A Sunrise Hike in Sedona

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Sedona is a truly magical place. Blessed with a rugged, red-hued landscape of mountains, rock formations and canyons, the awe-inspiring beauty of Sedona is best seen on foot. A morning hike in Sedona is a spectacular way to start off the day as you can watch the sun slowly light up the brilliant red mountains and the shadows dance away. Furthermore, it may be one of the few times that you are hiking alone meaning you will receive the benefit and joy of finding peace and solitude while enjoying an incredible view.

One of the best sunrise hikes in all of Sedona is the Airport Mesa Trail Loop that literally circles around Sedona’s small mountaintop airport affording dramatic 360-degree views of the city and her magnificent, unusually shaped rock formations.

Sunrise in Sedona

The hike starts off of Airport Road and meanders a gentle 3.5 miles from start to finish. Depending upon how fit you are and how many stops you make to take photos of the breathtaking views, the hike takes a little over an hour to an hour and a half.

Arrive about a half hour after sunrise to be rewarded with the best views of the sun bouncing off the red-hued mountains. It is the golden hour and the light is magical. It is not the best time for photos as the mountains are covered in shadows however watching the sun rise as the shadows disappear is fantastic.

Start of the trail
Trailhead
You’ve arrived!

I was lucky that although the parking lot was full, I only saw two people during the entire hike. It was so insanely serene and peaceful that I was overcome with emotion. If only I could start every day as beautifully as this!

Here are some photos of the glorious sunrise over Sedona that I took during the hike.

The sun begins to lighten the mountains

Love how the black branches frame this shot.

As I set off on my hike, the light was brilliant, bouncing and reflecting off the red-hued rocks. It was felt surreal. Such a calm, peaceful beauty.

Setting off into the rising sun

Just follow the path….it is so inviting!

As I circle around the trail, the path becomes brighter as the sun dances across the brilliant red trail.

I took so many beautiful shots it was impossible to choose which ones to include. So instead, I’m putting them all into a large gallery. I love the deep green foliage of the dessert juxtaposed against the crimson red and deep blue sky. Pure eye candy.

A little over half way around the trail, I was startled to actually see the airport right next to me. Thankfully a small plane didn’t land over my head!

Beware! The planes literally fly right over your head before they land at the small Sedona airport.

As I continued, the views of Sedona changed in landscape, topography, vegetation and of course light. The hike continued to be just as stunning as it was when I began an hour before.

It was such a wonderful hike I called my husband to come up after I was done and do the hike with my nine-year old son, Max. Sophia and I spent the next hour and a half shopping at some of Sedona’s handicraft shops.

Max and Sophia. Looks like I’m raising some hiking companions!

If you go:

The trail head is located about halfway to the top of Airport Road. Note that the parking lot is very small and fits only a handful of cars. The lot is usually full from sunrise to sunset however I waited only a few minutes and a spot opened up.

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25 thoughts on “A Sunrise Hike in Sedona”

    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  2. We’re headed to Sedona next month for some mountain biking and super excited. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Great! It is a wonderful place! Have fun!!!

      Reply ↓
  3. RoaringLion – Hi I'm Aries. I am an internet entrepreneur. In my personal blog I will mostly right about things that I care about and share my ideas and inspiring practices with you.
    reynoldsaries327 on said:

    Reblogged this on ariesbloging and commented:
    I want to go there so much!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks for the reblog! 🙂

      Reply ↓

  4. We love the Airport Mesa Loop! And flying into the Sedona airport in a small plane is quite interesting. 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Wow, you flew into that airport?!!! Crazy!

      Reply ↓

      • There was a time when Terry was living in our home in Sedona and I was still working in Phoenix, looking for work in Sedona. We had a friend in Phoenix who flew small planes and he would occasionally fly me into Sedona for a quick visit with hubby. 🙂

      • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
        thirdeyemom on said:

        Wow, that must have been an experience. I will be honest that I am petrified of flying in small planes! The smallest one I was on was a 15 seater in Nepal and I almost passed out!

      • I must admit that it was a bit scary when our friend came in for a landing at the Sedona airport.

  6. That looks SO beautiful! So true about doing morning hikes – they are somewhat therapeutic and make you definitely wish you could start every day like that! Am absolutely dying to go..

