Secret Canyon Trail #121 • Hike • Arizona • All Triplogs • HikeArizona.COM

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Jan 10 2024
		jrich0085 • Triplogs 19

Hiking	10.00 Miles	1,161 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles
	1,161 ft AEG

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I can't believe it was four years ago that I hiked Secret Canyon in January. I mapped this hike out to begin at the Chuckwagon Trailhead which has paved road access. Even with an off-road truck I'm not about to try FR-152.

One of the highlights of that hike four years ago was discovering a beautiful waterfall in a narrow, red canyon near the junction of Secret Canyon and David Miller trails. With recent snowpack beginning to melt a bit, I thought today might be another waterfall opportunity.

We parked at Chuckwagon and did the 2.6 mile hike in via Chuckwagon and then along FR-152. Chuckwagon is pretty. FR-152 not so much. The road is currently closed due to poor conditions, but the barricades wouldn't be difficult to move. Recent tire marks in the road indicate this has likely occurred.

The trail was covered by some snow, although crampons / snowshoes were not required. Exposed patches were often muddy, but it wasn't too difficult to navigate. Recent footprints indicate we weren't the only hikers trying a midwinter exploration along Secret Canyon.

The area near the aforementioned waterfall is where this trail gets good. Ponderosa pine forest sprouts up, and the creek is bounded by smooth, curvy red rock walls. Today this area was a winter wonderland. Snow caked the trees and shrubs. The creek was solid ice, so therefore the waterfall was not flowing.

I found a good marker for the waterfall. A woodpecker was going to town on a large ponderosa shortly before the David Miller junction. The tree has a ring of perfect round holes, and the snow around the base was stained with sawdust. Just look for the pecked-up ponderosa and the waterfall overlook is a few steps beyond.

Four years ago I thought the trail ended at the curvy red cliffs. Back then I didn't use hiking GPS. Today, looking at both my GPS and the footprints in the snow, I realized you're just getting into Secret Canyon. Unfortunately my hiking partner's boots had filled with water, so we needed to turn back. Plus, the sun was sinking behind the mountains and the temperature was dropping fast.

In a different season I'm thinking about coming back. I'm reading about this arch in the canyon and some other cool features. I also gather it becomes an overgrown mess of poison ivy

And if not Secret Canyon, I also want to explore neighboring Bear Sign Trail. Secret Mountain Wilderness has long intrigued me. Here's hoping it's sooner than four years before I'm back here again.

Sep 16 2023

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 376
Photos 5,897
Triplogs 346

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Chuckwagon to Secret Canyon Arch, AZ

Hiking		Sep 16 2023
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	13.47 Miles	1,547 AEG

Hiking	13.47 Miles	7 Hrs 41 Mns	2.06 mph
	1,547 ft AEG	1 Hour 8 Mns Break

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Chuckwagon Trail

Forest Service Road 152

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TboneKathy

We planned to do this hike in June but had to find an alternative that day because of the Miller Fire closure in the area. Our main destination was Secret Canyon arch--I was here almost two and a half years ago but didn't have time to go up to the arch that day, and it looked like a nice one from below.

We arrived around 8AM and were fortunate to find parking amongst the Birthing Cave crowds near Long Canyon Trailhead. We even managed to get started without anyone asking us for Birthing Cave directions--in June, the count was two before we set foot on the trail. It was a beautiful morning as we set out on Chuckwagon and continued on FR 152 to Secret Canyon Trailhead...no traffic on 152 and no vehicles at the trailhead.

I'd forgotten a lot the details of the trail since the last visit, but it's mostly flat, easy hiking north through plenty of great Sedona landscape. Past the David Miller intersection, we continued on Secret Canyon Trail as it turned west into the canyon and started dodging poison ivy...that part I remembered well. The trail is faint and overgrown in places, but someone had tied orange ribbons at some of the less obvious points.

