Fay Canyon & Fay Canyon Arch: Coconino National Forest, Sedona, AZ ❤️❤️

3/31/2021: The hike up to Fay Canyon Arch (makes the hike moderate but is not a required part of the hike) is steep but doable with children. Take your time as it is only about 1/10th mile to the arch. You can hike beyond the end of Fay Trail (marked by an end-of-trail sign) by climbing up and around the rocks. Fewer people do this because it is a little steep. Again, just take your time and you should be fine, even with children.

❤️❤️ because it was a good hike, but so very, very crowded.

Here is the complete Sedona Adventure Trip Report.

• 2.6 to 3.2 miles roundtrip – Family Friendly. 5-year old grandson? Yes
• Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
• Elevation range: range: 4593' to 4854' gross: +384'
• Traffic: Heavy
• Getting There: No issues
• Trail Obstacles: None
• Fees: $5.00 Daily Red Rock Pass, or America the Beautiful pass. Check here.
• Trailhead Coordinates: 34.901917, -111.857917
• Driving Directions
• Trail Map
• Search this Trail
• Photos
• Geo-mapped Photos
• Management: Coconino National Forest
• Alltrails.com info: Fay Canyon and Fay Canyon Arch

Marg’s Notes: Easy day. Still left early. Fay Canyon and Pinnacle (Fay Canyon) Arch. Even tho this was supposed to be easy, Rod had us climb up 500 ft. in 0.1 mile! Nice easy hike along a creek bed, then took a side trail up to Pinnacle Arch. It was quite a climb but worth it for the view! Had a bar & H₂O up there. I didn’t feel well at the top. After a rest we went back down and finished along main trail. Continued to end but wen on past! Fairly easy hike after climbing up some rocks. Stopped in a concave space in rock wall for another bar & beautiful view. Came back to room & had lunch in the courtyard. Then a nap! Then, I did all my writing up!

Rod’s Ramblings from the Trail: We were the only ones at the Fay Canyon Arch. Probably because we got an early start and likely because the trail to the arch is hard to see. The arch itself is very difficult to see unless you actually go up, stand under it and see that, yes indeed, it is an arch. We took a lot of pictures. This is a gorgeous little canyon and if you just do the out and back without coming up to Pinnacle Lodge then it is extremely easy.

At the end of Fay Canyon Trail, we continued past the end of trail marker to a stunningly beautiful, stunningly quiet and peaceful huge cavern-like entrance of a cliff. Many people were congregated at and just beyond the end of trail marker. But fewer go into the canyon beyond, so you can find some peace and solitude if you climb bout 100 yards further.