The 10 Best Mountain Bike Trails in Sedona
Discover the best mountain bike trails in Sedona for world-class red rock riding. From flowy singeltrack to full on DH descents, there’s something for everyone.
Looking for the best Sedona mountain bike trails? Honestly, you can’t really go wrong. Sedona is hands-down one of my favorite places to ride in the US. Not only is it absolutely beautiful, but the mountain biking is world-class as well. There are so many amazing trails to choose from between the flowy descents near the Village of Oak Creek, the cross-country terrain of West Sedona, and the off-the-beaten-path singletrack in Carroll Canyon.
They’re all great, but if it’s your first time visiting, it can be hard to know which trails are the best. So to help you make the most of your Sedona mountain bike adventure, I’ve put together a list of what I think are the best mountain bike trails in Sedona. They range from intermediate-friendly to expert (Sedona isn’t really a great place for true beginner riders) and they all have a great mix of flow, tech, views, and good times.
Now get out and ride!
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Map of the best Sedona mountain bike trails
Best Intermediate Trails
Why no beginner trail? To be honest, Sedona is not the best place for beginner riders… if you want to explore some of the easier trails and loops, head over to my post on Beginner Mountain Bike Trails in Sedona.
1. Mescal
I would go out on a limb and say that Mescal is one of the most beautiful mountain bike trails in Sedona – and definitely one of the best. It runs along the base of Mescal Mountain and a good portion of it is on red slickrock. Take a few moments to look back from where you came from, the views are epic!
Mescal is not super technical, but there is some minor exposure and tricky maneuvers that may need to be walked for beginner/intermediate riders. In my opinion, the best way to ride it is east to west, which is the opposite of what TrailForks suggests.
2. Llama
Llama is a great cross-country trail and a good introduction to mountain biking in Sedona. It also has great views of Courthouse Butte!
Most of Llama is relatively mellow pedaling, but there are a few features that come up quickly and might need to be walked (or sessioned) for newer riders.
Looking for more info on the riding in Sedona? Check out my Complete Guide to Mountain Biking in Sedona for more route recommendations and tips.
3. Grand Central
Grand Central is one of my new favorite trails in Sedona! It has great views and an amazing descent for not much climbing effort (although the last bit up to the top is a grunt, but totally worth it!). The descent is fast and flowy and this network of trails allows you to lap your favorite sections super easily.
For the route below, if you only want to do one climb, skip Javalina and just do the Grand Central descent.
4. Canyon of Fools
Different from anything else in Sedona, Canyon of Fools is a narrow canyon that feels like a slalom course for bikes. Keep your speed up and get your flow on! There are a couple of offshoots throughout the canyon, but they all lead to the same place so choose your own adventure. Just don’t head to Canyon of Fools after heavy rain or on a day when there is a flash flood warning.
I haven’t found a perfect way to incorporate Canyon of Fools into a route, but the below loop is pretty fun. If you don’t want to do the whole thing, simply cut out the Chuckwagon loop. You also hit Mescal, so you can kill two birds with one stone.
5. Little Horse
Little Horse is a great descent down from the picturesque Chicken Point (a must!). It’s not too technical aside from a few features, but it’s beautiful and has awesome flow, especially the lower part.
The most challenging section on Little Horse is a rock garden chute that may need to be walked or sessioned.
The route above also includes Llama, so double win!
6. Baldwin Loop
The Baldwin Loop is in a quieter area of Sedona (although ‘quiet’ is a relative term for Sedona) so it’s a good place to head if you’re looking to get away from the crowds. The reason I include Baldwin here is more because of the fact that has access to Oak Creek. Most people don’t realize that there is a beautiful river that runs through Sedona. Definitely take a minute or two (or more) to check out Buddha Beach and maybe even take a dip.
A lot of mountain bikers do a section of Baldwin as part of their Hiline ride (see below), but this loop I recommend above is great for those who aren’t up for the Hiline tech or have already tackled it.
The Baldwin Loop is best ridden counterclockwise.
7. Outer Limits
I have a love/hate relationship with Outer Limits. On the love side, it’s a beautiful trail that feels quite remote and kind of gets you into a zen state if you allow it to.
On the hate side, it goes on forever (if you’re not in the zen state) and there’s really no way to cut it short or bail. You’re in for at least 10 miles if you do the whole thing.
Another reason I consider Outer Limits to be one of the best trails in Sedona is that you can tack on several ‘bonus’ trails to make it harder and more interesting like:
- Ground Control (awesome)
- Last Frontier (not my favorite)
- Ledge-n-Airy (it’s ok), and
- Bottom Out (prepare for a rough ride)
I’ve ridden Outer Limits a number of times on a number of different routes, but one of my favorite ways was bikepacking the Robbers Roost route.
Advanced Mountain Bike Trails
8. Hangover
One of the three “pro” trails in Sedona, Hangover isn’t terribly technical in difficulty (although there are definitely some challenging features!), but it does have the most exposure out of any trail in Sedona. There are some places where you do not want to fall. Fall = Die. Be prepared to walk some sections.
The saddle at the top is a highlight of the trail and the steep red slickrock at the end is a good test of skill and control.
9. Hiline
I love Hiline. While most people ride it for the descent, the climb up is half the battle. It has some fun uphill rock gardens to session at the start, then after the initial climb, there’s a bit of exposure and traversy pedaling with a slight incline. The top of the climb ends at a flat plateau with amazing views out over Cathedral Rock.
As you start to descend from the top, there’s some super fun slickrock riding that has great flow and speed. Then you get into the real stuff. The last quarter mile or so of Hiline is the most challenging with a steep, loose chute that leads into a gnarly rock ladder and boulder roll that took me a few times to get the courage to roll. There are two more funky rock gardens that come up quick and then it’s over!
10. The Hog Trails: High on the Hog, Hog Heaven, & Pig Tail
The Hogs are my second favorite trails after Hiline and I would argue that High on the Hog and Hog Heaven they’re the most technical out of all the Sedona trails.
The two expert-only Hog trails – High on the Hog and Hog Heaven – have some exposure, so only attempt them if you’re a confident rider. That being said, they’re super fun and you can link up a great loop from the Broken Arrow parking area.
If you want to ride some of the Hog Trails, but aren’t up for a challenging day, Hogwash is absolutely stunning and is one of the best mountain bike trails in Sedona on its own.
BONUS: Submarine Rock
Submarine Rock is a great little out-and-back trail in the Broken Arrow trail network that ends at a huge slab of red rock with amazing views. Definitely pedal out there if you’re riding the Broken Arrow trail up to Chicken Point. You won’t be disappointed!
See the Hog Trails Loop or Little Horse Loop above for how to incorporate Submarine Rock into your ride.
And there you have it – what I consider to be the best mountain bike trails in Sedona! As I said in the intro, though, you really can’t go wrong with any trail here. Sure, some may be chunky and technical, but that’s what Shredona is about 🙂
Have an awesome trip!
Read next
Planning a mountain bike road trip to Sedona? Here are some other guides to help you maximize your fun out on the trails:
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Did I miss any? What would you say are the best Sedona mountain bike trails? Leave a comment below!
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