There are so many fun things to do in Sedona with kids, but in my opinion, the hiking trails are what make it such a memorable family destination. The red rock scenery is incredible, the trails are exciting for kids to explore, and many of the best Sedona hikes with kids are short enough to be manageable with babies, toddlers and younger children.
If you are looking for family-friendly hikes in Sedona, you’ll be happy to know there are plenty of options that don’t require a big day on the trail. Some Sedona hikes are stroller-friendly, while others are better with a baby carrier, especially where the trail gets rocky, sandy or uneven. Either way, hiking is one of the best ways to experience Sedona as a family without needing to pack your days with complicated activities.
We spent a week in Sedona with a baby and a 2-year-old toddler, and we enjoyed these easy family hikes in Sedona every single day. We were also encouraged by the positive reaction we got from other hikers. “Wow! He’s only 2 months old?! Good for you! Get them started early!”
We wholeheartedly agree. Hiking with our kids has always been one of our favourite ways to help them enjoy nature, even when they are still too little to walk the whole trail themselves. Sedona is a great place to do that, as long as you choose the right hike for your family, bring the right gear and plan around the heat, sun and trail conditions.
In this post, we share our favourite kid-friendly hikes in Sedona, including which trails are best with a stroller, which ones are better with a baby carrier, and what to know before hiking each trail with young kids.
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The 6 Best Sedona Hikes with Kids
These are our favourite Sedona hikes with kids, especially if you are visiting with a baby, toddler or younger child. Some are short and stroller-friendly, while others are better with a baby carrier, but each one offers beautiful red rock scenery without needing a full day on the trail.
For each hike, we’ve included the details parents care about most, including distance, elevation gain, stroller access, baby carrier recommendations and what to expect along the trail. We also recommend downloading the trail maps in AllTrails before you go, as cell service can be unreliable and it’s so helpful to have the route saved on your phone.
1. Bell Rock Pathway Trail
Distance: 2.7 miles (4.3 km) or less there-and-back.
Trail Map: Bell Rock Pathway
One of the best stroller-friendly hikes Sedona has to offer is the Bell Rock Trail, making it one of the best things to do in Sedona with a baby.
The Bell Rock Trail is a kid-friendly Sedona hike with excellent views of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, two of the most beautiful red rock formations in Sedona.
From the southern Bell Rock Pathway trailhead, there are several hikes to choose from, but the most popular is the Bell Rock Pathway Trail due to its amazing views of Bell Rock.
The full Bell Rock Pathway Trail is much longer, but one of the most popular sections is roughly 1 mile long (there-and-back). This kid-friendly version of the Bell Rock Pathway hike is one of the best short hikes in Sedona.
This section of the Bell Rock Pathway is very flat with virtually no elevation gain, allowing for amazing views of Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte the whole way.
If you plan on hiking Bell Rock trail with a stroller, we recommend you use a stroller with larger wheels which can handle a gravel pathway with a few rocks here and there.
If you are hiking with a toddler, expect them to get dirty due to the red shale gravel on the pathway. And despite having a few trees around, this hike is mostly open to the sun, so take steps to protect your children from the strong Arizona sun.
The easy Bell Rock hike is reason enough to come here with your family, but the drive along the Red Rock Scenic Byway is a bonus. This beautiful drive through the Coconino National Forest National was awarded the All-American Road, designation, the highest possible designation by the Scenic Byways Program.
Bell Rock Pathway – Good to Know:
- There are two trailheads for the Bell Rock trail. We hiked to Bell Rock with our kids from the south trailhead, but you can also enjoy hiking from the north trailhead as well.
- From the southern trailhead, it’s approximately 1.2 miles (2 km) to the base of Bell Rock and back
- Although there is a gradual incline as you walk towards Bell Rock, you will barely notice any elevation gain along the southern section of the hiking trail.
2. West Fork Trail
- Distance: 6.7 miles (10.8 km) or less there-and-back.
