Fay Canyon trail in Sedona, Arizona was a meandering desert hike of 2.5-3 miles long round trip including the optional side trail to Fay Canyon Arch.
This was an eye opening hike for all three of us since we had no idea what hiking in the desert would really be like compared to the wooded areas we normally hike here in the midwest. We were amazed at the amount of green…..trees and bushes were abundant which we did not expect.
The beauty of the desert was eye opening and something none of us expected to see.
This was a mainly flat hike until you reach the end of the trail which is clearly marked.
After this you enter a boulder garden of sorts that you can continue to climb up to the rock structure in this canyon.
Please pay attention to warning signs from here. You do not want to be paying the price for stupidity here.
On the way back from this rock structure we took the short side trail that led us to the Fay Canyon Arch. This trail is marked by a very small carin and is easy to miss. It’s a much smaller trail that leads you through waste/neck high bushes until you reach a large boulder.
Make your way up on top of this boulder and enjoy the view from all directions. Just be careful, there are bushes and cactus plants everywhere.
This was a wonderful warmup hike. Our son enjoyed taking pictures along the way, we maybe saw three couples in the morning hours that we hiked, and it was a great start to another big day of hiking for us in this area.
I would rate this hike as easy. If you decided to boulder climb at the end then easy/moderate.
*** To see more hikes we did in the Sedona area, click here and scroll down to the Arizona section and take your pick of which adventure you wish to read.
