20211010_073415The Devil’s Bridge (October 2021)

Sedona (or rather, the Red Rock State Park) is home to just under 300 acres of natural beauty, most notably in its eponymous red, sandstone rocks. It’s not very big, but it’s compact with plenty of distinctive monuments from Bell Rock to Cathedral Rock that will take your breath away. The park is also great for hikes, ranging from easy to moderate, which allow visitors of all ages to access some of the great wonders on the trail– which was exactly what we did on our second day in.

Whereas we took our first day easy by driving to and sightseeing the famous red rocks, my dad and I spent our second day going hard on the hiking trails. Our time was limited, so we only picked two hikes to complete. And as we are far from being experienced hikers, we chose hikes that didn’t exceed five miles round-trip. We were ambitious, but also decided carefully based on our physical limits.

We woke up before the crack of dawn (5h30) to be out of our hotel before 6h00 to drive over to the trailhead of our first hike: the Devil’s Bridge. It is arguably the most-famous site in Sedona, with hundreds of visitors visiting every day. Due to its sheer popularity, it’s a must to go as early as humanly possible, as there will be a line to take photos at the bridge (with queues reporting an upwards of an hour long)! That said, we were driving in pure darkness pre-sunset to beat the crowds for the photos, as well as parking.

20211010_060915So dark outside…

It’s important to note that there are several trailheads you can park at. The most-convenient would be the Devil’s Bridge Trailhead, which would bring you to the famed bridge in just one mile (two miles round-trip). However, it requires a 4×4 to clear the high, rocky roads, so if you don’t have a 4×4, you’ll need to park elsewhere. Most visitors tend to park at the Dry Creek Trailhead, as it’s conveniently the first trailhead on the drive over to start the hike.

However, I would personally recommend that you park at the Mescal Trailhead just a bit further down, because 1) it’s actually shorter (4.2 miles vs 4.6 miles round-trip) and 2) it offers more of a scenic walk. We opted to park at the Mescal Trailhead not only for these reasons, but also for convenience as we could leave our car there and do our second hike nearby. There were perhaps three other cars already parked when we arrived just at 6h00, and we began our hike over to the Devil’s Bridge.

Although it was dark when we started, the sun came out within 20 minutes. The sunlight spread throughout the canyon, emanating a glow that cannot be exactly put into words– the closest I could describe it is a wondrous, glorious hue, with the red rocks so deep in color like the earth that you don’t feel as if they really exist. When something so incredible, so sublime is in your field of vision, it’s almost-impossible to put this sentiment into words.

20211010_062515Sunrise on the hike

This indescribable feeling of being in Sedona gives rise to what’s known as a “vortex.” Sure, you may know of the word to define natural phenomena like hurricanes and whirlpools, but in Sedona, such vortexes are invisible to the eye and are felt in the atmosphere. Apparently, they’re magnetic sources of energy in the earth which create this sensation of sublimity– these vortexes are thought to give off spiritual and therapeutic qualities, and they’ve inspired those to meditate and heal in such sites of transcendental beauty.

While I’m not really into such instances of spirituality and meditation, I do acknowledge that Sedona is very beautiful. I can see why so many visitors are taken by its incredible land. And to feel at peace and blessed to be on the road made the experience very worthwhile. It was advantageous that we started so early on the hike, as we didn’t encounter another soul for most of it and had the silence in the wilderness to take in our mystical surroundings.

20211010_063836Sun rise on the hike– part 2

The Mescal Trail is all flat and easy to walk through. However, it’s when you connect to the Devil’s Bridge Trailhead that it starts to get tricky. The path gradually becomes uphill, with large stepping stones to surmount– at one point, you’ll even need to do a bit of rock-scrambling in your hands to get yourself up the rocks to the top of the bridge. It’s a bit challenging, but not impossible– expect to get a bit dusty from your efforts!

The Devil’s Bridge Trailhead was also where we started encountering people also heading to the site– again, there wasn’t anyone on the trail until then. As we got closer to the bridge, we even saw people heading back, which meant some had woken up and arrived even earlier! By the time we reached the Devil’s Bridge around 6h45, there were already perhaps half-a-dozen of groups waiting for their photo opportunity. Luckily, it wasn’t that bad, as my dad and I only waited about 15-20 minutes to take our photos.

