Devil's Bridge Sedona: The Arch Hike Worth Waking Up Early For

On a Saturday morning in March, about 200 people are lined up to walk Devil’s Bridge by 10am. Some have been waiting 30 minutes. They’re all going to get the same photo, at the same angle, in the same midday light. You can do this differently.

Devil’s Bridge is the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area, 45 feet wide and 54 feet tall. It’s genuinely impressive in person, and the hike to reach it isn’t hard. The problem isn’t the trail. It’s the timing. Show up right and you’ll have the arch nearly to yourself and better light than anything you’ll see in someone else’s Instagram photo.

Trail Overview

The hike from Mescal Trailhead is 3.9 miles round trip with 400 feet of elevation gain. It’s moderate in the sense that the terrain changes, not that it’s physically demanding. Most people in average shape finish it in 2 to 2.5 hours of moving time.

The first 1.5 miles cross desert floor, winding through juniper, manzanita, and prickly pear. The terrain here is flat and easy, with broad views west toward Mescal Mountain and the red mesa country beyond Dry Creek basin. It feels like a warm-up because it is.

Then the trail starts climbing into red rock. The grade picks up and the surface changes from gravel to bare sandstone. At roughly mile 1.6, you reach a signed junction. Turn left for Devil’s Bridge. The right branch continues on Chuckwagon Trail.

The final 0.3 miles scrambles up slickrock to the arch. The rock is rough-textured Schnebly Hill sandstone, which grips well when dry. Cairns mark the way where the route isn’t obvious. At the top, the arch emerges suddenly as you crest a small rise, and it’s bigger than you expect.

The arch walkway itself is about 6 feet wide, with 50-foot drops on both sides. Walk it straight across and back. Don’t sit on the edges for photos. The rock at the lip is rounded and offers no grip if your foot slips.

Getting There

Mescal Trailhead is the preferred starting point. Take Dry Creek Road north from SR-89A (the main Sedona drag). The paved road ends at a large paved parking lot. Address: Mescal Trailhead, Dry Creek Road, Sedona, AZ 86336. This lot fills by 9am on weekends in peak season.

Dry Creek Vista Trailhead is an alternate start about 0.3 miles further on Dry Creek Road beyond where the pavement ends. The access road turns rough here and may require a high-clearance vehicle. The trail from this trailhead adds about 0.3 miles each direction. The lot is smaller.

Both trailheads require a Red Rock Pass: $5 per day, $15 per week, $20 per year. Buy at the kiosk at the trailhead, online at recreation.gov, or at the Red Rock Visitor Center on SR-179 south of Sedona. America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers the fee and works at most Sedona trailheads.

Shuttle option: During peak season (roughly March through May and September through November), check sedonaaz.gov for current shuttle schedules. When the shuttle runs Thursday through Sunday, it picks up from a staging area and drops at or near the trailhead. No parking stress, no Red Rock Pass needed at the lot. Shuttle schedules change seasonally, so verify current operation before your trip.

From Sedona, the drive to Mescal Trailhead is about 10 minutes.

Trail Description

Miles 0-1.5: Desert floor

The trail leaves the parking lot heading northwest on a wide packed gravel path. You’re walking through a high desert scrub mix, juniper trees, manzanita with red bark, and scattered prickly pear. The ground is rust-orange decomposed sandstone, the same color as the mesas above.

At about 0.8 miles, the Chuckwagon Trail branches left. Stay straight on the main trail toward Devil’s Bridge. There’s a signpost here but it can be hard to spot in flat light.

The views open up around mile 1.0. Looking west, you can see into the Dry Creek basin, a broad red-rock valley that few Sedona visitors reach. The Long Canyon area shows as a dark notch in the western canyon wall.

At mile 1.5, you hit the signed junction for Devil’s Bridge. Left goes to the arch. The trail here narrows and the surface starts transitioning from compacted gravel to bare rock.

Miles 1.5-1.95: The red rock climb

The trail gains most of its elevation in this final push. The grade isn’t severe but it’s consistent. You’re climbing up open slickrock now, following cairns across a broad ramp of orange sandstone.

