Cathedral Rock Hike ('The Saddle') & Red Rock Crossing (Crescent Moon Picnic Site)

Soaring to 1,514 metres (4,967 feet) between Highway 179 and Oak Creek, Cathedral Rock is the most photographed natural landmark in Arizona, named for its gothic sandstone spires and buttresses. You can experience it in two distinct ways: climbing 45 minutes up its eastern face into the high 'Saddle' notch, or wading in Oak Creek at its western base for the classic water reflection.

1. Hiking the Cathedral Rock Trail to the Saddle (1.9 km Round-Trip | 225m Gain | 1.5 Hours)

• How to Reach the Trailhead on Back O' Beyond Road (Use the Free Line 15 Shuttle): whenever the Free Sedona Shuttle runs (Thursday to Sunday year-round and daily during peak weeks), Back O' Beyond Road closes to private cars. Park for free at the SR-179 Park & Ride Car Park south of the Chapel roundabout and hop onto Shuttle Route 15 for a five-minute ride to the trailhead. On Monday to Wednesday non-shuttle days, arrive near dawn or late afternoon with a Red Rock Pass.
• What the Climb & 'End of Trail' Saddle Are Like: follow the wire rock baskets (cairns) across sandstone shelves to a steep, 15-metre natural rock chute where you use hands and feet to scramble up grippy sandstone. Above the chute, a short switchback leads into a narrow flat gap between vertical spires, ending at an 'End of Trail' sign above a sheer 200-metre western drop-off, with a wide photography pillar 30 metres to the left.

2. The Water-Reflection Photo: Red Rock Crossing & Crescent Moon Picnic Site

For the classic photo of Cathedral Rock mirrored in Oak Creek, especially in the final hour before sunset when its western face turns crimson, turn south from West Sedona onto Upper Red Rock Loop Road to Crescent Moon Ranch / Picnic Site (open from morning until sunset; check the official site for the per-vehicle entry fee, as National Park Passes do not cover this concession area). A flat five-minute walk across grassy meadows brings you to the cobble rapids and reflection pools of Red Rock Crossing, or drive five minutes further to Red Rock State Park for 8 km of creek trails.