Hangover Trail Sedona: The Exposed Ridge Hike Most People Don't Finish

There are 200 feet of air on your left and 200 feet of air on your right. The trail is a narrow sandstone ridge. Cairns mark the route ahead. This is what they mean by the Hangover Trail, and it runs for about a mile across that ridge before the terrain relents.

Most hikers who attempt this come back reporting that the exposure is real and the photos don’t do it justice. The full loop is 11.2 miles. The elevation gain is 1,500 feet. Neither of those numbers is the hard part. The hard part is the ridge.

Trail Overview

The Hangover Trail is Sedona’s best strenuous option if you want dramatic exposure and genuine solitude. It sees a fraction of the traffic that Devil’s Bridge or Cathedral Rock gets, despite being more visually impressive from the top.

The route combines three trail segments. Munds Wagon Trail covers the first 3.5 miles from Schnebly Hill Road, a historic wagon road with moderate terrain and steady canyon views. At mile 3.5, Munds Wagon Trail connects to the Hangover Trail proper. The Hangover section traverses roughly 3 miles of exposed ridge across Munds Mountain. At the far end of the ridge, the Cow Pies descent drops via a large boulder formation back down to the canyon floor and the return trail to the trailhead.

The full loop takes most fit hikers 5 to 6 hours moving time. Budget 7 hours total with navigation stops, rest time on the ridge, and the Cow Pies descent going slowly.

This is not a beginner trail. It’s also not a trail for anyone who gets rattled by heights. The ridge exposure is comparable to the upper section of Camelback’s Echo Canyon trail, but the Hangover ridge runs longer and has less room to maneuver if you freeze up.

Getting There

The trailhead sits on Schnebly Hill Road, about 1 mile east of SR-179 in Sedona. Take SR-179 south through Sedona, then turn left on Schnebly Hill Road at the signed junction near the south end of town. The first parking area is on the right within 1 mile.

Schnebly Hill Road is unpaved from the start. The road is rough graded dirt and rock, with sections of embedded and loose rock that bottom out standard sedans. High-clearance vehicles are not optional here. AWD or 4WD is better. If you have a rental car with standard ground clearance, park at the very first pullout (within 0.3 miles of the SR-179 junction) and walk the remaining distance to the main trailhead.

Red Rock Pass required. $5 per day, $20 per year, or America the Beautiful annual pass. The pass kiosk is at the trailhead area. Cell signal to purchase online is limited on Schnebly Hill Road, so buy your pass at the Red Rock Visitor Center on SR-179 before turning off, or buy in advance at recreation.gov.

GPS: 34.8595° N, 111.7575° W. This puts you at the Schnebly Hill Road trailhead area.

Trail Description

Miles 0 to 3.5: Munds Wagon Trail

Munds Wagon Trail begins as a wide, clear path heading east from the trailhead. This was once an actual wagon road, and the grade and width reflect that history. For the first mile it feels like a straightforward desert trail, climbing gently through juniper-pinyon with red canyon walls building on both sides.

At 1 mile, the trail begins climbing in earnest. The walls of Munds Canyon come in from the north. The trail gains elevation in a series of longer gradual rises broken by flat sections. You can see ahead for stretches, which helps with pacing.

Between miles 1.5 and 3, the canyon views open dramatically. The canyon below you widens and you begin seeing over the south canyon rim toward the Verde Valley. This is the start of the elevation payoff. The Sedona red rock formations are visible to the west from these mid-trail viewpoints.

At 3.5 miles, Munds Wagon Trail meets the Hangover Trail junction. There’s a trail sign here, though it can be weather-worn. The junction is the last reliable navigation checkpoint before the ridge. Check your GPS position here before continuing. Confirm your water supply. The next reliable landmark is the far end of the ridge, roughly 3 miles away.

Miles 3.5 to 6.5: The Hangover Trail Ridge

The first quarter mile after the junction is still forgiving. The trail climbs to the ridge through broken terrain before the exposure begins.

At about mile 4, the ridge narrows. The drop on the left (north) side into upper Munds Canyon is immediate. The drop on the right (south) side opens next. For stretches, the walkable ridge is 6 to 8 feet wide with real vertical exposure on both sides. The trail is cairned, but cairns are spaced across rocky terrain rather than a continuous marked path.

Hands come into play at two or three brief sections where the trail drops over a small ledge or requires a body-width squeeze between boulders. Nothing is longer than 10 feet of technical terrain. But you’re doing it above significant exposure.

The views from the ridge are the best in Sedona. You’re looking down at Capitol Butte (Thunder Mountain) and Coffeepot Rock, formations you’d normally look up at from the valley floor. The Verde Valley spreads south. On a clear winter day you can see the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff. This is where most hikers stop moving, sit down on the ridge, and spend 20 minutes just looking.

Move deliberately. The ridge rock is solid, but it’s also uneven and narrow in places. Don’t rush the technical sections to get to the views faster. The exposure makes a slip here a serious consequence rather than a minor fall.

