Sterling Pass Trail: The Steep Canyon Climb
Sterling Pass is the strenuous route over the saddle between Sterling Canyon and Vultee Arch, used by experienced hikers who want a workout and the reward of one of the best-hidden natural arches in the Sedona area. It is steep, sustained, and largely unshaded — bring water and start early.
Trail overview
The Sterling Pass Trail climbs 1,100 feet in 2.4 miles from the SR-89A trailhead in Oak Creek Canyon to the pass, then descends 900 feet over 2 miles into Sterling Canyon and the Vultee Arch trail junction. The full point-to-point is 4.5 miles and requires a car shuttle (or a hitchhike, which is common); the out-and-back to the pass and back is 4.8 miles round-trip with 2,200 feet of total elevation gain. Almost any way you slice it, this is one of the harder hikes on the west side of Sedona.
What to expect
The climb is a sustained switchback up the east wall of Oak Creek Canyon through Ponderosa pine forest. The first mile is steady and shaded; the second mile opens into more exposed sandstone and the grade steepens. At the pass, the view drops away west into Sterling Canyon — a quiet, less-visited drainage with red-rock walls and an excellent natural arch (Vultee Arch) about a mile and a half down the western side. Vultee Arch is named for Gerard Vultee, an aviation engineer who died in a 1938 plane crash in this canyon; the arch sits above the crash site.
If you are doing the full point-to-point, leave a car at the Vultee Arch trailhead (end of Forest Road 152, requires high-clearance) and hike west-to-east. If you are doing the out-and-back from SR-89A, turn around at the pass for the best ratio of effort to payoff.
Permits + parking
The east trailhead is on SR-89A in Oak Creek Canyon, about six miles north of Sedona. Parking is along the shoulder of SR-89A (legal where signed) and is very limited — about ten cars total. Red Rock Pass required ($5 day). The west trailhead at Vultee Arch requires driving Forest Road 152 in a high-clearance 4WD; not recommended in a rental sedan.
Best time to go
Spring and fall. Summer mornings are workable if you start at first light; midday in summer is dangerous on the exposed sections. Winter mornings can be icy on the upper switchbacks — check conditions before driving up.
Difficulty + safety
Strenuous. The sustained climb is real; carry at least two litres of water per person, more in summer. The trail is well-marked but the steepness and the cumulative elevation make this a hike for fit groups. Dogs allowed on-leash but the climb is hard on dogs in heat. Cell service is patchy in the canyon and on the pass.
Vultee Arch on the west side
If you continue past the pass and descend into Sterling Canyon, the Vultee Arch trail junction is about a mile and a half down the western side. From the junction, a short signed spur leads to the arch itself — a 50-foot natural opening in the cliff face that is one of the larger arches in the Sedona area. The lower trailhead at the end of Forest Road 152 makes the arch accessible as a short 3-mile out-and-back if you have a 4WD vehicle, but most hikers reach it by combining with Sterling Pass. The full Sterling Pass-Vultee Arch traverse, with a car shuttle, is one of the more memorable long days in the area; the views into Sterling Canyon from the pass are unmatched.
Stay nearby
The SR-89A trailhead is a 15-minute drive from our West Sedona properties. See our Sedona vacation rentals for properties within easy reach of Oak Creek Canyon, and check Visit Sedona for current trail conditions and seasonal advisories.
