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| Hiking | 3.30 Miles |
358 AEG |
| | Hiking | 3.30 Miles | 1 Hour 49 Mns | | 1.94 mph |
| 358 ft AEG | 7 Mns Break | | | |
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| no partners | | Driving up to the Sedona Airport is a popular tourist thing to do these days, and to be fair that's for good reason. The airport is super cute and is now becoming even more famous because it's highlighted in the latest version of Microsoft Flight Simulator as one of only 30 airports around the world to get special details. It's located on a small high-up mesa known as Tabletop Mountain. You can drive up the airport road in minutes and get a spectacular view of West Sedona on one side, with airplanes landing on the runway right behind you. There's a restaurant built into the airport, which looks irresponsibly crowded during the pandemic right now but I look forward to trying it some day. There's also a hotel/resort that I assume has a bar or some place to get drinks.
There's also a trail that loops around the entire airport. I like trails, and I like airplanes, so of course I had to become acquainted. I'd say the trail exceeded my expectations.
Like all popular Sedona hikes, it's crowded, so forget about solace. But despite the airport being a popular tourist draw, the trail was not *as* crowded as I would've guessed. The total loop is about 3.5 miles so that may be one reason why. The trail is also quite precarious at certain high points. The official trailhead was much more crowded than the trail itself, because it's a good spot for scenic selfies etc.
Speaking of the trailhead, parking is a nightmare (again, par for the course in Sedona). I got lucky and found one parking spot as I pulled up. Expect to drive up, sit, and wait for a spot otherwise--if you want parking at the actual TH. However, for $3 you can drive another 30 seconds and go to to the tourist lot at the airport itself which has ample parking. Doing so will make it just a tad harder to figure out how to connect to the trail, but it's really not complicated.
Clockwise or counterclockwise will be your next choice. The more precarious parts of the trail are in the early stages of the clockwise route, but these are coupled with the most gorgeous views. But really, the views are great throughout. By the time I was over 1 mile into the hike, I pretty much had the trail to myself. I encountered maybe 2 or 3 hiker groups going in the opposite direction. I passed or was hiking a similar pace to exactly 2 hiker groups in my same clockwise direction. For Sedona, that's pretty good.
Do not overly rely on the route I have posted. The official trail route indicates that I took the wrong fork toward the end. However, it looks like most tourists/hikers take the wrong fork and I don't think it's a big deal. If you take the left fork, you'll get maybe one more mile of isolated trail before reaching the TH. Most people accidentally take the right fork, which brings you up to the airport tourist lot. If you couldn't find parking at the official TH this will get you to your car more conveniently anyway.
Although the trail looks largely flat on the topos, you can see from my AEG total that I still gained a decent amount of elevation for a good work-out. The Sedona Airport isn't insanely busy but I did catch two airplanes taking off, and one helicopter.
Is this hike worth doing? I say yes. If you're in the City of Sedona, you've already forfeited options for hiking in total isolation anyway. The trail is beautiful, it offers a nice work-out, the views are top-notch, and you can please your inner child by staring at airplanes. Post-pandemic maybe you can enjoy a burger at the restaurant when you're done. |
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| "Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." --John Adams |
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. She called it my retirement present. I sure know how to pick my friends. Anyway, thx to Tina who I will be camping, backpacking, chaleting and backpacking with in Glacier Park toward the beginning of August. Meanwhile, it's a week in Sedona and so far, it's been awesome!
