Hiking Doe Mountain Trail in Sedona

Hiking the Doe Mountain Trail offers a remarkable escape to Sedona's breathtaking desert landscape. This trail is renowned for its relatively short yet rewarding ascent to a flat mesa, presenting panoramic views of the surrounding red rock formations, wilderness, and pine-studded mesas. It's a favorite for hikers seeking a moderate and manageable trek combined with extraordinary vistas.

Adventure Guide to Hiking Doe Mountain Trail

Trailhead Location and Key Information The Doe Mountain Trailhead is situated off Boynton Pass Road, approximately 20 minutes from Sedona’s town center. The trail spans 1.5 miles round trip, with a 400-foot elevation gain, making it ideal for intermediate hikers or those with moderate fitness levels. Its compact size ensures you can complete the hike in about 2 hours, including time spent enjoying the summit.
What Makes Doe Mountain Special The trail culminates at an expansive mesa, offering a 360-degree view of iconic landmarks such as Bear Mountain, Courthouse Butte, and the towering red cliffs of the Coconino National Forest. Unlike many trails in Sedona, the flat mesa top allows hikers to wander and discover different perspectives that vary with the light of day. It's also one of the few hikes where you'll experience a quieter, less trafficked terrain compared to other popular Sedona trails.
Flora, Fauna, and Geological Features Along the path, you'll encounter sandstone rock formations, desert scrub, juniper trees, and vibrant wildflowers during spring. Keep an eye out for lizards, birds like falcons or ravens, and diverse plant life along your trek. The 2.5-million-year-old sedimentary layers of red rock add a spectacular geological backdrop to your experience.

Local Insights

Doe Mountain is part of the Coconino National Forest, and its flat top was historically used by Native American tribes as an observation point. Watching the sunset from the mesa is particularly spectacular, casting dramatic red and orange hues across the landscape.

Visitor Tips

Best Times to Visit: Aim for early morning or late afternoon to avoid the midday heat and crowds. Autumn and spring offer the most pleasant temperatures.
What to Bring: Carry 1-2 liters of water, sunscreen, sturdy hiking shoes, and a camera to capture the views.
Driving Directions: From Sedona, take State Route 89A west to Dry Creek Road, then head to Boynton Pass Road. The trip takes 20 minutes. Parking requires a Red Rock Pass, available onsite.

Reviews

David Skoda3 years ago

Nice and quick hike, about 1.5 miles up and back. Some parts that require a bit of effort to climb over/up but nothing too challenging or strenuous. The views from the top are awesome, you can walk around to see different sides. About 90 min total and we spent 20-30 up top.

Leah Newhouse3 years ago

Don’t be intimidated by the height when you walk up. For a slow hiker, there’s plenty of flat waiting points and switchbacks that it only took us 31 minutes to get to the top. (We really took our time.) The view? Amazing and SO WORTH IT!! We went an hour and a half before sunset.

Greg Thompsona year ago

We have been coming to Sedona for years and have been on many trails. This was the first time we took Doe Trail and loved it. Not too difficult or long and the 360 degree views at the top were outstanding. It took us about 3 hours, but we took our time and walked the entire rim of the mountain. A great hike for anyone!

D Man6 months ago

Beautiful hike to take. The views from the top are beautiful. At several points there is slight climbing required. It takes about 40 minutes to get to the top moving at a fairly steady pace. Some steep inclines. This is a hike that should really only be done during daylight. One needs to watch and secure their footing. There are several tricky spots. The parking spot is limited but convenient. A pass is required that can be purchased on sight or at other stations (trailheads).

John Parello10 months ago

So-this was an unplanned hike on our last morning in the Sedona area that we only learned of from our driver, Justin, on the Pink Jeep Tour. We got to the trailhead around 9am and found easy parking just outside the fee lot and made our way up the hike. It was easy and fun for our 5 & 8 year old boys who had no issues with the routes up or down. The path was dry and the air cool-it was perfect in my opinion. We then followed the path around the whole top circumference of the mountain and some of the smaller foot paths. It was quite windy up top-but the views were all great!! I highly recommend this hike as its able to be done in 1-1/2 to two hours with general ease and with time for photos. Enjoy the hike!

Hiking

Hiking Doe Mountain Trail in Sedona