Fay Canyon Trail (Sedona) Hiking Guide
Fay Canyon is the gentlest way into Sedona's red-rock backcountry: about a mile in, a mile back, and hardly any climbing. The trail follows a small, hidden canyon to the point where it ends against a wall of red Supai sandstone, with cliffs rising on both sides the whole way. It's the hike to pick when you want scenery without effort, or when you have small kids along. (Not to be confused with the Fay Canyon trail on the Flagstaff Ranger District.)
Permit: The Fay Canyon Trailhead is on the Forest Service's list of Red Rock Pass sites: $5 daily, $15 weekly or $20 annual per vehicle, or an America the Beautiful pass. Buy at the trailhead machine, on Recreation.gov, or in Sedona.
A Short Canyon Walk
The Forest Service lists Fay Canyon as easy, 2.1 miles round trip with 144 feet of elevation gain and about an hour on your feet. AllTrails agrees on 2.1 miles, gives 154 feet of gain, and oddly rates it moderate, probably because a few sections are rocky where the path crosses old creek beds. Either way it's a level stroll by Sedona standards. The trail is out and back and ends where the canyon does, at the base of the cliff.
Finding the Trailhead
From West Sedona take Dry Creek Road north about three miles to the Boynton Canyon junction, turn left, and the Fay Canyon parking area is about half a mile along on the left. The trail itself starts across the road, so watch for traffic when you cross. Everything is paved. The lot is a Red Rock Pass site; a day pass is $5 from the machine, and America the Beautiful cards are honored. If it's full, the Bear/Doe Mountain Trailhead a little further along the same road is another pass site.
Plants, Shade and Heat
The canyon shelters a diverse mix of desert plants, and AllTrails describes decent tree cover in the cool canyon bottom, but the Forest Service still warns it can be hot and dry in summer. Because it's short, Fay works well as an early-morning hike before the heat, or a late-afternoon one in winter when the walls glow.
Dogs, Kids and Wilderness Rules
Fay Canyon is inside the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness, so mountain bikes and other mechanized equipment are off-limits; horses are allowed. Leashed dogs are fine, and owners must pack out waste. Kids tend to love the scale of the walls, and the flat grade means even young ones can make it to the end and back.
Hiking tips for Fay Canyon Trail (Sedona)
- Cross Boynton Pass Road carefully; the trail begins on the opposite side from the parking area.
- Pick Fay when you want red-rock views with almost no climbing.
- Combine it with Doe Mountain nearby if you want a second, steeper short hike the same morning.
- Carry water anyway; summer heat builds quickly even on short walks.
- Remember this is wilderness: no bikes, and leave rocks and plants where they are.
Nearby trails to explore
- Boynton Canyon Trail
- Doe Mountain Trail
- Bear Mountain Trail (Sedona)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Fay Canyon is the easy, social hike of west Sedona, short enough to add to any day. Use TrailMates to find Sedona hikers heading out Boynton Pass Road. Download the TrailMates app to connect.