Bell Rock Sedona Hike: The Loop That Lets You Scramble Without the Drama

Bell Rock is the most approachable scramble in Sedona. Most of this area’s “scrambles” involve route-finding across unmarked slickrock, technical moves, and the kind of exposure that makes casual hikers turn back. Bell Rock is mostly just walking on progressively steeper orange sandstone. The angle increases gradually. You decide when to stop.

That accessibility makes it Sedona’s most forgiving introduction to red rock hiking. It also means the parking lot fills by 9am on a spring weekend. Come early, or come on a Tuesday.

Trail Overview

The full Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte Loop is 4 miles with 337 feet of total elevation gain. It’s a legitimate loop, not an out-and-back, which means you get views of both formations from multiple angles as you circle them.

Bell Rock sits on the south end of the loop. It’s a 300-foot sandstone butte that looks exactly like a bell from SR-179 as you drive north into Sedona from the Village of Oak Creek. Courthouse Butte is the taller, broader formation immediately north of Bell Rock. It’s harder to scramble and most people don’t try.

Do the loop clockwise. Start with Bell Rock while your legs are fresh, do the scramble however high you want to go, then follow the marked trail around Courthouse Butte on the flat east side. This keeps you facing the best light for most of the morning.

Bell Rock alone is 1.5 miles round trip to the base and back on the main path. If you want to scramble the face, budget an extra 30-60 minutes depending on how high you go.

Getting There

Two trailheads serve this area, both on SR-179 about 4 miles south of the Sedona Y:

Bell Rock Pathway Trailhead is on the east side of SR-179. It’s larger, with a paved lot, and is the most common starting point. Address: 6246 SR-179, Sedona, AZ 86351. Red Rock Pass required.

Courthouse Vista Trailhead is a quarter mile further north on SR-179. It has a smaller lot and slightly different trail access. Also requires a Red Rock Pass.

Red Rock Pass: $5/day, $15/week, $20/year. Buy at the kiosk, at recreation.gov, or at the Red Rock Visitor Center further north on SR-179. America the Beautiful annual pass works at both lots.

Parking fills by 9am on weekends in March through May. There’s no shuttle service to this trailhead as of early 2026, so early arrival is the only strategy. Overflow parking exists along SR-179 but adds a 10-15 minute walk.

From the Village of Oak Creek, the trailhead is 5 minutes north on SR-179. From Sedona’s main intersection, it’s about 10 minutes south.

Trail Description

Bell Rock Pathway to the base (0-0.75 miles)

The trail starts at the Bell Rock Pathway Trailhead and heads north toward the formation on a wide packed gravel path. The approach is flat and easy, through open juniper and pinon pine scrub with the red rock walls of Bell Rock growing directly in front of you.

At about 0.5 miles, the trail splits. The right fork leads to the Bell Rock base and the scramble approach. The left continues on Bell Rock Pathway toward Courthouse Butte. Take the right fork.

Bell Rock’s south face fills the view as you approach. The rock is smooth-weathered Schnebly Hill sandstone in bands of orange, red, and cream. You’ll see other hikers at various heights on the face, some just 20 feet up, some pushing toward the upper ledges.

The Bell Rock scramble

There’s no marked route. You pick your line on the south face. The lower sections are the most popular, a broad easy-angled ramp that starts about 30 feet above the trail. Most people can walk up this section without feeling any exposure.

At roughly 50-80 feet above the base, the angle steepens. This is where most casual hikers stop, take photos, and enjoy the views south down SR-179 toward the Village of Oak Creek. It’s a satisfying stopping point. You’re high enough to see over the scrub and across the valley.

From 80-150 feet up, the rock gets steeper and route-finding matters. There are several possible lines, some easier than others. The south face has fewer dead ends than the north face. Moving left (west) generally finds less steep terrain. The rock is still rough and grippy when dry.

Above 150 feet, you’re into terrain that requires confident scrambling. The exposure increases and the holds get smaller. This upper section is doable for experienced hikers, but it’s not the Bell Rock most visitors have in mind. Don’t push past your comfort level. The lower 100 feet gives you 90% of the experience.

Back to the loop and Courthouse Butte (0.75-4 miles)

Return to Bell Rock Pathway and continue north toward Courthouse Butte. The trail here is flat and well-marked, 12-15 feet wide in most sections. Courthouse Butte rises on your left, a broader, more angular formation than Bell Rock.