- Trail Map: West Fork Trail
The West Fork Trail is one of the best family hikes in Sedona, and for good reason. This fun family hike runs through an evergreen forest, following Oak Creek with dramatic canyon walls looming overhead. Bigger kids love this hike as they’ll get to cross Oak Creek several times using a series of stepping stones.
The fun Oak Creek crossings make this one of the best Sedona family hikes, but it also means the West Fork Trail is not a stroller-friendly hike. You will need a baby carrier if hiking with a baby, plus a good sense of balance to cross Oak Creek. In normal conditions, the water usually isn’t very deep.
Because the West Fork Trail is in a canyon, you’ll get reasonably good, but not complete, protection from the sun, making this one of the best things to do with kids in Sedona on a hot day.
The one-way distance of the West Fork hike is 3.4 miles, but it’s worth doing even if you don’t make it the whole way. We didn’t hike the full distance of the West Fork Trail with our kids, but we still had a great time!
West Fork Trail – Good To Know:
- The West Fork Trail is easily one of the most popular hikes in Sedona, but it has a very small parking lot, so get there as early in the day as you can.
- As with all hikes that follow a river upstream, the trail will also be uphill. The distance we hiked was mostly fun little ups and downs, with nothing really strenous.
3. Baldwin Trail
Located just outside the Village of Oak Creek, the Baldwin Trail is a hiking loop around a red rock hill, rewarding hikers with beautiful views of Cathedral Rock, especially at sunset.
At only 2.7 miles long with very little elevation gain, the Baldwin hike is another of our favorite Sedona kid friendly hikes. Despite its short length, the Baldwin Trail is a real hiking trail with lots of rock steps, etc., so we recommend bringing a baby carrier for your little ones instead of a stroller.
Portions of the Baldwin Trail pass by the shores of Oak Creek, so if you have enough time and energy you can take one of the side trails to the riverbed and enjoy some relaxing family time by the water.
Baldwin Trail – Good to Know:
- There is a bit of a hill along the eastern side of the Baldwin Trail loop, where you can enjoy views of the red rocks of Cathedral Rock. Overall, this kid-friendly Sedona hike only has 285 feet (87 m) of total elevation gain. That’s just over 100 feet per mile.
- The Baldwin Trail is well treed and will provide some relief from the sun in the morning and afternoon, but the trees are not tall enough to protect you from the hot Arizona midday sun.
Hiking in Sedona with a baby? Don’t miss our tips for hiking with a baby, including what to pack, what to expect and how to make your time on the trail easier.
4. Fay Canyon Trail
- Distance: 2.1 miles (3.4 km) or less there-and-back.
- Trail Map: Fay Canyon Trail
If you’d like to avoid the crowds at very popular West Fork Trail, we recommend the Fay Canyon Trail, an easy family-friendly hike through a beautiful red rock canyon near Sedona. The Fay Canyon Trail is one of the most beautiful, yet easy hiking trails in Sedona.
We enjoyed the Fay Canyon hike so much, it was one of our favorite kid-friendly hikes in Sedona. Located just 10 minutes northwest of Sedona, in the Coconino National Forest, the Fay Canyon Trail leads hikers into a beautiful red rock canyon with a natural stone arch.
The path to the Fay Canyon arch is an unmarked side trail off the main route, so it can be easy to miss. There are several side trails to choose from; the correct trail is marked by rock steps, while the incorrect ones have been blocked off by tree limbs etc. You can also find the trail to the Fay Canyon Arch using the AllTrails above.
The path to the natural stone arch is short but steep, and the views of Fay Canyon are worth the extra effort. To be honest, the arch itself is pretty underwhelming, so feel free to skip this section of the hike if your family is not up to a steep climb. Fay Canyon itself is the real star of this show.
Due to the many rock steps along the trail, we do not classify the Fay Canyon Trail as a stroller-friendly trail in Sedona. Due to the high red rock canyon walls and tree cover, this hike offers good protection from the sun, making it another good thing to do with kids in Sedona to avoid the sun.
