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| Backpack | 16.17 Miles |
1,470 AEG |
| | Backpack | 16.17 Miles | 1 Day 27 Mns | | |
| 1,470 ft AEG | | 40 LBS Pack | | |
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| no partners | | Backpacking trip with the kids. Joel Hazelton & te-wa had suggested Secret Canyon Trail, so off we went 
We first got to Sedona around 10 AM and the parking lot at the entrance to FR152 was packed and a lot of people were parked along Dry Creek Road. This had me concerned that there wouldn't be any camp sites available in the Canyon, but fortunately the majority of the people were visiting other sites. Surprisingly we only met 5-6 people in the Canyon itself.
Based on others recommendations we elected to park the car and walk the 3.5 miles to the Trailhead for Secret Canyon Trail. The problem with driving the last bit is that the road is in pretty poor condition and somewhat high clearance is needed. I have posted some pictures of some of the trouble spots. We saw mainly Jeeps, a few trucks and a single Sequoia driving past the first couple of obstacles.
The 3.5 miles on dirt road is rather painful because it is heavy trafficked by people, Jeeps & ATV tours. Kids were almost worn out by the time we arrived at the TH  It is however still a fairly scenic trip.
Red Rock Permit is Not required for parking at the TH to Secret Canyon and Camping is allowed even though it says no camping at the TH. Look at the following map for guidance:
fs.usda.gov/Interne ... .jpg
The Trail itself is absolutely beautiful and perfect for Camping. There are several excellent Camp spots along the trail as soon as you get to the canyon itself. There was water at various points along the trail, but mainly still water sitting in pools. We didn't filter as we had brought enough water for the trip.
The trip out along the dirt road was equally painful with a heavy pack, so next time I will see if I can borrow somebody's jeep/truck. |
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Route Editor
Route Scout
Route 
This trail is a 3 star if you follow the main trail and a solid 5 star if you follow the creek. We would've missed so much gorgeous scenery if we had stayed on the trail. TxGirl is an avid photographer, so it took us almost 7 hours to complete the trail 
and we even took the main trail on the way back.
He was at the top catching wasps which he measured and marked with a little felt pen - No joke!! I asked him if he had seen the cache and he said he had disposed of it since he didn't like people going up there ](https://hikearizona.com/dex2/images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
He agreed it was a bit selfish, but he felt like it was his spot 
Couldn't tell if he had all his marbles, so I didn't want to press the issue.
