Cathedral Rock Trail
Short is not the same as easy. Cathedral Rock is 1.1 miles round trip with 669 feet of gain, and the Forest Service rates it strenuous, describing it as "more of a rock climb than a hike." There's a chute where you climb hand-over-hand using pockets worn into the sandstone.
Thursday through Sunday, 7:00am–5:30pm, you cannot drive to the trailhead. The lot is closed to private vehicles while the free Sedona Shuttle Route 15 runs. Monday to Wednesday, drive up with a Red Rock Pass.
It's open — not affected by the current fire closures.
The facts
- Open right now?
- Open (not in the current closure order)
- Forest Service trail
- Cathedral Rock Trail No. 170
- Distance
- 1.1 miles round trip
- Elevation gain
- 669 ft
- Difficulty (USFS)
- Strenuous (USFS)
- Time needed
- About 1.5 hours
- Trailhead elevation
- 4,043 ft
- Pass required
- Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful — on days you may drive in
- Sedona Shuttle
- Route 15 — mandatory Thu–Sun, 7:00am–5:30pm
- Parking
- Back O' Beyond Trailhead. Capacity not published by USFS.
- Dogs
- Leashed dogs permitted forest-wide, but the chute suits few dogs
- Restrooms
- Not documented at the trailhead
- Shade
- None on the exposed slickrock sections
Getting there
Get directions →The chute
Roughly halfway up, the route reaches a steep crack in the rock at about 45 degrees, with natural foot pockets. No gear, no technical skill — but it is hand-over-hand climbing, and it's where a real share of hikers turn back.
On busy days there's a queue in the chute. Descending hikers yield to ascending ones, because downclimbing the pockets is harder and slower. If exposure bothers you, know that this is the crux and it doesn't get gentler.
The reward is the saddle: a notch between the spires with one of the best views in Arizona. There's no summit and no register — the trail ends at the saddle.
Getting there when you can't drive
On shuttle days, park free at the North SR-179 Park & Ride (1294 SR 179, 65 vehicles) and take Route 15. The shuttle is free, needs no reservation, and runs roughly every 15 minutes between 7:00am and 5:30pm. Shuttle riders are not charged a trailhead parking fee.
Don't plan on parking creatively. Back O' Beyond Road is residential and enforced, and the City of Sedona explicitly states that Little Horse trailhead "IS NOT to be used as an overflow parking lot for the Cathedral Rock trailhead."
The shuttle also runs seven days a week during spring break (late February through April) and some holiday periods — which extends the driving restriction to those days too.
The view from below, for anyone skipping the climb
The postcard shot of Cathedral Rock — reflected in Oak Creek — isn't taken from the trail at all. It's from Red Rock Crossing / Crescent Moon Ranch on the far side of the water, and it requires no climbing.
One warning that costs people money: Crescent Moon is a concessionaire-run site. It charges $15 per vehicle, and the Red Rock Pass and America the Beautiful pass are explicitly not accepted there. Same forest, different fee system. Here's how that works.
Frequently asked questions
Can I park at the trailhead on a weekend?
No. Thursday through Sunday, 7:00am to 5:30pm year-round, the lot is closed to private vehicles and access is via the free Sedona Shuttle Route 15 only.
How hard is Cathedral Rock really?
Harder than the distance suggests. The Forest Service rates it strenuous: 669 feet of gain in half a mile of climbing, including a hand-over-hand chute section on bald sandstone.
Do I need a Red Rock Pass if I ride the shuttle?
No. Park & Ride parking and the shuttle are both free, and the City states that shuttle riders aren't charged a parking fee at the trailhead.
Is there shade or water?
No shade on the exposed sections, and no potable water is documented at the trailhead. In summer, go at first light or not at all.
Is Cathedral Rock affected by the wildfire closures?
No. Cathedral Rock is not named in the Pocket Fire closure order and Route 15 is running normally. Routes 11 and 14 are the suspended ones.
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.