Mescal Trail: The Quiet Slickrock Wander
Mescal Trail is the under-the-radar slickrock walk on the west side of Sedona — a 4.2-mile loop around the base of Mescal Mountain with views of the red-rock skyline that rival the marquee trails, and a fraction of the crowd. It is also the shortcut to Devil's Bridge for those willing to walk the connector.
Trail overview
The Mescal Trail loops 4.2 miles around the base of Mescal Mountain with about 250 feet of elevation gain, almost all of it rolling across slickrock benches and shallow sandy washes. The trail is well-marked with cairns and signposts at every junction. Most groups finish the full loop in two hours at a comfortable pace; an out-and-back to the high overlook is roughly 2.6 miles if you want a shorter walk.
What to expect
The trail starts on the slickrock apron of Mescal Mountain and rolls counter-clockwise (or clockwise; the loop works in either direction) around the mountain\'s base. The east side of the loop has the best views — Capitol Butte, Coffee Pot Rock, and the entire West Sedona skyline open up across the valley. The west side passes through a quieter pinyon-juniper forest with views toward Doe Mountain and Bear Mountain.
The trail connects via the Chuck Wagon Trail to the Devil\'s Bridge trail system; combining Mescal and Devil\'s Bridge makes for a 6-mile day with the famous arch as the turnaround. This is the route experienced locals use to avoid the Devil\'s Bridge shuttle entirely — park at the Mescal trailhead (a Red Rock Pass lot that is not part of the shuttle system), walk in via Chuck Wagon, finish the loop on the way back.
Permits + parking
The Mescal trailhead is on Long Canyon Road in West Sedona, near the Long Canyon trailhead. A Red Rock Pass is required ($5 day). The lot is medium-sized and almost never fills — Mescal is one of the more under-used trails on the west side, which is half the appeal.
Best time to go
Year-round. The exposed slickrock means summer afternoons are unpleasant — start by 7:30 AM in July. Spring and fall mornings are perfect. Winter is excellent if no snow; the slickrock can be slippery when icy.
Difficulty + safety
Easy. The minimal elevation gain and rolling slickrock make this an approachable hike for most fitness levels. Carry 1.5 litres of water per person, more in summer. Dogs welcome on-leash and this is a good dog hike — soft tread on the wash sections, easy slickrock on the rest.
The Devil\'s Bridge alternative
Mescal is the locals\' workaround for the Devil\'s Bridge shuttle situation. From the Mescal trailhead, walk west on Chuck Wagon for about a mile to the Devil\'s Bridge junction, then follow the bridge spur up to the arch — total round-trip is roughly 6 miles, no shuttle required, and you get to do most of the hike on Mescal\'s quieter slickrock instead of the busy Dry Creek approach. The trade-off is the extra mileage and the fact that the connector trails are less obvious than the official routes. If you have a paper map or a downloaded GPS track of the trail system, this is the better way to see Devil\'s Bridge. Combine it with the full Mescal loop on the way back for a memorable 8-mile day.
Stay nearby
The Mescal trailhead is a five-minute drive from our West Sedona rentals. See our Sedona vacation rentals for properties within easy reach, and check Visit Sedona for current trail conditions and any seasonal advisories.
