Dogs and the Sedona Shuttle
The one persistent problem with hiking around Sedona is undoubtedly the parking situation. The parking lots are consistently small and the trails are universally popular. Recently, Sedona has implemented a shuttle system that carries passengers to the most popular trailheads in the area including Devil’s Bridge, Cathedral Rock, and Soldier’s Pass. However, dogs are not allowed on the shuttle unless they are confined to a carrier that can safely be stowed out of the aisles, making it a no-no for medium to large-sized dogs.
To make matters even more complicated, parking at the trailheads along the shuttle loop will close when the shuttle is operating. If you want to bring your dogs on these specific trails, you will either have to park at the trailheads outside of shuttle operating hours or consider parking at a connecting trailhead.
Fortunately, the Sedona hiking trails are very interconnected and a bit of research should point you in the right direction for alternative parking locations for your chosen hike. To get you started on this, we are also sharing how we accessed our favorite dog-friendly hikes in the section below.
Our Favorite Dog-Friendly Hikes
Soldier’s Pass – Soldier’s Pass is an extremely popular hike in Sedona for very good reason. This 4.5-mile hike features many viewpoints such as The Devil’s Kitchen sinkhole, Seven Sacred Pools water holes, and the iconic Soldier’s Pass cave. It’s moderately challenging with the most difficult portion happening at the ending stretch where there is a short rock scramble. Because the Sedona Shuttle was running during our visit, we parked at the Brins Mesa Trailhead around 7 am and hiked the Ciabala Pass to connect us to the Soldier’s Pass Trailhead.
Dogs are certainly welcome on this trail, but there is a challenging rock climb at the end which requires upper body strength and lower body flexibility. Be absolutely sure that your dog can make it out of the cave before getting them in. We witnessed a group of people hoist their large German Shephard up this section, and while we left before they did, I shudder to think about how they managed to get him out.