The arch came into view, and I took off into the brush. I've seen maps that show a trail leading up there, but if there was any sign of a trail, I missed it. Gloves and clippers were handy on the way up, but at least there wasn't any poison ivy to avoid once I left the creek bed. I broke free of the brush at the base of the red rock below the arch and looked for a way up from the front, but that didn't go well in boots with worn treads and some chunks falling off the soles. I worked my way up two levels and still had two more to go, maybe 20-30 feet directly below the arch, before I abandoned that plan. With better treads, better climbing skills, and a little more courage/stupidity, it might've worked...

I figured I'd check out the back side of the formation, so I worked my way around the base of the cliff and found that much easier--a few somewhat steep sections, but flatter than the front side and with much better footing. It's one of the nicer arches in Sedona, with plenty of shade and room to sit down and enjoy the views...looking down Secret Canyon with the afternoon shadows made for a nice spot to take a break.

[ youtube video ]

As I packed up to start down, I saw two people coming up the back side...it looked like they'd followed a trail through the brush. We passed each other on my way down, and I tried following their route to see if I could find a less brushy option back to the main trail. There were a few cairns and a faint trail, but I ended up following a creek bed that eventually connected with Secret Canyon Trail. It was less direct than the straight shot I took on the way in...less brushy, but more poison ivy, and a few steep drops to navigate. It still seems like whatever trail was there has mostly grown over.

We weren't going to have time to hike to the end of Secret Canyon, and we knew from experience that the canyon only gets narrower and the poison ivy thicker farther back, so we made that our turnaround spot, and it was a comfortable, pleasant hike out. We'd only seen two bikers and four hikers all day...lots of solitude with great scenery and weather, and it was nice to escape the Phoenix area for the first time in a few months, see something different, and get a closer look at the arch. I-17 traffic wasn't too bad until some closures on the north side of Phoenix, but there was a great sunset as we got back into the valley.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Poison Ivy Sacred Datura

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Cross-bedding Natural Arch

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Memorial

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Camelback Mountain Secret Canyon

Meteorology

Meteorology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Sunset

Oct 09 2022

AugustWest

Routes 174
Photos 471
Triplogs 184

51 male

Joined Mar 16 2019
Phoenix

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Oct 09 2022
		AugustWest • Triplogs 184

Hiking	6.89 Miles	807 AEG

Hiking	6.89 Miles	4 Hrs 16 Mns	1.88 mph
	807 ft AEG	36 Mns Break

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Fun out and back on a rare trip to Sedona. The road keeps out the riff raff, but is certainly worth driving and I would consider HC and 4x4, but not the worst. Most of the pools have water, but the only people we ran into had poor reviews of the “muddy” terroir.

The canyon is really a special spot and my friend Jen who lives and hikes in Sedona gave it two thumbs up which is good enough for me to make my way back down FR 152 to explore Brins Mesa, Vultee Arch and David Miller sometime in the near future.

	Secret Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	some pools

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Wildflower seed in the sand and wind
May the four winds blow you home again

Nov 16 2021

jillyonanadventure

Routes 175
Photos 2,335
Triplogs 191

44 female

Joined Jan 21 2019
Pine, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Nov 16 2021
		jillyonanadventure • Triplogs 191

Hiking	7.13 Miles	759 AEG

Hiking	7.13 Miles	3 Hrs 54 Mns	1.95 mph
	759 ft AEG	15 Mns Break

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Wanted to do Sedona minus crowds so thought this would be a good choice. Dry creek road was a fun off roading challenge for me! It wasn’t as bad as Schnebly but definitely had a few rock crawling sections that required 4Low.

There was only one other vehicle near the TH so I wasn’t sure if I was going to see anybody! Hike starts out flat and uneventful for a while and is a bit overgrown. It starts getting pretty around 2 miles in where you cross a little canyon. There was a nice campsite before the turnoff that goes to David Miller trail. After this trail junction the trail conditions got a bit more challenging for my healing ankle.

My plan was to hike as far as I could go without too much discomfort. After a second canyon crossing there was an area to the left with a flat surface looking down into a beautiful canyon with a bit of fall color. I took a quick snack break here then continued on. I ran into a solo female backpacker with her dog and we chatted for a minute; this would be the only other hiker I saw all day!

