Devil's Bridge Trail (Sedona) Hiking Guide
Devil's Bridge is the biggest natural sandstone arch around Sedona, and you can walk across the top of it. The hike to the arch itself is short; the real decision is where you start, because the official trailhead sits up a rough jeep road that most rental cars shouldn't attempt. Pick your approach and the rest is a steady climb to one of the most photographed spots in Arizona.
Permit: The Mescal Trailhead and the Dry Creek trailhead are Red Rock Pass sites ($5 daily, $15 weekly, $20 annual per vehicle; an America the Beautiful pass also works). The upper Devil's Bridge Trailhead, reached only by high-clearance vehicle, is not on the Forest Service fee list. Riders of the free Sedona Shuttle (Route 11, Thursday-Sunday) pay no trailhead fee.
Three Ways to Start
With a high-clearance vehicle you can drive 1.3 miles up the unpaved stretch of Dry Creek Road (Forest Road 152) to the Devil's Bridge Trailhead; from there the Forest Service gives 1.6 miles round trip with 371 feet of climbing. Everyone else parks lower. From the Dry Creek Vista lot at the end of the pavement, the agency recommends the Chuckwagon Trail, about 2.9 miles each way (5.8 round trip) on rolling singletrack. From the Mescal Trailhead on Long Canyon Road, the signed Mescal-Chuckwagon connection makes a 4.0-mile round trip. The Forest Service says the dirt road is a popular jeep route and not recommended for walking.
Which Numbers to Trust
AllTrails lists the hike at 4 miles and 521 feet of gain, rated moderate, but its route follows Dry Creek Road from the paved lot, the road the agency steers walkers away from. The mileage happens to match the Forest Service's Mescal option, so 4 miles is a fair planning figure for a low-clearance car; add almost two miles if you take Chuckwagon from Dry Creek Vista. All the real climbing comes in the last stretch below the arch.
The Arch
The final section is the old jeep track, smooth and gradually steepening through juniper and prickly pear. The path splits roughly 0.75 mile past the upper trailhead: left drops to the base, where you can stand under the arch, which the Forest Service puts at 50 feet high; right climbs a steep natural rock staircase to the top. The span is wide enough to walk, but the drop on either side is long, so take your photo, step off and let the next person through. Weekend mornings bring a line for that photo.
Shuttle and Parking
Both lower lots are Red Rock Pass sites, so display a pass or buy a $5 day pass at the machine, and both fill early. The free Sedona Shuttle's Route 11 leaves the West SR 89A Park & Ride (905 Upper Red Rock Loop Road) for Dry Creek Vista and Mescal Thursday through Sunday, with the first bus at 7 a.m., and riders owe no trailhead fee. Leashed dogs are allowed here, as on most of the national forest, but think twice about the staircase and the narrow arch with an excitable dog.
Season and Shade
The approach trails have little shade, and in summer the forest recommends finishing before 10 a.m. and carrying about a liter of water per person per hour when it's hot. Fall, winter and spring are the comfortable months; after rain the forest also advises against driving the dirt road at all.
Hiking tips for Devil's Bridge Trail (Sedona)
- Without a truck or SUV, start at Mescal (4.0 miles round trip) rather than walking the jeep road.
- Take the Route 11 shuttle Thursday to Sunday and skip the parking hunt entirely.
- Arrive at sunrise if you want the arch without a queue behind you.
- Step onto the arch only if you're steady on your feet, and keep well back from the edges.
- Watch for jeep tours where trails cross or parallel Forest Road 152.
Nearby trails to explore
- Boynton Canyon Trail
- Soldier Pass Trail
- Fay Canyon Trail (Sedona)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Devil's Bridge is a hike people like to do together, and someone has to take the photo on the arch. Use TrailMates to find Sedona hikers heading out from Mescal or Dry Creek Vista. Download the TrailMates app to connect.