Hiking to Fay Canyon Arch in Sedona, AZ

Arizona

Hiking to Fay Canyon Arch in Sedona, AZ

Fay Canyon Arch in Sedona, AZ is a popular hiking spot, mainly for Fay Canyon, but many miss the impressive, large arch nearby!

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About

Fay Canyon Arch only has 12 feet of separation between the arch and the rock wall itself. The arch spans over 90 feet across and stands 15 feet above the ground. The trail is very flat, and at 0.6 miles you will see a very small, and often missed, trail split. This is where you will climb up the entire 200 ft to reach the base of Fay Canyon Arch. This hike is great for all ages, and dogs on-leash. However, I highly recommend to NOT bring dogs if the temperature is over 70F because they can burn their paws on the sand.

This is a great place to sit in the shade and enjoy the beautiful view of Fay Canyon to the Southwest.

Directions

It’s easiest to type in “Fay Canyon Trailhead” into Google maps, and let it guide you. From Sedona, its about a 20 minute drive.

Trail Info

Distance: 0.75 miles one way
Elevation gain: 200 ft
Time: 1 hour + more for exploring
Dog friendly? Yes, on leash
Kid friendly? Yes, all ages
Fees/Permits? None

Once you park, cross the road to reach the official TH.

You will immediately be in the Red Roc-Secret Mountain Wilderness.

There is very little shade on this hike. Even at 10am we were both super sweaty and feeling really hot. Ashley likes to over up as much as possible, and I on the other-hand, prefer less clothing and sunblock instead.

Around 1/2 mile look for a very faint trail splitting off to the right through trees. This is your turn for Fay Canyon Arch! Now the moderate climbing uphill begins.

You will reach the bottom of the arch, but it’s best to go all the way up to get a better feel for how big it is.

Inside Fay Canyon Arch you have a great view, and are in the shade. What a relief!

I always like to explore all around, so I went to the far corner. From this spot, its hard to tell how big of an arch this is.

This was the best spot! We timed it perfectly with the sun and shade, plus you can really see how tall and long it is. What a cool spot! This was one of my favorites in Sedona.