Next you drop down a bit and have beautiful canyon walls to walk along. The trail became very faint to non existent and you’re walking/rock hopping along in a creek bed. There was poison ivy and poison sumac everywhere so I was glad I was in pants! I was climbing under/over/around downed trees and things just became more difficult to navigate. Looking ahead it was more of the same and my ankle wasn’t happy with the rock hopping, so I opted to play it safe and turn around. This is the longest hike I’ve done since my injury and I hope to keep increasing mileage slowly.

The gnats on the way back were swarming so bad I even got one in my eye. I have no idea why they were so out of control but those things are so pesky! On the drive out I dusted a large amount of devils bridge hikers as I passed by.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Smooth Sumac

Autumn Foliage Observation None
Past peak

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Restless between adventures...

May 15 2021

John10s

Guides 25
Routes 376
Photos 5,897
Triplogs 346

40 male

Joined Mar 01 2018
Chandler, AZ

Chuckwagon to Secret Canyon, AZ

Hiking		May 15 2021
		John10s • Triplogs 346

Hiking	16.12 Miles	1,224 AEG

Hiking	16.12 Miles	7 Hrs 43 Mns	2.30 mph
	1,224 ft AEG	43 Mns Break

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Chuckwagon Trail

Forest Service Road 152

[ checklist ] Colorado Four O'Clock Doubting Mariposa Lily Poison Ivy Strawberry Hedgehog

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TboneKathy

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

I always enjoy exploring new spots in Sedona, and this was my first visit to Secret Canyon. We weren't sure about the road conditions on FR 152--it sounds like it's deteriorated a lot in recent years--so we planned to park at Long Canyon Trailhead and hike Chuckwagon/Brins Mesa/FR 152 to the Secret Canyon Trailhead, which would add ~3 miles each way to the hike. It was sad to drive down Dry Creek Road in the morning and see the predictable mass of Insta-tourists already swarming toward Devil's Bridge at 7:30AM. Every time I visit Sedona, it seems like the crowds grow exponentially and show up earlier and earlier...more cars lined the street than I'd ever seen there, and most of the parking was taken near Mescal and the alternate routes to Devil's Bridge. How people find it appealing to "hike" in what is essentially a four-mile line to get the same "unique" Instagram photo that hundreds of people take every day remains a mystery...

We were lucky to get a spot at Long Canyon--that's becoming overrun by Birthing Cave Insta-tourists--and we had relative solitude on Chuckwagon once a few groups of mountain bikers passed us. It was fast, easy hiking to Brins Mesa and on FR 152, and the Secret Canyon parking lot was empty as we started on the trail. The scenery along the first few miles was fantastic, with classic Sedona views of red spires and towering white cliffs. The geology along the first part of Secret Canyon Trail looks a lot like Boynton and Long...not surprising, I guess, since they're right next door.

We encountered a little water near H.S. Canyon, but that was one of just a handful of spots we saw any along the route. Once the trail turned west at the intersection with David Miller Trail and the canyon walls closed in, the landscape changed and looked more like West Fork with the dense foliage. There was a lot of poison ivy as we got farther back in the canyon, to the point that avoiding it entirely was impossible, and all we could do was minimize how often we came into contact with it. We needed to keep a good pace if we were going to reach the narrows in the back of the canyon beyond the end of the trail, but the poison ivy and general overgrowth in the canyon slowed us down. Even with the GPS, there were spots where it was tough to spot the trail, and it looks like there's been little to no maintenance done recently, with downed trees and logs completely obscuring the path in some spots.

There were a few informal campsites with fire rings in some of the clearings, and those spots tended to have more open views of the red canyon walls. We passed the smaller narrows area but didn't hike back in there since time was going to be tight. Further in, Secret Canyon Arch looked impressive high up on the canyon wall, and we decided we'd look for a route up there on the way out. We ended up coming up short the narrows and the official end of the trail when we reached our turnaround time--by that point, we were just following the creek bed and couldn't see the trail. Or maybe the creek bed was the trail...it was tough to tell with the overgrowth.

We headed back and spent a little time looking for a path up to the arch. One map we'd looked at actually showed a numbered trail leading up to it, but we didn't see any sign of a route. It looked like the best option would be to follow a drainage in that direction, but it was choked with boulders and brush, and it was clear that getting up there was going to take more time than we had today, so that'll have to wait for another visit.

