Hikes · Arizona

Best hikes in Arizona.

Arizona swings from the rim of the Grand Canyon to Sedona’s red rocks to saguaro desert and a 12,000-foot peak above Flagstaff. The desert trails are cool-season hikes — even Phoenix winters bake by midday — while the high country only opens in summer. Carry far more water than you think you need.

Curated trails22
Distance range1.2–20 mi
Biggest climb3,350 ft
Difficulty3 easy · 6 moderate · 9 hard · 4 expert
TerrainCanyon, red rock & saguaro desert
Best seasonOct–Apr (desert) · summer (high country)
Don’t missBright Angel to Plateau Point (Grand Canyon)

22 hikes worth the detour.

Sorted easy to expert. Every one mapped with distance, route type, and elevation gain — built for everyone from the RV & camping crew to the bucket-list crowd.

Bell Rock (Sedona)

Easy · 3.6 mi · Loop · 450 ft

an easy red-rock loop

Little Horse Trail (Sedona)

Easy · 3.6 mi · Out & back · 490 ft

an easy red-rock walk to Chicken Point, framed by Cathedral Rock and the spires

West Fork Oak Creek (Sedona)

Easy · 6.5 mi · Out & back · 300 ft

creek crossings and canyon walls — stunning in fall

Robbers Roost (Sedona)

Moderate · 1.6 mi · Out & back · 360 ft

a short trek to a hidden cliff cave with a window view; high-clearance road in

Red Mountain Trail

Moderate · 2.6 mi · Out & back · 300 ft

a quiet pine-and-cinder walk into an otherworldly volcanic amphitheater of hoodoos and sculpted walls northwest of Flagstaff

Wire Pass to Buckskin Gulch

Moderate · 3.4 mi · Out & back · 200 ft

into the longest slot canyon in the Southwest

Pinnacle Peak Trail

Moderate · 4 mi · Out & back · 1,300 ft

a beautifully maintained Sonoran Desert traverse with granite overlooks and broad McDowell Mountain views; no dogs, little shade, and no facilities beyond the trailhead

Devil’s Bridge (Sedona)

Moderate · 4.2 mi · Out & back · 560 ft

the iconic sandstone arch; go early

Peralta Trail (Superstitions)

Moderate · 4.6 mi · Out & back · 1,400 ft

views of Weavers Needle

Cathedral Rock (Sedona)

Hard · 1.2 mi · Out & back · 740 ft

a short, steep red-rock scramble — magic at sunset

Camelback, Echo Canyon (Phoenix)

Hard · 2.4 mi · Out & back · 1,400 ft

Phoenix's iconic, extremely difficult summit scramble — exposed, rocky, and regularly underestimated; go near sunrise, carry ample water, and turn back in dangerous heat

Piestewa Peak Summit Trail

Hard · 2.4 mi · Out & back · 1,200 ft

a short but extremely difficult stair-step climb to a 360-degree Phoenix panorama; start early, carry ample water, and avoid dangerous heat

Camelback, Cholla Trail (Phoenix)

Hard · 3 mi · Out & back · 1,420 ft

the longer east-side route to Camelback's summit — still extremely difficult, exposed, and boulder-strewn; limited designated street parking, and a scheduled trail closure Aug. 10–21, 2026

Picacho Peak

Hard · 3.4 mi · Out & back · 1,500 ft

a cable-assisted desert summit

Fossil Creek Waterfall

Hard · 4 mi · Out & back · 1,300 ft

turquoise travertine pools; permit

Tom's Thumb Trail

Hard · 4.4 mi · Out & back · 1,027 ft

a steep McDowell Sonoran Preserve climb to the giant granite thumb and huge desert views; the trailhead has no drinking water, so bring everything you need and avoid high heat

Bear Mountain (Sedona)

Hard · 4.9 mi · Out & back · 1,980 ft

a relentless red-rock climb to a panoramic summit — exposed, strenuous, and worth it

The Wave, Coyote Buttes (lottery)

Hard · 6.4 mi · Out & back · 350 ft

surreal striped sandstone; hard-to-win permit

Humphreys Peak (Flagstaff)

Expert · 10.4 mi · Out & back · 3,350 ft

Arizona’s high point at 12,633 ft

Mount Wilson (Sedona)

Expert · 11 mi · Out & back · 2,400 ft

the highest summit above Sedona (7,122 ft) — a long, steep climb to a massive panorama

Bright Angel to Plateau Point (Grand Canyon)

Expert · 12.2 mi · Out & back · 3,080 ft

the classic canyon descent — turn around anytime

Havasu Falls

Expert · 20 mi · Out & back · 2,400 ft

turquoise waterfalls deep in the canyon; permit + overnight

Hikes, gems, scenic drives — all in one Arizona guide.

See everything worth the detour in Arizona, then let Roamward build the trip around it. Know a Arizona trail we’re missing? Add it — we’re building this with the people who actually hike it.

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