A secondary trail branches right about 0.1 miles before the arch. This lower trail offers the best view of the arch from below, looking up through the opening. Walk it first before you go up. This lower viewpoint is less crowded than the arch itself and gives you the full scale of the span against the sky.

The arch

The arch sits at the top of the slickrock ramp. You’ll hear it before you see it, people talking, camera shutters, sometimes laughter. Then the span comes into view.

Walk the arch from the south side. The path up to the top is well-worn and clear. The walkway across is narrower than photos suggest but wider than it feels from below. Take your time. There’s no rush even when people are waiting, everyone on that trail wants the same moment you do, and most are patient about it.

From the top of the arch, looking west toward Mescal Mountain, you get the shot you’ve seen in every Sedona photo. Looking east back down the Dry Creek basin, you get a view most people miss because they turn right around.

What to Bring

Carry at least 1.5 liters of water for this hike. In temperatures above 75°F, bring 2 liters. There’s no water on the trail.

Sun protection matters. The approach across the desert floor has almost no shade, and the slickrock sections are fully exposed. A sun hoody with UPF 50 covers your arms and neck for the full hike without needing sunscreen reapplication on the trail.

Footwear makes a real difference on the slickrock approach. Trail runners with a grippy rubber sole work well. Smooth-soled sneakers or sandals are fine on the flat desert approach but feel sketchy on the steeper slickrock near the arch. Our desert hiking boot guide covers what actually grips on dry Sedona sandstone.

Bring a hydration pack or a bottle with a wide mouth. The trail is short enough that a single water bottle works fine if you’re not hiking in heat.

Trekking poles are optional but help on the descent from the arch if your knees are sensitive. The slickrock slope down is steeper than it feels on the way up.

Photo Spots

From below the arch (looking up): The best photography happens from the lower trail that branches right just before the arch. You’re shooting up through the span with sky or clouds above and red rock framing the sides. Late afternoon light, roughly 3-5pm from October through April, turns the arch a deep burnt orange. This angle is much better than standing on top of the arch for the arch itself as a subject.

From on top, looking west: This is the famous shot, person standing on the arch with the red mesa valley behind them. Best light is morning, 7-9am, when the sun is behind you and the western canyon is front-lit. By late morning, you’re shooting into haze and the shot goes flat.

From Chuckwagon Trail junction looking east: About 0.2 miles before the Devil’s Bridge junction on the return trip, there’s an open viewpoint looking back toward the arch and the red rock country. The arch itself isn’t visible from here but the canyon rim above it makes a strong skyline. Afternoon light from October through March hits this wall well.

Safety Notes

The arch walkway is exposed. Wind happens in Sedona with little warning, especially in winter and early spring. Don’t run on the arch. Don’t sit on the outer edges. The rock at the lip is rounded and polished by thousands of visitors. It offers no grip if you slip.

Wet slickrock is genuinely dangerous. Schnebly Hill sandstone grips well when dry but becomes nearly frictionless when wet. If it has rained in the past 24 hours, skip the arch scramble. The approach rock stays wet longer than you’d expect, and a fall on that slope has consequences.

July and August temperatures in Sedona regularly hit 100°F. This hike has minimal shade and faces southwest, making afternoon heat brutal. If you’re hiking in summer, start before 6am and be off the exposed slickrock by 9am. Our heat management guide covers the warning signs of heat exhaustion before they become heat stroke.

Cell signal is weak to absent on parts of this trail. Download the offline AllTrails map before you leave the parking lot.

Related Trails

Cathedral Rock is Sedona’s other signature scramble, 1.5 miles round trip to the saddle with steeper rock climbing than Devil’s Bridge. Full Cathedral Rock guide here.

Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte Loop is the easiest of Sedona’s big three hikes, 4 miles of mostly flat trail with an optional scramble on Bell Rock’s south face. Bell Rock guide here.

The Boynton Canyon Trail offers 6 miles round trip of canyon hiking with far fewer crowds than Devil’s Bridge. It’s deeper into the canyon and takes longer to drive to, which keeps the masses away.

Long Canyon Trail leaves from the same Dry Creek Road area and feels like a completely different Sedona. Narrow canyon walls, rare wildflowers in March, and almost nobody on it compared to Devil’s Bridge a mile away.