Grand vis­tas, vibrant red pil­lars, and scenery like nowhere else on the plan­et. Moun­tain bik­ing in Sedona is some of the most jaw-drop­ping moun­tain bik­ing on earth.

Known for its breath­tak­ing beau­ty, out­door adven­ture, new age nuance, ener­gy vor­tex­es, and world class din­ing, Sedona also offers a unique moun­tain bike experience—and this trip boasts the best rid­ing you can find there. Rid­ing through miles of panoram­ic land­scapes, juniper and pin­ion pine forests, and with famous rock for­ma­tions and vis­tas around every cor­ner, you’ll be sure to have a grin on your face with each punchy climb. 

The trails here are as diverse as they are dis­tinct, from fast and fun to tech­ni­cal fea­tures that will test every lev­el of rid­er. There are end­less slick­rock play­grounds, steep and chunky descents, drops, tech­ni­cal climbs, sand­stone rollers, and plen­ty of exposure. 

At the end of the day we will take a dip in the refresh­ing Oak Creek with beau­ti­ful Cathe­dral Rock as our backdrop.

Is Sacred Mountain Biking in Sedona For You?

You’re a strong intermediate/advanced lev­el rid­er that loves to chal­lenge your­self on a vari­ety of ter­rain— think rocky, chunky, loose, and tech­ni­cal. This tour will keep you focused and on your toes—you’ll be exposed to steeps, drops, punchy climbs, steep techy descents, and rocky chutes. You can han­dle con­tin­u­ous­ly being in and out of your sad­dle. You like to push your­self on option­al chal­leng­ing lines. You have strong bike han­dling skills, yet are always look­ing to push your skills and progress as a rid­er. You live for long days on the bike with adven­ture-mind­ed friends, reward­ed by the com­forts of a post-ride beer cool­er, epics views, dips in the creek, world class meals, and cozy lodging.

Itinerary

DAY 1. Best of Phoenix — South Mountain

Wel­come to Ari­zona, where you’ll find beau­ti­ful desert land­scapes scat­tered with breath­tak­ing rock for­ma­tions. Ari­zona has some of the great­est nat­ur­al sights in the world. After we do our ear­ly pick­ups, we’ll head to the trail­head and get you fit­ted on one of our rentals—or build your bike if you fly with it.

We’ll review the plan for the week and get to rid­ing. Dive right in and head straight to the best rid­ing in Phoenix—South Moun­tain, known as one of the largest urban parks in the nation. Here we’ll encounter boul­ders, drops, steep and loose descents, techy ups and downs, ridge­lines, flow, and great views of the valley. 

We’ll have lunch in town and head out on a 2‑hour shut­tle ride to Sedona. Then we’ll get checked in to our quaint lodge for 4 nights of cozy sleeps in one of the few Inter­na­tion­al Dark Sky Com­mu­ni­ties. (Learn more about the Inter­na­tion­al Dark Sky Asso­ci­a­tion here—an asso­ci­a­tion “work­ing to pro­tect the night skies for present and future generations.”)

Time on trail: approx. 2–3 hours

Pho­to by Diana War­ing on Unsplash: This mtb tour has you sleep­ing in one of the few Inter­na­tion­al Dark Sky Com­mu­ni­ties. Learn more about the Inter­na­tion­al Dark Sky Asso­ci­a­tion here.
DAY 2. Shred­din’ The Red

Today we’ll start with a well-bal­anced break­fast and get prepped for your first day on the red dirt. 

West Sedona is known for its rolling ter­rain, wide open flow, and just enough tech to keep you on your toes. We’ll be rid­ing a big loop today that encom­pass­es a fun mix of ter­rain; this route brush­es right up against one of Sedona’s famous vor­tex­es. You’ll find your­self tra­vers­ing a long sand­stone bench that over­looks a for­est of juniper, tack­ling tight cor­ners, and smil­ing while you’re in a flow state. 

Din­ner will be at one of our favorite neigh­bor­hood restaurants. 

