The Sedona Shuttle, Explained
Two of three routes are suspended right now
Route 11 (Dry Creek Vista / Mescal) and Route 14 (Soldier Pass) are not operating, because the trails they serve are inside the Pocket Fire closure order. Route 15 (Cathedral Rock / Little Horse) is running normally.
The Sedona Shuttle is free, needs no reservation, and runs Thursday through Sunday, 7:00am–5:30pm, year-round. Parking at the Park & Ride lots is free too.
It serves five trailheads across three routes. Only two of them — Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass — actually prohibit private vehicles while the shuttle runs. Despite what you'll read elsewhere, the City's own FAQ makes no such claim about Dry Creek Vista, Mescal, or Little Horse.
Right now, Routes 11 and 14 are suspended because of the Pocket Fire closures. Route 15 (Cathedral Rock / Little Horse) is running normally.
The facts
- Cost
- Free — both the ride and the Park & Ride parking
- Reservations
- None needed for the fixed trailhead routes
- Days of operation
- Thursday–Sunday, year-round
- Hours
- 7:00am–5:30pm
- Routes
- 11 (Dry Creek Vista/Mescal), 14 (Soldier Pass), 15 (Cathedral Rock/Little Horse)
- Pass needed at trailhead?
- No — shuttle riders aren't charged a trailhead parking fee
- Seasonal expansions
- Daily during spring break (late Feb–late Apr) and some holiday periods
Getting there
The routes and the Park & Ride lots
Route 15 — Cathedral Rock & Little Horse. From the North SR-179 Park & Ride, 1294 SR 179 (65 vehicles). Roughly every 15 minutes. This is the busiest route and the only one running right now. It reaches Cathedral Rock, Templeton, Baldwin, Little Horse, Chicken Point, Bell Rock Pathway, Broken Arrow and the Chapel trail.
Route 11 — Dry Creek Vista & Mescal. From the West SR-89A Park & Ride, 905 Upper Red Rock Loop Road (91 vehicles). About every 30 minutes. Reaches Devil's Bridge, Chuckwagon, Girdner, Mescal, Long Canyon. Suspended right now.
Route 14 — Soldier Pass. From Posse Grounds Park & Ride, 20 Carruth Drive (260 vehicles). Only about every 50 minutes — the Forest Service caps this destination at 300 passengers per service day for environmental reasons. Reaches Devil's Kitchen, Seven Sacred Pools, Teacup, Cibola Pass, Brins Mesa. Suspended right now.
There's also Route 12, a winter/shoulder-season variant serving Dry Creek Vista only; it doesn't run on the summer schedule.
Which trailheads actually ban cars
This is the most-garbled fact in Sedona travel writing, so we're going to be precise. The City of Sedona's shuttle FAQ names exactly two trailheads as closed to private vehicles:
Cathedral Rock — "The parking lot(s) located at the Cathedral Rock Trailhead will be closed to the general public whenever the shuttle is operating and will reopen after the shuttles go out of service."
Soldier Pass — the same, plus a standing Forest Service rule closing the lot every night from 6:00pm to 8:00am regardless of shuttle status. Its gate hours are listed as Monday–Wednesday 8:00am–6:00pm, closed Thursday–Sunday.
Little Horse, Dry Creek Vista and Mescal are not on that list. Plenty of sites say they are. We looked for the official basis and couldn't find one — the FAQ actually implies the opposite for Little Horse, telling visitors it "IS NOT to be used as an overflow parking lot for the Cathedral Rock trailhead," which only makes sense if it's independently reachable by car.
Our best explanation is that these lots are tiny and fill by dawn, and "always full" has gradually been retold as "officially closed." Practically the outcome is similar. Legally it isn't the same thing, and you deserve to know which one you're dealing with.
Practical notes
It's genuinely free. The FAQ puts it plainly: "YES! Both parking at the Park & Ride lots and the shuttle rides are free." No pass is charged to riders at the trailhead either — so on shuttle days, riding is cheaper than driving.
Don't confuse it with Sedona Shuttle Connect. That's a separate on-demand service booked through the TransLoc app, at $2 a ride ($1 for seniors, veterans, and riders with disabilities). The trailhead routes covered here are the free ones.
Watch the expansions. The shuttle runs seven days a week during spring break (roughly late February to late April) and over some holiday windows. The Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass driving restrictions expand with it — so a Tuesday in March may not behave like a Tuesday in June.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Sedona Shuttle free?
Yes. Both the trailhead shuttle rides and the Park & Ride parking are free, and riders aren't charged a parking fee at the trailhead. The separate on-demand Sedona Shuttle Connect service costs $2 a ride.
Do I need a reservation?
No. The fixed trailhead routes are turn-up-and-ride.
What days does it run?
Thursday through Sunday, 7:00am to 5:30pm, year-round — expanding to daily during spring break (late February to late April) and some holiday periods.
Which trailheads can't I drive to?
Officially, only Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass are closed to private vehicles while the shuttle operates. Little Horse, Dry Creek Vista and Mescal have no such official restriction, despite widespread claims — they're just small and fill early.
Is the shuttle running right now?
Partly. Route 15 (Cathedral Rock / Little Horse) is operating normally. Routes 11 and 14 are suspended because the trails they serve are inside the Pocket Fire closure order.
Where do I park to catch it?
North SR-179 Park & Ride (1294 SR 179, 65 spaces) for Route 15; West SR-89A Park & Ride (905 Upper Red Rock Loop Rd, 91 spaces) for Route 11; Posse Grounds (20 Carruth Dr, 260 spaces) for Route 14.
Facts on this page last verified July 28, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.