Mountain Biking Sedona: Your Ultimate Planning Guide

Sedona is hands-down one of my absolute favorite places to explore on two wheels. The incredible landscape, vast network of trails, grippy red rock, and fast dirt make it a mountain bikers playground. Give me the option of mountain biking anywhere in the US and I’d probably choose Sedona.

I’ve ridden this magical place countless times and it never gets old. Maybe it’s the vortex vibes that keep bringing fresh energy?

In this post, I share my favorite trail networks, route recommendations, and a few tips to help you make the most of your mountain bike trip to Shredona.

Let’s ride!

Sedona Mountain Biking Map

Sedona mountain biking is spread out over a number of trail networks. For more info on each trail network including route recommendations, keep reading!

Will you like Sedona mountain biking?

Before you plan a trip to Sedona, you should probably do your due diligence to figure out if you’ll like it or not, right? (Spoiler alert: you will!)

Here are a few reasons why you might or might no enjoy Sedona mountain biking

Top 10 Mountain Bike Trails in Sedona

People always ask me, “what are your favorite mountain bike trails in Sedona?” It’s a legit question, but it’s hard to answer because there are so many good trails!

If I had to choose, here are my top 10 contenders. If you want more details about these trails including route suggestions, head over to my post on the best mountain bike trails in Sedona.

Sedona isn’t the best place for new mountain bikers, but if you’re looking for some easier trails check out my guide to the best beginner-friendly mountain bike trails in Sedona.

The Trail Networks + Route Suggestions

Now to the fun stuff! The mountain biking in Sedona is broken up into seven main trail networks:

• The Village of Oak Creek
• Dry Creek
• Western Gateway
• Adobe Jack
• Carroll Canyon
• Broken Arrow
• Schenbly Hill

1. Village of Oak Creek

The Village of Oak Creek is not technically Sedona, but it’s only a short 20-minute drive away (or an hour-long slog if traffic is terrible…). VOC (as it’s locally called) is a little town in and of itself with bike shops (Absolute Bikes and Bike & Bean) as well as great restaurants, cafes, and many places to stay (I prefer to stay in VOC over Sedona because it’s less busy).

Personally, I think VOC has some of the best mountain biking in Sedona and some of the best views. You’ll find the iconic Bell Rock here as well as the famous Hiline trail. If you only have a few days in Sedona, definitely start in the Village of Oak Creek.

2. Dry Creek

Dry Creek is the trail network northwest of Sedona. This area is more cross-country and has less rocky tech (although there’s some of that here too).

If you’re looking for longer days out in the saddle or you’re more of a beginner rider, Dry Creek is a great place to spend a ride or two. Definitely do Mescal Trail – I think it’s one of the most beautiful trails in Sedona.

It’s important to note, though, that you can get yourself into trouble here if you don’t have a ride plan. It’s easy to do a 20+ mile ride and there is no water out on the trail. I’ve definitly done that! Be sure to have TrailForks downloaded to your phone and have a general idea of what your route is. Also, remember where you parked your car – there are multiple trailheads!

3. Western Gateway

If you’re looking for a bit more tech than Dry Creek, I recommend heading south to the Western Gateway trails. This area is definitely a step up, but still not quite as techy or rocky as Village of Oak Creek or Broken Arrow (aside from Bottom Out trail).

The Western Gateway area has seen the most recent trail development over the past few years and Ground Control, Last Frontier, and Ledge-n-Airy are some of the newer trails around Sedona.

Again, make sure you have a ride plan or you might find yourself 10 miles away from where you parked!

4. Adobe Jack

Adobe Jack is a great place for a quick ride or multiple loops if you want to lap Grand Central (so fun!) or Javelina (a bit more pedaly, but still fun). It’s also a nice place to be when the traffic in and out of Sedona is maddening. Bring snacks, though, because the climb up Adobe Jack is on the steeper side.

The Sedona Bike Park is also located near Adobe Jack, so you can do a lap on Grand Central or Javalina and then hit up the skills park.