We saw two other hikers on the way out, but those were the only people we saw along the trail all day aside from mountain bikers on Chuckwagon. We came up a little short on the goals we'd set to reach the narrows at the end of the canyon, to make it up to the arch, and to find some cliff dwellings we'd heard about, but it was a very enjoyable intro to Secret Canyon. We could've done without all the poison ivy, but the weather and scenery were fantastic, and the trail offers a nice variety--a combination that feels like part Boynton, part West Fork...definitely worthy of anther visit to see some of those specific landmarks we didn't catch this time.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

Fauna

Fauna [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly

Geology

Geology [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Natural Arch

Culture

Culture [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Memorial

Named place

Named place [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Secret Canyon

	H S Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	One small, stagnant pool just off of Secret Canyon Trail

	Secret Canyon	Dry	Dry

Apr 10 2021

GrangerGuy

Guides 34
Routes 138
Photos 931
Triplogs 111

68 male

Joined Dec 26 2018
Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Backpack		Apr 10 2021
		GrangerGuy • Triplogs 111

Backpack	19.30 Miles	2,179 AEG

Backpack	19.30 Miles	1 Day 3 Hrs
	2,179 ft AEG		27 LBS Pack

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I have had my eye on this area for some time, well before I started my little project to hike and photograph all the designated wilderness areas in Arizona. I am trying to hit these areas in season, not to hot, not too cold, and early April was a great time for this hike. I saw that a guide was needed for Bear Sign Canyon, as well so I added that into this trip.

I debated at length, should I drive to the trailhead, or leave the Cherokee at the end of the pavement. There were so many frightening comments about FR 152, I decided to walk it. It turns out, at least as of this writing, if you can negotiate the rock berm at the end of the pavement, the rest of the road will not give you trouble. Just take it slow. But, who knew? I saw many and varied 4x4s on the road, all the way to the end.

However, I think the Lord wanted me to walk FR152. A couple miles in, I was passed by two hikers while I was taking some pictures, and then I caught up with them a little later. Turns out, they were headed for the Devil's Bridge trail, and had walked right past it. I set them straight and they headed back. Coming out, I ran into a young couple who had no idea where they were, or even how they got there. I invited them to walk back with me to my car, and I would drive them to wherever they had parked. This offer was accepted.

This year in April, there was plenty of water along this route. However, not all water is at the indicated places on the water charts. Sometimes it is significantly up or downstream.

Dry Creek Trail and Bear Sign Trail are positively lovely! A great mix of red rock and various trees. This was my first exposure to the Arizona Cypress. I thought it was a juniper, but the cones got my attention. Same family, different genus. I found Douglas Fir, Ponderosa Pine, Maple, Oak, and something I would swear was salal, but it really doesn't belong here.

On the Bear Sign / David Miller part of this hike, I was surprised to see a couple with their dog. Did not expect to see anyone. They hiked all the way up Bear Sign #59 to the formal end of the trail and continued on. The David Miller Trail is pretty steep on both sides. The soles of my boots are getting worn, so it wasn't that fun.

Once down to the Secret Canyon Trail #121, I saw several backpacking parties. I headed up the canyon to its narrows and a little beyond, before I decided I had had enough. I camped on a nice flat area not far from water.

I finished out the trip on Secret Canyon Trail. That is one of the nicest, easiest to walk trails I have been on recently. At times it felt like walking on a carpet.

Jul 04 2020

Lost

Routes 22
Photos 416
Triplogs 67

42 male

Joined Apr 18 2009
Anthem, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Jul 04 2020
		Lost • Triplogs 67

Hiking	6.82 Miles	991 AEG

Hiking	6.82 Miles	3 Hrs 11 Mns		2.20 mph
	991 ft AEG	5 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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Started from the Vultee Arch trailhead shortly before 6am to beat the holiday rush and the forecast high approaching 100 degrees. I wish I had found this loop a long time ago! You get a little bit of everything on this hike: wide open red rock views on the Secret Canyon side, and a cool forest walk on the Bear Sign side. Did not see a single person on the hike, just the way I like it.

