Before we dive in, it’s only appropriate that you meet the man of the hour.
This is Asher! At the time I’m writing this, he’s a two-year-old English Springer Spaniel with endless energy. He frequently travels with us and this was his first trip where he got to participate in almost everything we did.
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One thing I really loved and appreciated about Sedona was how dog-friendly it was! There are a ton of trails you can bring your pup on. My dog is young and a little reactive so we opted for trails that would be less crowded. Here are our favorites:
Mescal Trail
- 6-mile out and back
- Rated moderately challenging on All Trails
Soooo…we did not end up walking on this trail very long (maybe a mile or so) before we unexpectedly looped back to the parking lot lol This trail is great for dogs and we basically had it to ourselves the whole time! I was able to put Asher on his flexi-leash for almost the entire hike. It was flat, scenic, and had great sniff spots. Not much shade though so bring lots of water!
Fay Canyon Trail
- 2.4 miles with an optional trail to the arch
- Rated as moderate on All Trails
Fay Canyon was overall, an easy hike! The hard part is only at the end, where you will have to scramble up some rocks but our dog LOVED it. If you and your pup can make it, I highly recommend going to the end because the views are totally worth it.
West Fork Trail
- 6.5-mile out-and-back trail
- Rated as moderately challenging
Despite what I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, this was the only trail that was pretty crowded. We got to the parking lot around 7:30 a.m. and there were still a handful of spots available. This is one of the parking lots where you do have to pay a fee. It was $11 for us.
Since we started early, there weren’t a lot of people on the trail. Based on the reviews, there is apparently a deeper water area towards the end of the trail but we crossed over multiple creek beds that only submerged my boots a little bit. I wouldn’t say you need water shoes or anything.
That day he actually turned two! Hence the two fingers 🙂
My husband and I walked about 3 miles before turning back. Word of warning – it got pretty crowded on our way back and there were a lot of dogs and people. This is a pretty flat, easy trail, so you’ll frequently see other people. Personally, I wouldn’t bring my dog on this trail again, as he can be a bit reactive and we had a few interactions with unfriendly dogs.
However! If you go during a slow time (very early or later in the day), this would be a great trail, as it has a lot of shade and the water feels good when it’s warm.
Check out the details on All Trails here.
Soldier Pass Trail
- 4.5 miles
- Rated as moderate on All Trails
This trail is perfect for your furry friend! It’s mostly flat with a few steeper inclines over rocks but, overall, very manageable.
*Side note: Parking at the Soldier Pass trailhead is very limited. As in, there are only like 14 spots and they fill up quickly. You also can’t park along the road in this area either.
If you can’t find a parking spot you have three other options:
- Take the free shuttle (this only runs Thurs-Sun)
- Park in the next closest parking lot and walk to the trailhead (it’s an easy 1-mile walk)
- Park in that same parking lot and use Hiker Help Debbie. It’s a car service from this awesome lady named Debbie who drives hikers in her own car! She doesn’t charge anything but does accept donations. So if you use her, don’t be a cheap ass 😉
Bonus: Devil’s Bridge (dog-dependent)
- 4 miles out and back
- Rated moderately challenging on All Trails
I’ve seen mixed reviews online about bringing your dog on this trail because it’s pretty challenging but our dog is young and we figured if it got too difficult, we’d turn back.
We parked at the Mescal Trailhead and had to walk about a mile to the Devil’s Bridge Trailhead. This hike starts out fairly easy and then you notice you’re gradually starting to go uphill LOL Asher loved this hike! We only saw one or two other groups with dogs (one carrying their small dog in a backpack).
End of Devil’s Bridge
*Note: we did not take him on the bridge. My wonderful husband sacrificed getting his photo taken and stayed back to hold Asher while he got my picture (he definitely gets hubby of the year award).
If you have a young dog or a dog that’s pretty agile, they could definitely do this trail. We did have to help him over some of the rocks because he’s smaller but he damn near sprinted up that thing. It also helped that he had a handle on his harness. This was great as we were coming down to make sure we could hold him back when necessary so he wasn’t just leaping off the rocks.
I’ll link his harness and harness bags here.
Final Thoughts
These aren’t the only dog-friendly hikes – just the ones I did with my dog! I did some research ahead of time on All Trails and TikTok to find the trails that I felt were best suited for my dog. And remember, always bring enough water for both you and your dog. Even though we went in October, it still got pretty warm.
If you’ve been to Sedona (and brought your pup) before, I’d love to hear about your experiences or other trails you loved! Leave it in the comments below!
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