PS There were people down below who were making creepy, ghost noises, as a way to be funny. I found it very amusing!

From the distance, the Devil’s Bridge looks very precarious, even dangerous. However, when you actually walk on it, it’s really not bad. Even at the most center, narrowest part, it’s still quite broad. Unless you’re being foolish and doing cartwheels and somersaults, you’ll be perfectly fine on the bridge. A couple behind us were kind to take our photos, and we returned the favor.

20211010_073601Me and dad on the Devil’s Bridge

After a bit of rest, we left the site as more people were piling in. It was barely after 7h00 and so many people were already arriving to the Devil’s Bridge! Again, it’s imperative to go as early as possible: if you don’t, not only will the queue to take photos be over an hour long, but also the parking lots will be full– when we headed back into town around mid-morning, we saw TONS of cars spilling onto the side of the road near the trailheads, which makes me wonder how bad the lines will be at the bridge itself. If you go around 8h00, you’re already out of luck!

At the risk of this post getting any longer (as it is already), I will save the last part of Sedona in the next post. Look out for it soon!

— Rebecca

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Published by Rebecca

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36 thoughts on “Destination: Sedona, Arizona (Hiking The Devil’s Bridge- Part 2)”

  3. Wow, what a beautiful place, Rebecca, and what a wonderful experience to share with your dad! Despite its name, the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area looks like the most heavenly sight! It’s always wise to start your day early when going hiking, especially if you wish to avoid crowds. Thanks for sharing and have a good day šŸ™‚ Aiva xx

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    1. Yes, thank you so much, Aiva! It was rewarding to wake up and start the hike early; should we have started even a half-hour later, it would’ve been crowded! Stay tuned for another Sedona hike post soon! šŸ˜Š

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  4. Sounds like the early rise was a smart move. The shot of you and your dad on Devil’s Bridge is a keeper, such great colours and scale to it. The vortex stuff is really curious and I’m sure draws in hordes of people in itself.

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    1. At first, we hesitated to wake up and leave so early, but in retrospect, it was necessary! The Devil’s Bridge is an icon of Sedona, and it was great to finally check it out. More to come soon!

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  5. What an incredible experience, and to get to share it with your dad makes it even more special. I just love the desert and will have to visit this area at some point. Iā€™m surprised that itā€™s allowed to stand on the bridge. It seems like so much foot traffic there could cause damage over time.

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    1. I’m sure in a couple of years, the Devil’s Bridge won’t be accessible anymore, given how precarious it is…until then, I’m glad I got to have had the opportunity to stand on it! Hope you can go before then!

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  7. Starting early is always worth it. I canā€™t believe how popular and busy it was so early in the morning. I would like to visit Sedona but the crowds make it sound very unpleasant.

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    1. The Devil’s Bridge is iconic to Sedona, so it isn’t a surprise that it’s so packed with tourists who want to get a shot of it. Sedona is busy, but we’d gone on a weekend, so it was especially crowded; I can imagine traffic might be lighter during the weekdays, though!

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  11. I think we parked in the same spot. I started early, too, but I don’t think it was that early. It’s nice how everyone in line helps everyone else out with their photos. There’s a cooperative spirit in the air there. People must be in good moods from being surrounded by so much beauty.

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    1. Yes, I was especially surprised at how supportive everyone was at the photo queue! Besides making it a seamless process to get through quickly, it provides more of an opportunity to enjoy the views as you wait for your turn!

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    1. People were piled on the other side of the bridge, and each of us went on the bridge one at a time. The center is quite stable, but I’m sure that it’ll start to get precarious in a few more years, to the point that it won’t be safe to stand on it anymore…a nice couple after us took our photo (and we did the same back)!

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  18. I’d be one of the ones down below taking your photos, rather than going up on top of the bridge! I’ve driven through the area, but never took the time to hike. Must remember to do so sometime. I do know that amazing glow of the early sun on the red rocks, so breathtaking.

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  19. Pingback: Destination: Sedona, Arizona (Hiking the Birthing Cave- Part 3) – Rebecca Goes Rendezvous

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