Secret Canyon trail is in great shape and very easy to follow. The southern turnoff for HS Canyon is signed, but the trail looked faint at best. I completely missed the northern HS canyon junction and have no idea if it's actually there; just like everyone else it looks like. David Miller west of the pass is a little brushy and faint in areas, east of the pass it's better and looks like there's been some very recent trail maintenance. Bear Sign and Dry Creek are in good condition as well.

It was nice to be back in this area: the Vultee Arch trail was the first "real" trail I hiked in Arizona nearly 20 years ago, and probably what spurred my love of hiking. Then the road turned into what it is today, and there's no way my old 1996 Saturn could make it down here now. High clearance is definitely required, preferably with a short wheelbase. 2WD could probably be done with careful driving and a dry road, but I was definitely a lot more comfortable with 4WD low.

Wildflowers Observation Light

Bear Sign Canyon

Dry

H S Canyon

Dry

Secret Canyon

Dry

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Mar 29 2020

azlaurie

Routes 181
Photos 901
Triplogs 259

50 female

Joined Mar 09 2010
Chandler, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Mar 29 2020
		azlaurie • Triplogs 259

Hiking	3.22 Miles	422 AEG

Hiking	3.22 Miles	22 Hrs 12 Mns		0.15 mph
	422 ft AEG	3 Mns Break	23 LBS Pack

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dswitzer3

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

4.68 miles - 1:24 pm
Home

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♥ Timing is Everything ♥

Mar 29 2020

dswitzer3

Routes 8
Triplogs 8

48 male

Joined Mar 07 2020
MESA

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Mar 29 2020
		dswitzer3 • Triplogs 8

Hiking	12.82 Miles	1,364 AEG

Hiking	12.82 Miles	22 Hrs 10 Mns	1.84 mph
	1,364 ft AEG	15 Hrs 11 Mns Break

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azlaurie

Route Recorded on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX

Feb 01 2020

MAP

Routes 137
Photos 1
Triplogs 105

44 female

Joined Oct 21 2016
Tempe, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Feb 01 2020
		MAP • Triplogs 105

Hiking	18.41 Miles	2,019 AEG

Hiking	18.41 Miles	9 Hrs 4 Mns	2.06 mph
	2,019 ft AEG	8 Mns Break

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First: Note to self: do not attempt to hike any trails that require access to Boynton Pass Road the 1st weekend of February (which is quite a few). The Sedona Marathon closes down Boynton Pass Road completely as well as access from the west. BUT we drove up to attempt a Long/Secret loop & by golly we were getting to hike at least one of the two canyons! So we connected other trails & made the way on foot. Our best route was hiking from Soldier's Pass TH

Brins Mesa

Dry Creek Road

Secret Canyon woo hoo!

Second: Wowowow Secret Canyon! The views entering this canyon are spectacular. I could look at Maroon mountain all day and then some. Once you get into the woods the trail turns into a fun roller coaster of up up up, down down down, stream crossing, up up up...and repeat. Lots of stream crossings but most are very easy to find good rocks to step on. Lots to explore. Can't wait to return when we aren't adding 10 extra miles.

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Nov 23 2019

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Run/Jog		Nov 23 2019
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	13.28 Miles	1,711 AEG

Run/Jog	13.28 Miles	3 Hrs 59 Mns	3.33 mph
	1,711 ft AEG

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Forest Service Road 152

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Made the decision yesterday to head up to Sedona today. Originally I thought of doing Wilson Mountain, but then decided it might be fun to take the Jeep out for a spin... So decided on some combination of Dry Creek, Bear Sign, and whatever else I felt like doing.

Started out with the Dry Creek out-and-back. Despite the rain a few days ago, Dry Creek was mostly dry. Like a lot of the other canyons in the area, a couple miles in, you're treated with nice mature Ponderosa Pine forest. It actually got quite chilly in this section, and despite the nice verdant forest, I had a hostile encounter with a shindagger. No gushing or anything, but a subtle reminder that I should probably start bringing a first aid kit on these sorts of trips.