Time on trail: approx. 3–4 hours

DAY 3. Hogs/Grand Central

Rise and shine! After a hearty break­fast we’ll head over to anoth­er one of Sedona’s must-ride areas and expe­ri­ence the famous Hog trails. You will be greet­ed by slick­rock slabs, rollers, punchy climbs, expo­sure, and more incred­i­ble views.

This route takes us to one of the best over­looks in Sedona, Chick­en Point. Just above you can see the icon­ic White Line trail. Don’t stress, we are not tak­ing our chances.

Lunch will be at a local favorite—don’t eat too much, because we’ll still have some rid­ing to do. Next up, will be the Adobe Jack trail net­work, where we’ll be div­ing into a whole lot­ta chunk on Sol­dier’s Pass, and that will lead us to some slick­rock rollers. We’ll have a short, steep climb to the top of Ant Hill, where the views of town and Sol­diers Pass are heart-stop­ping. We then drop into one of Sedona’s finest descents. Be ready for some fast and flowy singletrack!

Time on trail: approx. 3–5 hours

DAY 4. Locals’ Favorite — Hiline

After break­fast at the hotel, we’ll hit the road and head south to Yava­pai Trail­head where the fun begins. 

Ahead lies one of the most desir­able routes in Sedona, the famous Hiline trail. This loop packs a whole lot­ta punch, it offers steep and tech­ni­cal climbs, flow, slick­rock slabs, expo­sure, steep and chunky descents, drops, and 360 views of the beau­ti­ful red rock formations. 

We’ll head back to the hotel with our per­ma-grins and get ready for din­ner at a local favorite, where the time­less recipes of south­ern Mex­i­co meet the bold, farm-fresh fla­vors of the Amer­i­can Southwest. 

This is a great day to check out our favorite local bike shop, Thun­der Moun­tain Bike Shop if you are look­ing for a nice jer­sey to take home.

Time on trail: approx. 3 hours

Day 5. Shut­tle Laps 

After break­fast at the hotel, we’ll pack our bags and jump in the van for a few shut­tle runs before head­ing back down to the valley. 

First run of the day will be short and fast. One of the locals’ favorite descents in town. This trail will bring you old school tech with lots of rock and a few drop options. Ready for a sec­ond lap? 

The final two runs of the day are packed with a punch! You’ll find your­self on some fun chunky down­hill flow mixed with a few punchy climbs, steep rolls, rock gar­dens, and slick­rock. Don’t be fooled, we’ll still have some ped­al­ing to do, so keep a lit­tle fuel in the tank.

Lunch will be at our favorite wood fired piz­za shop. The two-hour shut­tle back to Phoenix will no doubt be filled with shar­ing pho­tos and social accounts. The friends you’ll make rid­ing in dream des­ti­na­tions like Sedona will nev­er be forgotten. 

Time on trail: approx. 2–3 hours

The fol­low­ing data rep­re­sents a typ­i­cal itin­er­ary, but adven­ture trav­el can be unpre­dictable and our Guides may need to make last-minute changes to ensure your enjoy­ment. Inclement weath­er, road clo­sures, changes to the itin­er­ary to accom­mo­date requests, and oth­er issues may affect the itin­er­ary. The ride data rep­re­sents an ‘aver­age’ itin­er­ary, and may dif­fer when you actu­al­ly show up to ride. Our guides make every effort to stick to the itin­er­ary as post­ed, but your safe­ty is our num­ber 1 priority. 

Ride Data: Sacred Sedona

Day Hours of rid­ing Dis­tance rid­den Ele­va­tion gained Ele­va­tion lost High­est ele­va­tion
1 3 13 1938 1946 2500
2 4.5 17 1542 1552 4731
3 4.5 17 2039 2149 4652
4 3 8 1601 1632 4656
5 2 7 454 1366 4446
Totals 17 HRS

