Outdoors · Sedona

Cathedral Rock

Cathedral Rock is one of the most photographed formations in the Southwest — a cluster of red sandstone spires rising above the desert just south of Sedona, within the Coconino National Forest. Its silhouette shows up on postcards, calendars, and half the photos people bring home from a Sedona trip, and seeing it in person still doesn't disappoint.

The trail to the top is famously short but steep: a little over a mile round trip that climbs quickly up open slickrock to the saddle between the spires, with a few sections where you'll want your hands as much as your feet. It's a genuine workout rather than a stroll, but most reasonably fit hikers make it, and the views from the saddle back over the valley are the reward. Cathedral Rock is also one of Sedona's celebrated vortex sites, so you'll often find people lingering quietly at the top.

The trailhead parking lot is small and fills early, especially on weekends and holidays — go at sunrise or in the late afternoon, when the light turns the rock a deeper red and the crowds thin out. Bring more water than you think you need; there's no shade on the climb. From most Sedona rentals you're only a short drive away, which makes an early-morning ascent an easy way to start the day before the heat and the crowds arrive.