After 3+ miles, the trail was still going, but I wasn't really sure if this was still the official route. Decided to head back down to Bear Sign.

From the Dry Creek junction to David Miller, Bear Sign is much better maintained and less scratchy than Dry Creek. I found this trail to be more enjoyable overall (although there were so many leaves on the ground in Dry Creek, it may be worth checking out a month or so earlier in the year...). After the David Miller junction, the trail gets a lot harder to follow, and I quickly lost it, along with my interest in continuing up the canyon.

The first quarter mile or so of David Miller was the only steep section of the day, and the saddle granted a nice view to the north and to the south. The original plan was to take a detour through HS canyon, but I wasn't sure where the trail was (my maps indicate that it forms a loop, but who knows if that's accurate). Might be easier to try from the south end.

Was a good day. Once past the Devil's Bridge circus, there was lots of solitude, and I managed to go 12+ miles on a Saturday in Sedona without seeing another human. Chalk that up as a win!

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1 archive

Apr 28 2019

ShatteredArm

Guides 12
Routes 192
Photos 863
Triplogs 356

42 male

Joined Nov 30 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Run/Jog		Apr 28 2019
		ShatteredArm • Triplogs 356

Run/Jog	13.00 Miles	1,811 AEG

Run/Jog	13.00 Miles	4 Hrs 58 Mns	2.62 mph
	1,811 ft AEG

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Another one from the backlog... Headed up to Sedona with no real plan, and decided to revisit Secret Canyon trail (this was one of my first hikes in the Sedona area something like 5 years ago). Secret Canyon is an underrated little canyon, with nice vegetation, cool red rock formations, and sheer cliffs on the south side.

The previous outing, I didn't make it all the way to the narrows, so that was a nice treat. Cool little spot, but I wouldn't say it's a must-see.

The highlight of the trail ended up being the arch about a quarter mile off the trail, 1.5 miles past the David Miller junction. This isn't labeled on any of the official maps I've seen, but the trail is on Open Street Maps as "Secret Canyon Arch." It's a little rough, with a steep climb up some slickrock, but the arch is well worth it, and my favorite arch I've found in Sedona.

Might be fun to try and go all the way up the canyon, and connect with Loy Canyon or something.

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1 archive

Mar 29 2019

MEWhiteman

Guides 47
Routes 96
Photos 850
Triplogs 385

81 male

Joined Dec 24 2005
Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Mar 29 2019
		MEWhiteman • Triplogs 385

Hiking	9.90 Miles	1,718 AEG

Hiking	9.90 Miles	5 Hrs 16 Mns	1.88 mph
	1,718 ft AEG

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hiazny10

Tom drove to the trailhead but will never do it again. He has a very stiffly sprung 1 T. pickup. It took us about 40 minutes to cover the 3.5 miles with a lot of bouncing around. The hike was tougher than we expected with lots of ups/downs for creek crossings after the David Miller trail junction. I quit about .25 miles from the end and waited for Tom while he went to the end and back. Many parts of the trail had debris due to recent flooding. But the area was beautiful with the red walls and cliffs and lots of shade. The steam had lots of water in it.

Secret Canyon

Medium flow

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Nov 03 2018

Daytripper

Guides 7
Routes 187
Photos 2,318
Triplogs 909

74 male

Joined Dec 10 2016
Gold Canyon

Soldier Pass Trail #66 - Sedona

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Nov 03 2018
		Daytripper • Triplogs 909