At about 1.5 miles from the start, you reach the east side of Courthouse Butte. The trail curves right and heads south along the base of the butte’s east face. This is the most dramatic section of the loop. The 700-foot east cliff of Courthouse Butte towers above you. In afternoon light, this wall goes deep red-orange and the detail of the rock layers becomes visible.

The east-side section (roughly 1.5 to 2.5 miles) is the quietest part of the loop. Most people do out-and-back to Bell Rock rather than completing the circuit. You’ll notice the foot traffic drops here.

At mile 2.5, the trail curves west and then south, completing the loop back toward the trailhead through open scrub. The last mile is flat and easy. Total elevation change for the loop itself (excluding any Bell Rock scramble height) is about 337 feet.

What to Bring

Carry 1.5-2 liters of water for the full loop. More in temperatures above 75°F. No water sources on the trail.

The scramble on Bell Rock goes better in shoes with a grippy rubber sole. Road runners and trail runners both work well. Flat sneakers are fine for the loop trail but reduce your options on the steeper slickrock. See our desert hiking footwear guide for what works on Sedona sandstone.

A sun hoody with UPF 50 covers the exposed trail without needing sunscreen reapplication at mile 2. The loop is mostly open desert with limited shade, especially on the east side of Courthouse Butte where the rock wall blocks the afternoon sun from one direction but the sky is fully open above.

A hydration pack or waist pack keeps water accessible on the scramble without needing to stop and open a bag. Handheld bottles work fine on the flat loop sections.

Dogs on leash are welcome on this trail. Bring enough water for the dog, the loop has no water sources and loose rock and gravel heat up quickly after 10am.

Photo Spots

Bell Rock east face at sunrise: From the trailhead or the first 0.3 miles of the loop, Bell Rock’s face catches first light before the valley floor warms. The formation goes bright orange-red in the 20 minutes after sunrise while the sky is still blue behind it. This is a free, easy shot that most visitors miss because they arrive at 9am. Set the alarm.

From 80 feet up Bell Rock’s south face, looking north toward Courthouse Butte: This angle puts you high enough to see over the scrub into the broader Sedona landscape. Courthouse Butte fills the frame to the north with the red rock country beyond it. Morning light works best here, before the formations go into direct overhead light.

Courthouse Butte east face, late afternoon: At about 2 miles into the loop, the east cliff of Courthouse Butte is directly above you. Late afternoon from October through February, the sun hits this wall at a low angle and the rock layers go vivid. The scale is hard to capture because there’s nothing to provide human reference in the frame, so position other hikers deliberately if you want to show how tall the wall is.

Safety Notes

The Bell Rock scramble is self-guided with no fixed markers or guardrails. Turn around when the terrain feels beyond your comfort level. The consequences of a fall on the upper sections are real. Ankle sprains and knee injuries happen on the scramble every week.

Wet rock stops the scramble. The slickrock on Bell Rock’s south face becomes very slick after rain. The texture that grips well when dry offers almost no friction when wet. Don’t try to scramble Bell Rock within 24 hours of rain.

Dogs and the scramble don’t mix well. The angled slickrock is hard for dogs to grip, and the increasing steepness makes retrieval difficult if a dog gets stuck. Keep dogs on the loop trail. The flat east section of Courthouse Butte is a better dog walk anyway.

Summer heat peaks fast on this trail. The loop runs through open desert with minimal shade. From June through September, start before 6:30am. The trail faces east in the morning and gets direct overhead sun by 10am. Our heat management guide covers what to watch for on hot-weather hikes.

Parking area crime exists in Sedona, as with most popular desert trailheads. Don’t leave valuables visible in your car at Bell Rock Pathway.

Related Trails

Cathedral Rock offers a steeper, more dramatic scramble experience, 0.75 miles of intense climbing to a saddle between four sandstone spires. Harder than Bell Rock’s south face scramble, with more exposure. Full Cathedral Rock guide here.

Devil’s Bridge is Sedona’s most famous arch hike, 3.9 miles round trip from Mescal Trailhead with a slickrock scramble to reach the 45-foot natural span. The arch walk itself is more exposed than anything on the Bell Rock loop. Full Devil’s Bridge guide here.

The Llama Trail connects the Village of Oak Creek trailheads and gives a low-traffic alternative loop for hikers who want to circle the Bell Rock area with fewer people. It crosses SR-179 and requires caution at the road crossing.

Little Horse Trail (3.6 miles round trip) starts at the Little Horse Trailhead just north of the Courthouse Vista lot. Less crowded than Bell Rock, offers different views of the same red rock country, and connects to the Chapel of the Holy Cross road for a longer loop option.