www.greatsedonahikes.com/devilsbr/devilsbr.htm
While visiting my dad in Phoenix during spring break, we set out on a day trip to Sedona to take in the gorgeous red rocks and a little bit of hiking. Had I known any of the following points, we would have NEVER attempted this journey:
1. Despite what mapquest or any other navigational device told us, our driving time was 3 hours instead of 2. (But 20 minutes of that was due to a pit stop as a result of point #2.)
2. My dad drives likes a drunken looky-loo who can't stay in his lane to save his life in fear he may miss spotting a wild animal roaming the countryside. Therefore, he slowly drifts into a neighboring lane and then quickly jerks the vehicle back into his own lane inducing motion sickness in all the members of my family. (Granted, it doesn't take much for my weak-stomached family to experience nausea, but my dad is a seriously awful driver.)
3. The road to the trailhead was temporarily closed to vehicles due to a parking lot being paved so we had to hike a total of 4 miles instead of what should have only been 1.4 miles. Doesn't sound too terribly bad unless you are hiking with a 7 and 4 year old.
With all that complaining being said, I am so glad I didn't know any of those facts ahead of time because we would have missed out on a truly incredible day!
Simply driving into and through the town of Sedona is a sight in itself...absolutely beautiful!
Finding the road to the trailhead was very easy, but since we couldn't actually take that road, we parked along the main road and hiked the 1.3 miles to the trailhead. It was a rugged, pot-hole filled dirt road with little to no shade. Thankfully we packed in a ton of water because the temperature rose a good 12 degrees from the time we started till we arrived back at the car.
My munchkins taking in the view.
We also packed in lunch which we ate once we arrived at the trailhead while sitting on a shaded rock. It was a great refueling break for the kiddos.
And then it was time to hit the trail.
Although most hiking sites will consider this a "moderate" hike, I found it to be quite easy. When starting at the trailhead, it's only a 1.4 mile roundtrip hike with most of the elevation gain being towards the end. Now that last part does get a little tricky, but my 4 year old daughter and my 74 year old father both maneuvered the terrain with only minimal assistance.
Being that it was a short hike, there was plenty of time for frequent stops and lots of picture taking. Here are just a few of my favorites:
My dad and I were the pack mules for the trip.
After hiking nearly 2 miles, they are still smiling!
It wasn't long before we reached the top and the views were just spectacular! The bridge itself was only slightly terrifying at first glance, but once we actually got out onto the bridge, it was a little wider than we expected.
Me and dad braving the bridge.
My dad and I were the only ones in our party to actually go out onto the bridge. My husband took one look at it and there was no chance he was going out there. Of course he said he was staying back because he didn't want our girls to go out there, but I know he has a serious fear of heights (don't mind the fact that he flies a jet at 42,000 feet. It doesn't make sense to me either.) So, this fear of heights is the reason our picture kinda stinks. I should have entrusted my camera to a complete stranger who was willing to risk life and limb for sake of a good picture. Oh well, it's a good excuse to have to go back one day.
Here's the photo I wish he would have taken:
DEVIL'S BRIDGE
(not my photo, but much better than the one my scaredy-cat husband took)
Pretty spectacular, right?!
One of the other really cool things about this hike was that there was a short cut-off in the trail just before ascending to the bridge. This cut-off trail was less than 200 yards and took us below the bridge for a totally different perspective. I think the kids liked this part even better than the top-side of the bridge.
My little family under the bridge.
Unbelievably, we survived the hike with no major falls and little whining from the kids. They were pretty tired by the end (ok, we all were), but they really were quite the troopers. I do have to say that my husband carried our littlest one on his shoulders, in spurts to give her a break once in a while, for probably a 1/4 of the trip. So with that being said, I'll forgive him for the lousy picture-taking.
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Even though this is the only hike I have done in Sedona (or even Arizona for that matter), I'd have to say it's my favorite!
What's your favorite Sedona or Arizona hike?
Oh heck, give me your favorite hike ANYWHERE.