Hiking	15.18 Miles	1,611 AEG

Hiking	15.18 Miles	6 Hrs 46 Mns		2.52 mph
	1,611 ft AEG	45 Mns Break	14 LBS Pack

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Beautiful weather in Sedona this weekend, skipped my usual Bear Mountain trail and decided on a Brins Mesa ,Soldiers Pass Trail Loop with additional exploration of Secret Canyon trail. Started this hike at Soldiers Pass trailhead with it’s electronic gate that is open 8 am to 6pm ,was there 10 minutes before 8 and was the 6th car in line for the 14 spots. Checked out the sinkhole then headed to Cibola Pass trail ,still early enough to only see a couple of hikers. Jordan trailhead looked to be in heavy use ,headed up Brins Mesa trail getting a good warmup on this cool mid 50’s morning. Such a pleasant walk with plenty of visual attractions.Took a break at the trailhead on FR 152, got out my respiratory protection for the walk to the Secret Canyon trailhead but surprisingly no dust, only passed by two non pink jeeps. There were two vehicles parked at the secret canyon trailhead but saw no one on the portion of the trail I hiked-everyone perhaps camping in the canyon. Surprised by the beach like soft sand on the trail after crossing Dry Creek went past the H.S. Canyon junction,not sure what the initials stand for , I thought perhaps “highly secret canyon” from the looks of it’s use. Enjoyed the nice views where things open up before the trail enters Secret canyon, tried a brief stretch of the David Miller trail I hadn’t planned the extra miles of going to and down Bear Sign so I retraced my steps to the trailhead, no wildlife seen but did notice a Stellar Jay fly away. Had not been on Soldiers Pass Trail before but glad I did it today the views coming down in the early afternoon were awesome.Visited the sacred pools before finishing up.

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Navy31 Army13

Jul 22 2018

timetravler

Routes 3
Triplogs 2

35 female

Joined Jul 23 2018
Goodyear

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Jul 22 2018
		timetravler • Triplogs 2

Hiking	12.71 Miles	1,169 AEG

Hiking	12.71 Miles	8 Hrs 22 Mns	2.07 mph
	1,169 ft AEG	2 Hrs 13 Mns Break

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Nice day hike but be ready. The road to the trail head is rough. If you’re in a sedan or aren’t comfortable with off roading, park in the first parking lot you come to. You’ll need high clearance and 4 wheel drive to continue on. We took the truck in and only made it about 2 miles in, parked and walked the other 2 to the trail-head. There is no water along the trail or at the end at least in mid July. When We went, we had just had a couple monsoons come through and still no water. So make sure you’re packing enough water. Also the bugs! There wasn’t any water but the Mosquitoes were out in full force. I’d bring bug spray with you. Other than that enjoy the hike!

1 archive

Apr 30 2018

fricknaley

Guides 93
Routes 397
Photos 4,984
Triplogs 4,124

49 male

Joined Jun 20 2003
Tucson, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Apr 30 2018
		fricknaley • Triplogs 4,124

Hiking	15.92 Miles	2,073 AEG

Hiking	15.92 Miles	6 Hrs 15 Mns		2.62 mph
	2,073 ft AEG	10 Mns Break	10 LBS Pack

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a very much needed mental getaway. always wanted to do the bear sign/secret loop but wanted some extra miles so i started from the jordan trailhead and used brins mesa (thanks for the idea @hikerdw)

brins mesa is always a pleasant trail, imo, and especially coming back down late in the day with the sweet views. predictably saw nobody after the soldier pass cutoff.

quick walk along dry creek road and trail

bear sign is pretty awesome, especially up canyon with some pretty big trees, shade and occasional neat views. poison ivy is ready and raring to go. hated to see it end so soon

david miller...holy smokes. who knew? talk about short and sweet. really great views from the saddle, especially if you climb up the little high point. the wind this day, and especially on the highpoint was

secret canyon kind of goes by fast, but held it's charm from what i remembered (last hiked it probably 13 years ago).

the whole way back was very smooth, quiet and pretty relaxing really. i think i saw maybe 4-5 people on brins mesa coming back?. nobody at all on dry creek or the loop. coming down the end of brins mesa late afternoon/early evening is a treat.

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hi

1 archive

Apr 28 2018

emilystardust

Routes 386
Photos 49
Triplogs 792

43 female

Joined Jun 23 2015
Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Apr 28 2018
		emilystardust • Triplogs 792

Hiking	10.00 Miles	400 AEG

Hiking	10.00 Miles
	400 ft AEG

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I wanted to get this backpack in before it got too hot out. We left late Friday night to avoid the crowds walking on the road in and probably hiked in about 2 miles before we set up camp. Saturday we hiked over to the "waterfall" which was still pretty cool despite being dry with lots of very dirty water at the bottom. Hiked out early Sunday am to avoid crowds again. This was a nice, easy backpacking trip. We saw a couple small pools of water, but nothing I would feel comfortable drinking even after filtering. The cleanest one was probably just before the intersection with HS Canyon.

