Carroll Canyon Trail, AZ

Overview
The Carroll Canyon Trail is one of about 10 trails that make up the Carroll Canyon Trail System. Three THs provide access to the trails in the area: Shelby, Chavez, and Upper Red Rock. These trailheads have minimal parking and no amenities. They do have large maps of the Sedona trails, as well as a smaller map focusing on the Carroll Canyon Trails. The Shelby TH is not a well-known spot, but it is an ideal starting point for the Bandit, Old Post, Ridge, and Carroll Canyon Trails. However, there are only 3 designated parking spots, so you may need to be either early or flexible with your hiking plans.


History
Tom Carroll homesteaded land in the area. Unable to make it, he sold the land to Henry Schuerman. Schuerman irrigated Peach trees from Oak Creek and was known for his wine made from the peaches. A portion of this land is now Red Rock State Park.Hike
The Carroll Canyon Trail is an interior trail so some additional hiking is required. This trail can be accessed from all three trailheads, but can most easily be reached from the Shelby TH, and will be described as such. To reach the Carroll Canyon take the Old Post Trail for 0.47 miles. This juncture is signed and has a map.

The trail takes off heading in a southeast direction. As you hike it feels like you have entered into a shallow valley. There will be a shallow depression off to the west and the trail will follow along the base of a gradually rising slope. Views are minimal. The “airport hill” rises off to the east and the walls of the valley extend to the west. The green piñons contrasted with the red rock is the highlight of this section. At 0.52 miles the Carroll Canyon Trail merges with the Ridge Trail. At 0.71 these trails separate with the Carroll Canyon swinging to the west. The Carroll Canyon Trail crosses a wash 4 times, two of which, have nicely stoned bike ramps. All the crossings are very evident with the trail picking up directly on the opposite bank. At 0.83 the trail exits the last wash and begins a steady climb out of the canyon. This provides some of the more striking scenes as the canyon drops down to your south. The trail will climb for the next 0.2 miles gaining about 100 feet. At 1.05 miles you’ll start a series of “in and outs” as the trail follows the contours of the hills heading in a westward direction. The trail will have a couple of short climbs (30 feet each) where you’ll get your best chance at seeing some of Sedona’s famous landmarks: Cathedral, Courthouse, and Capitol Butte. With the last climb, Old Post Trail will come into view, and with a short (0.10 miles), but sharp descent the Carroll Canyon Trail ends at the Old Post Trail.

Options are wide open at this point. You can return the way you came for a 4.5 mile in and out, but this trail is ideally suited for looping. You can take the Old Post Trail north back for a 4-mile loop or add several other trails to create larger loops. All junctures are signed with maps so creating loops of varying lengths is very doable.

Water Sources
There is no water at any of the trailheads, so come prepared. Early morning and evening temperatures are pleasant, even in the summer. However, there is little shade on this trail so midday summertime temps can be hot.

Synopsis
This trail was a pleasant surprise. The trail is well-defined and surprisingly smooth for the first mile. It does get a little rocky on the climb out of the canyon but provides a decent tread for bikers and runners. Except for the climb out of the canyon and a few short stints near the end, the elevation change is very gradual. This trail won’t provide many distant views, but the local views are nice. With all the nearby trails, the Carroll Canyon offers some great looping options while never leaving Sedona.

2024-10-06 mt98dew