After completing the Cathedral Rock Trail, our second hike of the day was the Bell Rock Trail. This trail is approximately 1.5 miles there and back, depending on how high you decide to climb.
View While Hiking Up Bell Rock
The views to the north are particularly jaw dropping. If you are not up for a climb, you can always take the Courthouse Butte Trail around Bell Rock. It is a 4.5 mile loop. There is no shade for a considerable section of the hike. Be prepared with sunscreen, hat, sunglasses and water.
Bell Rock Trail in Sedona, Arizona
If you choose to venture up Bell Rock, the beginning of the trail is relatively easy. The trail and markers are easy to find, until you reach the section where the ascent really starts. If you are here primarily to experience the ‘vortex’, it is considered to be around most of the rock formation, so there is no need to hike higher.
View From the Ascent of Bell Rock
If you are comfortable making a more difficult hike, with considerable inclines and climbing/scrambling up rocks, you will be rewarded with views like this. Once you reach the first plateau, where many people turn back, the way up is less certain. The trail markers are farther apart and it is easy to end up off the main trail. In fact, for this picture we were unknowingly off the main trail. You will see many hikers trying to find a way further up the rock, taking different routes that seem to be worn paths.
Getting to the Spire on Bell Rock Trail in Sedona, Arizona
The trail to the spire is more precarious. If you are not sure footed or are afraid of heights, do not even make the attempt. We turned back and retraced our steps several times before we found a trail that we felt comfortable enough to climb. In my opinion, even the most strenuous parts of this hike were easier than most of the Cathedral Rock trail. Since we were attempting to hike all four vortex trails in a day, we went from the hardest to the easiest (Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon Vista Trail and Airport Mesa).
Near the top of Bell Rock
There was no safe way up to the top of this spire, but we wanted to peer through the cracks in the rock to look down at the road. The spire we were able to climb was next to this one.
Bell Rock Trail at the Spire
I am standing next to the spire that we had just climbed. I made my husband climb up first to judge if I’d be able to make the climb. He was insisting I could, I was undecided. A man who had joined us at the very end of our ascent said to me, “I’ve been following the two of you for awhile. I’ve seen you climb parts of the trail much harder than this. You can do this, you will regret it if you don’t try.” I had my husband climb down, because honestly, climbing down always makes me more nervous than climbing up. I wanted to see how he did it before I ended up stuck on the top. I agreed to try with my husband climbing up behind me. They were both right, it was definitely not the hardest part of the climb.
It took us about 25 minutes from the start of the trail to the top of the spire. On our way down, we found the trail that most people use. The hardest part going down for me was the section labeled ‘The Slide’. I wanted to scoot down on my butt, which would have been the wise decision, but instead I tried walking down sideways like my husband did. Bad idea! I could not control my momentum and my husband had to catch me. From that point on, he never said a word every time I dropped to my butt to scoot down a steep section of the trail.
Had this been a hike that I took on my own, I would have stopped at the first plateau. There were several sections that I would not have been able to do on my own. The hike is still beautiful and worth making, even if you only go to the plateau.
Bell Rock does have its own parking lot. It requires a pass to park in, which you can purchase at the lot. The price was $5 and the pass is good for all trail parking lots.
Our next hike of the day was at Boynton Canyon. I was glad we had picked hardest to easiest because I was really starting to tire out. Do you have a favorite Sedona hike? I’d love to hear about it! As always, wishing you happy travels and fantastic adventures in this thing called life.
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