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Mar 30 2018

whycoyote

Routes 1
Photos 72
Triplogs 13

64 female

Joined Jul 02 2002
Prescott VAlley,

Sedona, AZ

Hiking		Mar 30 2018
		whycoyote • Triplogs 13

Hiking	7.00 Miles	400 AEG

Hiking	7.00 Miles
	400 ft AEG

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It was time to get out again, and this easy, but beautiful, little backpack was just the ticket. We arrived at the trailhead around 11 am on Friday. There were lots of people walking on Dry Creek Road, fortunately for us seekers of solitude they were headed to Devil's Bridge. We found five vehicles at the trailhead, and passed three groups of people who were coming out. Three down, two to go,, but we never saw any sign of those other two. They must have been hiking the loop and went out Bear Sign. There is no water to speak of in Secret Canyon. There were a few pools of fairly clear water that could be used in an emergency. I test filtered about 32 oz. from one pool, and it came out slightly colored but tasted OK. We didn't actually use it for anything.

This was the busiest I have ever seen this trail. On Saturday, while taking a side hike up David Miller we saw one couple with two dogs. On Secret Canyon we saw three groups of two. One had backpacks and the others passed back out later in the afternoon.

Given that it was Easter weekend, we felt luck for the relative peace and quiet and unobtrusive hikers who passed by our campsite about 1/2 mile in Secret Canyon. We could have done without the helicopters.

Wildflowers Observation Isolated
A few Redstem Storksbill and Spring Parsley. The Manzanita was in full bloom.

	Secret Canyon	Dry	Dry
	Dry except for pools of standing water that are varied in depth and will probably be dry soon.

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Feb 17 2018

chumley

Guides 94
Routes 840
Photos 22,055
Triplogs 1,993

52 male

Joined Sep 18 2002
Tempe, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Backpack		Feb 17 2018
		chumley • Triplogs 1,993

Backpack	18.37 Miles	2,902 AEG

Backpack	18.37 Miles	2 Days
	2,902 ft AEG

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John9L

Tough_Boots

We played pedestrian pinball on the way to the trailhead. If it was up to me, the FS should dynamite the bridge and return this place to some level of normalcy. The road condition has deteriorated significantly since last I drove it, and I'm guessing it is probably very much on purpose. It was nice to crawl it in 4-low, and we stopped to help a kid get his jeep back on the road after leaving it dangling off the side of a steep ravine overnight.

Dry Creek

Bear Sign

David Miller

Secret Canyon made a nice alternate on the way up, but we returned on the direct path on Secret Canyon only.

Plenty of water in all the canyons and side drainages, but little to no flow anywhere. It was a little chilly with all the wet ground, but despite ice on some of the pools, it did not drop below freezing overnight.

We went upstream about a mile and a half beyond the end of the trail, and there are a few really picturesque spots. Sometime I'd like to try the entire length of this canyon from up near Hidden Cabin. Who wants to shuttle!?

The poison ivy hadn't leafed out yet, so we pretended it wasn't there.

If you're looking to hook up with an instagram model, I recommend hiking Dry Creek Road on a weekend.

Flora

Flora [ checklist ]

[ checklist ] Arizona Cypress

	Bear Sign Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	No flow but plenty of clear pools in bedrock

	Secret Canyon	Pools to trickle	Pools to trickle
	Plenty of pools the entire length of canyon, probably from recent rains. Trickles in most side canyons

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I'm not sure what my spirit animal is, but I'm confident it has rabies.

2 archives

Feb 17 2018

Tough_Boots

Routes 67
Photos 2,708
Triplogs 755

89 male

Joined Mar 28 2008
Phoenix, AZ

Sedona, AZ

Backpack		Feb 17 2018
		Tough_Boots • Triplogs 755

Backpack	14.00 Miles	1,957 AEG

Backpack	14.00 Miles	2 Days
	1,957 ft AEG

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