Last fall we went on a month long road trip, chasing warm weather, mountain biking trails and even a few sunny beach in southern California.
Our journey took us through St. George, Death Valley, San Diego, Joshua tree and finally to Sedona, AZ.
As the miles ticked closer to Sedona, I messaged my friend Jen from Pedal Adventures (find her on IG @pedaladventures) to ask if she has beta on kid-friendly mountain biking trails in the area. When I was looking through our favorite mtb app (Trailforks), I just wasn’t seeing much for my kids amongst the sea of black trails.
She got back to me with two suggestions and a disclaimer, “[those two are] really all that comes to mind.”
And Jen was right. Most of the Sedona trails are technical or for more advanced riders. While most of us think of rocky obstacles (yup) or long climbs (some of those too), one element we’d not factored in was the foliage.
Yes. The plant life. Of the cacti variety.
Every ride became that much more intense when a fall or a swerve to the side of the single track led to impalement. And, yes, our son did fall in a cactus. Twice. While attempting harder trails.
Ok, so I’ve painted a negative picture in your mind. I don’t mean to.
Biking in Sedona is awesome. Chris and I rode Mescal and the neighboring trails and it was one of your favorites rides of the year.
Views are amazing. BLM land is close to town. We loved it there. Just don’t come expecting a weeks worth of kid-friendly bike riding.
With much ado, here are our suggestions for beginners or kids.
Beginner Bike [and hiking] Trails in Sedona, AZ
Bell Rock Trail System
The Bell Rock Area is located south of Sedona and the Chapel of the Holy Cross on Hwy 179. There are 3 different trailheads that access the Bell Rock trail system: Little Horse Trailhead, Bell Rock North, and Bell Rock Pathway on the southern end.
The Bell Rock Path
Beginner Mountain Biking and Hiking trail in Sedona, AZ: Bell Rock Pathway
The Bell Rock Path trail is super easy. Packed dirt, wide, with rolling hills. You could easily bring a tag-a-long bike on it. You can access the Bell Rock Path off any of the three trailheads mentioned above.
We started from the Little Horse Trailhead and rode the trail all the way to the other end and back for a total of 8-9 miles. The kids did great with the mileage, with the exception of walking a few of the steeper hills. They were definitely tired at the end… which may or may not have been influenced by mom forgetting trial snacks…
Big Park Loop/Big Park Cut
These blue trails are accessed from the Bell Rock Path trailhead furthest south. These are fun but short loops (we did them multiple times) with technical sections that were easily walked by my kids and parents.
From there, I was able to break away with my son to ride a few miles of Slim Shady, Coconino and Phone.
There are tons of variations in this area, allowing for multiple days of riding and/or allowing groups with a variation of skill to split up and regroup.
Long Canyon to Deadman’s Pass
The Long Canyon trail is accessed via the Long Canyon trailhead just north of town. Long Canyon starts with a mild double track that eventually narrows to single track. There are short technical sections that are easily walkable for beginners.
For those who are feeling brave and want to up the challenge, my husband and I rode Mescal and Canyon of Fools. We’d highly suggest both.
Mountain Biking, Mescal Trail, Sedona, AZ
Do you know of more awesome biking treasures in the Sedona Area? We’d love to hear about them! Please leave your experiences in the comment below.