pretty on the way back.
As elevation rises you will be hiking along a dirt path and rock steps at times. We really enjoyed this early morning hike as the sun was rising. The first light of day on the rocks was so brilliantly beautiful.
Right before you arrive at Devil’s Bridge you will encounter some steep steps with drop offs. I wouldn’t think you would want to do this part if you had bad knees or ankles, but it was actually a very short part of the trail. I had my hiking poles with and they were more of a nuisance than they were helpful.
Devil’s Bridge
Devil’s Bridge was pretty amazing. We shared the bridge with 3 other couples and all took turns walking on the bridge and snapping pictures of each other. The sun crawling across the canyon below was beautiful.
The path over and on to the bridge was really not that bad. It is not as narrow as it looks from the photos.
The Hike Back
The hike back was uneventful. It was fun seeing the rock formations from the trail that we passed in the dark. The trail was much busier on our way back.
Conclusion
Devil’s Bridge is a trail you won’t want to miss in Sedona. This is a quick in and out trail with a great reward. It is a busy trail so therefore, you will definitely want to go early. When we arrived at the parking lot at 6 am there were only 3 other cars, but when we returned close to 9 am, the lot was full.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at the Hilton Sedona Resort at Bell Rock. The resort was very nice. Steve’s conference was here so it was convenient to stay here. The room was comfortable with a separate bedroom and a sitting room with fireplace. The room also had a small fridge and microwave. The two restaurants were good and we enjoyed the outdoor dining. I actually ate lunch there each day. There is an outdoor area with fire pits and seating, also an outdoor games area. The staff was very courteous and knowledgeable about the area. There also is a large spa. I did treat myself to a deep tissue massage after day 3 of hiking. The gal there was great!
Planning
When planning for this trail, we used the Great Sedona Hikes Guidebook. I liked this book because it gave straight forward information, good directions, accurate description and include a map. This book was easy to follow and contains information on over 100 trails in the area. The only thing I would have liked better is if the photos were in color instead of black and white. Although, there is an icon on each hike that you can scan on your phone that has great color photos of each hike.
I also used Sedona Trails Map while in Sedona. This is a sturdy map that fit nicely in my bag. Easy to follow and definitely worth having.
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For more posts about Hikes in Sedona and Hiking Tips you can follow these Links:
Soldier’s Pass Trail, Sedona, March 2020
Making Friends on the Broken Arrow Trail, Sedona March 2020
Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte Hike, Sedona, March 2020
What to wear on a Mountain Hike
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Great post 😁
Thank you!
This is on my list of places I want to see. Great post!!!
Thank you! Sedona is really great!! Hope you get to visit there soon!!
Great description Madam, supplemented by equally amazing pictures. Thank you for sharing.. 😊
On a side note, the Devil’s Bridge looks quite precarious. Even a little bit of overtourism may spell catastrophe for the Devil’s Bridge. Hope the Bridge remains safe..
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!!
My pleasure Madam.. ☺️
A beautiful trail, for sure. Not sure I’d have much confidence in the structural integrity of the natural bridge. Hope you are both well. Allan
The bridge held up while we were there but I didn’t stay on it long!!!! We are both safe and well. Hope all is well with you and your family!! Lori
You guys really are dedicated hikers! As always your photos are gorgeous. And your descriptions are great. Bernd and I have never been to Devil’s Bridge. He hates heights and even though you say it isn’t as narrow as it looks, I’d be hard pressed to get him to do that. 🙂 Thanks for the look at it.
They were a couple people when we were there that just looked at the bridge and got nowhere near it!!! We do like to hike!! Unfortunately limited to the neighborhood these days!!! We live in a pretty flat area of Iowa so not much to see!!!
Standing in the middle of the bridge arch must have been a bit nerve racking 😊
It was both nerve-racking and thrilling! Other people went before us so it appeared safe! Some people climb down to look at it from the bottom up and I didn’t have the nerve for that!!
I don’t think I’d have had the nerve either 😆 but well done for the brave photo, it a beautiful shot, and for you an unforgettable memory 🤗
Yes it is! I’m not always so brave we attempted chimney rock a few days later and I maybe made it halfway up and froze!! Slowly made my way down!!
Better safe than sorry 😉
Take care x
Yes!! You take care as well and stay safe!! Lori
Thank you for good report with many beautiful photos that inspire me to plan to go. Do you know if GPS works there ? I am worrying if I lose my way on hiking.
Our GPS worked most of the time!!
Great!
That hike sounds wonderful! We have plans to go to Sedona in May… hope it happens 🙁
I hope it works out for you!! Sedona is amazing!
If the hotel is open, we plan to go 😊
Sounds like a plan!! Best of luck!!
If the hotel is open, we plan to go!
Sounds Great!
If the hotel is open, we will go!
Devils Bridge looks so impressive, what a great hike out from Sedona. The colours are staggering aren’t they and the way they change throughout the day must be great. Lovely photos.
It was a very pretty hike! Loved the early morning sun on the rocks!
We were planning to go to Sedona later this month and this was one of our planned hikes. Another time…
I hope you get there soon! Definitely a great hiking area!!
I’ve never gone hiking before the sun came up, but it seems like a great way to start the day. And I hope the path to the bridge is wider than it looks, otherwise I’d have to crawl to the bridge! 🙂
Lol!! The path was wider or I wouldn’t have been on there!! I love early morning hikes!! Trails aren’t busy and the air is so fresh!!
that’s good to know about the width of the path. and now I want to go on a morning hike…
Morning hikes are great!!! Although I wouldn’t want to do them all the time!! Stay safe!! Lori
Thanks, Lori. You too!
Wow!!! Looks like a beautiful area to hike – I bet that the views were awesome!
They were pretty spectacular!!
What a grand picture of you two on the bridge, Lori! And the land looks so lush with the greens and earthen reds, beautiful! 😊
Thanks!! It was so beautiful! Glad we were able to go!!
We have been there.
A challenging hike.
Yes it is but lots of fun!
Wonderful insights. It looks a beautiful and unique experience. Thank you for all the details you inculded 🙏🏻❤️🌷
Thank you! It was a great hike!!
I love Sedona’s red rock, but haven’t been there in so many years. Your photos are gorgeous!
Thank you! I hope to go back eventually!! So many trails it’s hard to decide which to hike!!
I love Sedona’s red rock, but I haven’t been there in too many years. Your photos are gorgeous!
Great post! I love hiking and been thinking of adding Sedona to my list.
It’s a great place to hike!! Lots of options!!
I really liked the detailed write-up on Devil’s Bridge. We stayed in Sedona a couple years ago during a road trip to the Southwest and did a number of trails in the area. However, we didn’t get to do that one.
Love the shot from the bridge in your first photo–very dramatic!
Thank you! Sedona was so much fun!!! Can’t wait to go back someday!!