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! I love to hike. It is one of my favorite things to do! It always makes me feel so alive, inspired and connected to nature and the world! Arizona is perfect for hiking!

      Reply ↓
  7. scillagrace – Oregon – I began this blog when I entered my 50th year of life. I have always enjoyed writing and taking photographs. My sister did a profound personal photo project the year she was turning 50, so once again, I followed in her footsteps, taking her idea and doing it my way. My life has changed dramatically in recent years, and I have changed with it. My husband died, my kids moved out, I sold our home and moved to Wisconsin, then followed my kids to Oregon. I suppose I have a lot to process, and I'm sure there will be more.
    scillagrace on said:

    I fell in love with desert hiking this month in New Mexico. We took a 6.4 mile round trip hike up to Lost Peak in the Guadalupe Mountains on Saturday, watching the sun light the canyon and the glowing maples from both east and west. Enchanting for sure!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      That sounds lovely! I love the Taos area but have only skied there and never hiked. Will have to check it out! 🙂

      Reply ↓
  8. cahodson – Ferntree Gully, Victoria, Australia – I am a semi-retired gardener, actor, playwright. I enjoy writing comedy scripts and articles. My hobbies are theatre, birdwatching and golf. I am committed to the environment in all its facets and care for society and promote fair play in all fields.
    cahodson on said:

    What a great place to sit and meditate. I am going hiking in 10 days to Wilson’s Promontory in Victoria Australia. Your blog has inspired me to take plenty of photos. Ps what great looking kids you have. Enjoy hiking with them in the coming years.

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks for the comment! I love hiking and wish I could do more of it. I bet Wilson’s Promontory is wonderful. I’ve been to Australia only once but loved it.

      Reply ↓
  9. southlandp – Peter Southland Photography is based out of Mansfield Massachusetts. Check out my blog, where I teach the basics of photography and write reviews.
    southlandp on said:

    That looks amazing!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks! It was wonderful.

      Reply ↓
  10. anotherday2paradise – Durban South Africa and Florida USA – I enjoy writing about absolutely anything, and started blogging with WordPress in 2012. This was my 'Hammock Lady' blog, and I really enjoyed sharing my travels here: http://adinparadise.wordpress.com/ In November 2013, I decided it was time for a change of scenery, so I started my blog afresh, and here it is. I love to travel, and have been fortunate enough to do two round-the-world trips and visit more than forty countries so far. This year we visited our 7th continent, Antarctica. I enjoy photographing wildlife, especially in my backyard in Florida. I was born and brought up in England. My husband and I emigrated to South Africa in 1970. We now live in Florida, USA. I have a son and a daughter and five gorgeous grandchildren currently aged between 6 and 21 years. I'm so happy that you've taken the time to visit my blog, and would love for you to join me on my travels. Sylvia.
    anotherday2paradise on said:

    Such a beautiful place to see the sunrise, Nicole. Your photos are really lovely. 🙂

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      Thanks Sylvia! It was such an invigorating way to start the day! I love to hike and be outside!

      Reply ↓
  11. Andrew Thain – Teignmouth, England. A teacher, dad, husband, homebrew enthusiast and rugby fanatic. I have two blogs, one about being a dad. The other about being a teacher believing in something more than front of class, didactic content delivery.
    tastehitch on said:

    Just beautiful. The scenery is stunning. It’s funny how far I’ve travelled but haven’t made it to the state. Sedona is now on my list of places to go.

    This post has also made me miss the outdoors – too hot at the moment here for anything resembling outdoor activity. Cheers!

    Reply ↓
    • thirdeyemom – Writer, traveler, hiker and global humanitarian traveling the world and doing good. Member of Impact Travel Alliance Media Network. 40+ countries and still wandering sharing my journey along the way.
      thirdeyemom on said:

      So glad you enjoyed the post! Yes Sedona is really gorgeous as is the Grand Canyon! I still have yet to write about it and show my photos! Stay tuned. It is getting cold here in Minnesota. Winter is on its way!

      Reply ↓

  12. Pingback: Road trip Arizona: From Sedona to the Grand Canyon | Thirdeyemom

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