At 6.5 miles, the Hangover Trail ends at its junction with the descent route toward the Cow Pies.

Miles 6.5 to 11.2: Cow Pies Descent and Return

Cow Pies refers to the large rounded boulder formation at the east end of the ridge. The descent uses these boulders as natural steps down from the ridge to the canyon floor below.

This section is where most navigation problems happen. The descent is steep, loose in places, and the cairn line is harder to follow than on the ridge itself. The boulders offer multiple lines down, not all of which reconnect with the trail. Stick to the cairns. When in doubt, go slower and look for the next cairn before committing to a descent line.

At the bottom of the Cow Pies descent, the terrain levels out into canyon floor. The trail continues west through a lower elevation section of pinyon-juniper before connecting back to Munds Wagon Trail and the return to the trailhead.

The return section from the Cow Pies base back to the trailhead is about 4.7 miles on lower, easier terrain. Your legs will be tired by this point. The flat sections feel easier than they are because fatigue can make you sloppy on the still-rocky path.

What to Bring

Water is the top priority. This is an 11.2-mile strenuous route in desert terrain. Bring 3 liters minimum in cool weather (below 55°F). Bring 4 liters if temperatures are above 60°F. A 3-liter reservoir in a hydration pack plus a backup 1-liter bottle is the standard setup for a route this length.

Hiking boots with ankle support outperform trail runners on the Hangover ridge. The uneven rock and lateral steps on narrow terrain are harder to manage in a flexible trail runner sole. A boot with a stiff midsole and good ankle collar gives you more stable footing on the sections where you need it.

Trekking poles are worth bringing. The Cow Pies descent is the most useful application. Poles give you two more contact points on steep loose rock when legs are already tired from 6 miles of hard terrain.

A sun hoody with UPF 50 handles arm and neck exposure for the exposed ridge section. The ridge has no shade at all. You’re on exposed rock at elevation with full sun from above and reflected heat from the rock below.

Download offline maps before leaving Sedona. AllTrails or Gaia GPS, with the full route cached. Cell signal is weak to absent on the ridge and the Cow Pies descent. This is one trail where offline navigation is not optional.

Bring a headlamp even on a day hike. If navigation delays on the Cow Pies section eat more time than expected, you don’t want to be on unfamiliar rocky terrain after dark without light.

Photo Spots

Ridge traverse at mile 4.5, looking west: The money shot. Sedona’s red rock formations in the valley below you, with Capitol Butte and Coffeepot Rock visible. Shoot in the morning when the west-facing formations are beginning to catch light. The ridge itself is your foreground, showing the narrow traverse you’re standing on.

Munds Canyon view at mile 2.5: Looking north down into the canyon from the Munds Wagon Trail approach. The canyon walls show the banded red and white sandstone layers clearly. This is a quieter shot than the ridge views but shows the geology in better detail.

Cow Pies descent, looking back up: Shoot from the base of the boulder descent looking back up at the route. The rounded boulders stacked against the canyon rim make an unusual geological composition. Late afternoon light on the east-facing walls works well here if you’re timing the return at the right hour.

See the golden hour photography guide for light timing specific to Sedona’s east-facing canyon walls.

Safety Notes

The ridge exposure is real. People have been rescued on this trail, and the exposure and off-trail sections on the Cow Pies descent make response times slower than on maintained trails. Cell signal is weak throughout. If you’re solo, leave a detailed trip plan with someone who knows when to call for help if you don’t check in.

Wet rock makes the ridge extremely dangerous. The Hangover Trail should not be attempted when rain is recent or forecast. Wet sandstone has significantly less friction than dry. The same sections that feel exposed but manageable in dry conditions become genuinely hazardous after precipitation.

Ice in winter. If temperatures dropped below freezing the night before your planned hike, the ridge shaded sections may hold ice until mid-morning. Start late enough to let ice melt, or postpone. A slip on an icy ridge section is not survivable.

Do not attempt this trail from June through September unless you start before 5:30am and commit to being off the exposed ridge by 8am. The ridge offers no shade, no wind protection from afternoon convective heating, and no water. Heat exhaustion at mile 6 on a narrow ridge with no exit is a serious situation. Our heat management guide covers the early warning signs.

For any emergency, call 911. Yavapai County Search and Rescue serves this area, but rescue on the ridge or Cow Pies descent takes significantly longer than in the valley below.

Related Trails

Devil’s Bridge is Sedona’s most famous arch, and the view from the bridge is legitimately spectacular. Shorter and easier than the Hangover at 4.2 miles round trip, but the crowds are considerably heavier. Worth doing before attempting the Hangover.

Boynton Canyon is a different challenge. It stays low, goes into a canyon rather than climbing above one, and requires no technical terrain. A solid option for the day after the Hangover when your legs need something more forgiving.

If the Hangover’s exposure sounds like too much, Soldier Pass gives you real geological interest and a more interesting trail than most Sedona moderate options without the commitment to exposed ridge travel.