Natural sandstone butte on the Sedona skyline and one of the most-photographed sights in Arizona.
General Information
Weekly pass: $15
Annual pass: $20
How to Get There
From Sedona (3 mi): Take AZ-179 south, turn right onto Back O Beyond Road, and follow it to the Cathedral Rock Trailhead parking area at the end of the road.
Overview
Cathedral Rock is a sandstone butte on the Sedona skyline and one of the most famous sights in Arizona. The Cathedral Rock Trail (USFS Trail #170) is a short but steep climb from the Back O’ Beyond trailhead to the saddle between the spires, more of a scramble than a hike. It is carved from red Permian Schnebly Hill sandstone that formed as coastal sand dunes, and ripple marks and a black basalt dike can be seen along the way.
The Trail
- Length: about 1.5 miles round trip
- Difficulty: steep, unshaded and difficult in places, with some rock scrambling over bald rock and ledges
- Route: follow cairns across the wash, up to a broad ledge with views at 0.25 mile, then steeply to the wide saddle between the spires
- Highlights: spectacular views from the saddle, and an unmaintained side path south to two more saddles
This article uses material from the Wikipedia articles "Cathedral Rock", which are released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