Picture Yourself Here

Grassy desert landscape in foreground with red rock peaks in the background under a vibrant blue sky.
Sun peeking over desert-grass covered hill as it sets under a purplish sky
Tree with bright red leaves in foreground under a blue sky and tall red rock on right side
A mountain bike laying on a red desert trail to the right with more red desert rock all around
Two people on mountain bikes on red desert trail looking back to the camera and smiling. Vertical desert rock faces rise up on left
Biker on blue mountain bike riding down red boulders surrounded by desert with blue sky overhead
Red rock cliff on left and right side with large gap in middle and blue sky in distance. Three people standing together on rock on left side.
Looking upwards at mountain biker coming down steep red rock hill with blue sky and scattered clouds above them
Mountain bike parked in middle of red dirt trail crossing with small wooden cross-shaped sign in middle
Two mountain bikes parked on red desert gravel. One bike has back wheel resting up in small desert tree

Book Sacred Sedona Now

Dates chosen: Apr. 10, 2023—Apr. 14, 2023
Skill Rating: Black Diamond
Fitness Rating: Black Diamond
Exit Booking
Skill Levels
Black Diamond

The Black Diamond Rides are  suitable for riders looking for that edge. Maybe it’s the edge of a drop, the edge of a cliff, or singletrack requiring focus and fast reactions developed from extensive experience riding “the edge”. You will find yourself on steep trails of varied surfaces. In the Pacific North West that could be slick roots and loam, in Nepal you will find exposed granite in the Mustang Valley and in Guatemala it maybe narrow stairways through cliffside villages. While airtime is rarely required, the ability to find the backside or clean a tabletop should be comfortable or in a state of progress. Obstacles on Black rides are likely to be outside the range of your bikes ability to cover your goofs with its awesome suspension and grip.

Blue Square

In general, Blue trails are narrower than green trails, encounter unavoidable obstacles such as roots, rocks, and drops that are up to 8-inches tall. You will want to have a solid understanding of the fundamentals of mountain biking including body positions, powerful braking, cornering, riding on varied terrain, steep sections and experience riding trails that requires line choice. Airtime is not mandatory, but you will find yourself on trails with alternate lines giving you the option.

Double Black Diamond

A Double Black ride is for those that already know they are looking for a Double Black. It’s going to be very hard and require advanced bike handling skills. You will find yourself on trails with sections most non-riders would look at and say, “that’s totally nuts!”. You will know how to look at a line and contemplate where it will work and where it won’t. Drops of a couple feet should be comfortable and getting your bike off the ground should feel predictable and fun.

Green Circle

Typically, green Rides are safe for beginners. Green Rides may have both avoidable and unavoidable obstacles. Trails are generally low grade, wide, consistent surface texture and have minimal features. You are likely to come across unavoidable obstacles 2-inches or shorter, which is small enough for mountain bike tires to simply roll over. More challenging than tarmac, but in general, a wonderful Ride for those riders new to mountain biking or looking for a casual experience.

Fitness Levels
Black Diamond

A Black Fitness ride will test you. Aside from needing to be able to manage up to 6 hours on the bike, day after day, including distance up to 50km/30miles and elevation gains up to 1750m/5000feet of climbing, you will be adding extra challenges along the route like periods of hike-a-bike and the extra effort required by the whole body to safely dance with your bike over technical terrain. Generally, riders who are up for a Black Fitness ride, likely spend time on the bike a couple times each week.

Blue Square

Blue should be considered a good deal more effort than our Green Rides.  You should be able to handle 3 to 5 hours in the saddle covering up to 45km/30miles and be able to pull off a big day of 1000m/3000feet of elevation gain. Managing fuel is important as well.  You should have a good understanding how your body responds to multiple days on the bike. We will help with positive coaching, a manageable pace and plenty of trailside snacks.

Double Black Diamond

A Double Black will be for those with the strength and endurance to get to the top of anything they want and understand the term “turning the screw”. Distance could be quite high on some routes and elevation gain numbers could hit 2000m/6000 feet+ in a day. You are likely riding multiple days a week during the dry periods and have a trainer or belong to a gym for the rest of the year.

Green Circle

You should be ready to spend 2-4 hours per day on the bike. Mileage may be up to 30km/20 miles and elevation gain will be under 500m/1500feet. On e-MTB tours, numbers will be higher, however the approximate effort would be considered similar to a standard Green Circle ride. If you get on your bike once a week, you will be just fine. However, when preparing for a Ride, you will benefit from more rides and time in the saddle.