Fay Canyon Trail – Good to Know:
- You’ll encounter a gradual incline all the way into the Fay Canyon. Over the course of this kid-friendly hike you’ll gain only 150 feet (46 m) of elevation. That’s another easy Sedona hike with less than 100 feet of elevation gain per mile.
Hiking with a toddler? Don’t miss our list of essential toddler hiking gear, including the simple items that can make family hikes easier and more enjoyable.
5. Huckaby Trail
- Distance: 5.7 miles (9.2 km) or less there-and-back.
- Trail Map: Huckaby Trail
Conveniently located just minutes outside of town, this hike offers great views of Sedona and its trademark towering red rocks in the distance. The Huckaby Trail is too rocky and uneven for any kind of hiking stroller, making a baby carrier or wrap a must.
There are trees along this Sedona hiking trail which will afford some shelter from the hot sun, but the protection will be limited at mid-day.
Huckaby Trail – Good to Know:
- You don’t need to hike the full distance to enjoy the incredible views of Sedona’s red rocks. We hiked just over a mile with our kids and had a great time.
- The Huckaby Trail begins with a descent into a river valley, then back up the other side. This makes the Huckaby Trail harder than the rest of these kid-friendly hikes, but it should still be very do-able for most kids and their parents.
6. Sedona Airport View Trail
As the name of the hike suggests, this family-friendly Sedona hike is also very close to town, beginning in the airport parking lot. This short Sedona hike offers sweeping views looking north over the town and the towering red rocks behind the town.
The tree cover on this easy Sedona hike will not offer much protection from the hot sun. You could use a stroller with big wheels, but due to the narrow path and lots of rocks in the path, a baby carrier is probably better.
Airport View Trail – Good to Know:
- This short hike packs a lot of red rock scenery into a very short distance.
- The Sedona Airport View Trail begins near the top of Airport Mesa and gradually descends toward the Airport Mesa Viewpoint. You’ll need to climb this hill back to the airport parking lot on the way back. All told, it’s a very manageable hike with a total elevation gain of 240 feet (75 m).
Bonus Sedona Hike for Older Kids: Devil’s Bridge Trail
The Devil’s Bridge Trail is widely considered one of the best hikes in Sedona. The Devil’s Bridge hike is much more difficult than the others on our list of the six best kid-friendly hikes in Sedona, but it’s very possible to do if you are a regular hiker with older kids, or the ability to carry your little one for longer periods and up steep trails.
If you can manage Devil’s Bridge with kids, the family pictures you take on the arch will be one of your favourite keepsakes from your family trip to Sedona. It’s a very popular Sedona hike, so there are often other hikers at the top who may be willing to take your family picture.
Devil’s Bridge Trail – Good to Know:
- Due to the uneven, rocky and steep nature of the Devil’s Bridge Trail, do not attempt to bring a stroller. Bring a carrier that gives you good balance, along with hiking boots or shoes with good grip.
- The steepest part of the climb to Devil’s Bridge involves elevation gain of 345 feet (105 m) over the course of 0.8 miles (1.3 km).
Before you go, we have a few more resources to help make planning your Sedona family vacation easier. If you’re still looking for a place to stay, start with our guide to the best family-friendly hotels in Sedona.
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Celine Brewer is the owner of Baby Can Travel. Not only does she have years of experience traveling with babies & toddlers, but she’s helped millions of new parents travel with their babies and toddlers for over a decade. In addition to writing on her baby travel blog, she has shared her expertise on traveling with a baby or toddler by contributing to articles about traveling with a baby with the Washington Post, USA Today, the Lonely Planet magazine and Pregnancy & Newborn magazine.
Celine also writes about family travel on the site FamilyCanTravel.com, which she co-owns with her husband. Being from the Canadian Rockies, she shares her passion about her home and travel to Banff National Park and area on their site TravelBanffCanada.com.