5. Carroll Canyon

Carroll Canyon kind of feels like the black sheep of Sedona mountain biking because it’s not quite as well known or ridden. That being said, it’s a locals favorite and there are some awesome trails.

If you’ve already hit the other trail networks or you’re looking to get away from the crowds, head over to Carrol Canyon and ride Scorpion, Herkenham, and Ridge.

I honestly haven’t found the best way to link up these trails. There isn’t a good climbing trail (Old Post sucks…), so if you ride here, be prepared to work for your descents!

6. Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow is my personal favorite place to ride. It has a great mix of tech, flow, and incredible views. That being said, it’s definitely not the easiest trail network, so I recommend checking out one of the above networks before tackling Broken Arrow so you get a sense of what Sedona mountain biking is all about.

The highlight trails of Broken Arrow are the Hog Trails, which are super fun, but very technically challenging with the potential for high consequences.

Pedaling out to Submarine Rock and Chicken Point are also a must! Chicken Point is where the famous White Line is….

7. Schnebly Hill

Schnebly Hill is home to Hangover Trail, which is an expert-only trail with extreme exposure that would result in death if you fell. That being said, I do not like heights, and I never really felt unsafe. Just go slow and take your time. Walk if needed. It’s a very unique and beautiful trail with a long, steep red rock roller at the end.

Other than Hangover, there’s really no reason to head to Schnebly Hill unless you want to pedal up to the saddle for the views (which are stunning). It does take some effort to get up there, though!

Tips for Mountain biking in Sedona

Sedona is an amazing place to ride, but as would be expected, there are a few things you should know before planning your Sedona mountain biking adventure. Here are a few tips I’ve learned throughout all my trips to Sedona:

New to desert riding? Check out my tips on how to survive your first mountain bike trip to the desert.

Sedona Mountain Biking Itineraries

There is SO much riding in Sedona that it can be hard to even know where to start. Below are two rough itineraries to help you plan your trip. If you want more tips and details, let’s chat over Zoom!

Sedona Mountain Biking Planning tips & resources

Have I convinced you that mountain biking in Sedona is awesome? It is! But now you need to plan your trip… here are a few helpful tips and resources to help you plan an epic getaway.

Red Rock Pass

Most trailheads around Sedona require a Red Rock Pass. There are self-serve fee stations at the parking areas where you can purchase your pass. And yes, rangers do check and you will get a ticket if you don’t have one.

Red Rock Pass prices are:

• $5 per day
• $15 per week
• $20 for a year

The money goes back into the trails and maintaining the beautiful landscape of Sedona so please pay the fees.

Getting around Sedona

Some sort of transportation is necessary for a mountain bike trip to Sedona. If you don’t have your own car, here are some options:

Flying in? Check out my guide for flying with a bike or shop for a new bike travel bag.

Best Time to Visit

Sedona can technically be ridden year-round since it only occasionally sees snow. However, that being said, temperatures can be extreme during the mid-summer and mid-winter months.

It’s not uncommon for summer temps to top 100° and Dec/Jan lows tend to be around 34°.

The best times to ride Sedona – in my opinion – are the shoulder seasons – March to May and September to November.

Note: The Sedona Mountain Bike Festival happens every year in early March. It’s quite the scene and draws a ton of people. If you don’t want to deal with the crowds, I highly recommend not visiting during the festival dates.

Where to Stay or Camp

Camping

There are several paid campgrounds around Sedona mostly up Oak Creek Canyon. I highly recommend making reservations. There is also some free dispersed camping opportunities as well.

I highly recommend the apps AllStays Camp & RV (Apple) or Campendium (Apple & Android) for finding free dispersed campsites

Hotels

There are lots of great hotels and rentals in Sedona. Here are a few mountain biker-friendly ones:

---

Save this post to Pinterest

What are your favorite trails to ride in Sedona? Do you have a favorite mountain biking route recommendation? What questions do you still have about Sedona mountain biking? leave a comment below!