Hike Cathedral Rock

The Trail

Cathedral Rock is one of the most iconic features in Sedona. It’s spires tower over the landscape and the easy accessibility of the trail makes it a very popular destination. There are two main ways of getting to Cathedral Rock:

The easiest and shortest is to park at Cathedral Rock Trailhead and hike the very short trail up to the small mesa at the base, then to the peak. The problem is that the trailhead parking lot is very small and depending on when you get there, parking may be impossible. The alternative is to jump on one of the Sedona Trailhead Shuttles and get dropped off.
In my opinion, the better and more scenic way is to take the Baldwin Trail to Templeton Trail and walk the 3.7 mile out-and-back trail. This way will take you along the flowing Oak Creek and through the tree-lined and shaded valley for about half-a-mile. That will be the path I document below!

The Hard Part Please note that while most of the trail getting you to the base of Cathedral Rock is easy to moderate, the actual climb up to the saddle is anything but. There is scrambling and steep climbs involved. I have seen younger kids do it with parental assistance and I have also seen folks in their 50's to early 60's do it but the final climb is safest for able-bodied adults and older children.

The Baldwin Trailhead

The Baldwin Trailhead is located near the end of Verde Valley School Rd and is accessed from the heart of Oak Creek Village. BTW, this is right along the main road to our townhome so if you are staying with us, this is a no-brainer trail to do! A few miles into Verde Valley School Rd, the paved road ends and you have to go maybe a mile or so over unpaved dirt. It’s not technical and a sedan can easily do it. The parking lot is good sized but it will fill up later in the day. As usual, we recommend getting there early.

As with most trailhead parking lots in Sedona, you will need a Red Rock pass to park. Day passes can be purchased at the kiosk in the parking lot. Once parked, walk to the north end of the parking lot and cross the road where you will see the entrance to the trail. Once on the trail, you will see Cathedral rock ahead and to your right. The trail takes you down a small valley that runs along Oak Creek.

Side Quest When you hit the Baldwin & Red Rock Crossing Trail junction, you can go left and, depending on the season, cross Oak Creek (calf-to-thigh deep) to get to the Crescent Moon Recreation area.

Stick to the right along Baldwin Trail and at about 0.7 mile in, you will encounter a split. Stick to the left and take Templeton Trail. Baldwin Trail continues to the right and loops you back around to the trailhead should you want to simply loop around. Templeton Trail will take you along Oak Creek. This is what makes this path far better than the Cathedral Trail option! The valley is lined with trees and dense brush providing shade along the short path. There are a few places to stop and either dip your hand and feet in the cool waters of the creek or go for a quick swim! There is also the Red Rock Vortex at about 0.7 mi in. It’s quite peaceful!

At about 0.9 mile in, Templeton Trail takes a sharp right up the NW side of the base mesa of Cathedral Rock. The climb is slightly steep in places, with a few small switchbacks, but very approchable for most people. As you reach the top, the expansive beauty of Twin Butes and the town of Chapel come into view.

From there, you have about 0.5 mile of mostly flat and easy terrain until you are at the base of the climb to Cathedral Rock! As mentioned above, the climb to the saddle is short yet difficult! Most of it is just one huge stair climber but the middle section is straight scrambling and a fun yet challenging squeeze between a curved rock crevice. Please have good shoes and a good sense of balance before attempting this. If you have children under about 12, let them lead so you can catch/push them if/when they struggle.

While the climb is challenging, the reward at the top is totally worth it! Looking to the east, you will see the town of Chapel and several famous rock structures. To the west, you can look down to see the trail you just traveled and Oak Creek.

One on the saddle, if you walk to the right (north) you can walk out along the side of one of the spires for a wonderful perspective of the saddle and (carefully) sit on the edge of the dropoff!