uh, ok- I won't tell you that I went to bed at 8 p.m. in Phoneix after an all day business meeting, and got up early and was on the road to Sedona at 5 a.m., there at 7 a.m., got a Red Rocks pass at a roadside vending machine (you need one to park at the trailheads, $5 a day), ate breakfast, and was hiking by 7:30 a.m. The light is so great there early in the morning, it's worth it. But it's a long stretch of road btwn Phoenix and Sedona, and it can be a bit twisting and climbs at many points, so be sure you are rested and awake to do it.

emd, thanks again for all your help. I just got back. I got up late so I didn't leave at 8 a.m. as I hoped, but it was still OK. Stopped at Montezuma's Castle and Chapel of the Holy Cross along the way. I hiked to Boynton Canyon, but guess what? They make people turn back once you hit the resort area. Bummer. I hiked to the top of the Boynton Canyon spire, which was nice.

Sedona was very beautiful overall but I didn't feel any metaphysical vibrations. oh, well! it was still worth the drive!

What do you mean they made people turn back once they hit the resort area??? That is OUTRAGEOUS. That land does not belong to Enchantment. What is theirs is gated off and the trail goes around it. At the very end of Enchantment is a grassy area where they have corporate get togethers sometimes. That area is just past the end of the gated area, where the sign says you will be trespassing if you go through the resort area. Is that the area where you had to turn back?? Perhaps they are claiming you can't catch the trail that goes just past there because you have to touch foot on their ground to get to the rest of the trail??
I am calling the ranger's station today to speak to them about this, so any info you can give me would be appreciated. And I am going online to investigate and see if any of the New Agers have said anything about this. I just booked a house for Christmas and have been telling my son about hiking Boynton Canyon w/me.
This reqlly concerns me, because as I stated in another post after my late Feb trip, it was upsetting to see that one can not get to the trails out past Lost Canyon anymore due to the Seven Secrets resort gate- they turn you back. Rachel's Knoll was a nice trail on private land that the owners let people hike, and it is no longer accessible, and there are other trails you can't get to because of that resort gate. I fear this is the start of a trend in blocking access to the trails- where will it stop? Will access to more trails beyond the subdivisions be blocked? This should be of major concern to anyone who hikes there, esp. the areas off of Dry Creek Rd., but this could, and apparently is, spreading.

to USNR: Have you heard anything about access being blocked to Boynton Canyon?

for the record, that is Secret Canyon, not Seven Secrets.

My 2 cents worth about the most spectacular views I remember from my trips to Sedona:

The first time I went there, I missed the road from Flagstaff to approach via Oak Creek Canyon and ended up entering by way of the little dirt road just south of the rest stop on I-17...an incredibly bumpy ride and quite mundane for a few miles, but once you round one particular bend (and if you have no idea what to expect, naive as I was) the scenery will take your breath away. This drive was early morning with the sun from our back shining directly on the red rock formations. I loved it so much that when I returned with my husband, I insisted on driving that part to surprise HIM with the same sensation my daughter and I had experienced but his only remaining impression is the condition of the road. Alas, it was afternoon and the affect was not nearly the same.

My second most memorable view was of the area as we approached it returning from a day trip to Jerome. As you leave Jerome, which is in the mountains, you see this 'clump' of red rock formations in the distance. Incredible!

Melissa: I called the Red Rocks ranger station ( 928-282-4119)and am being told that Boynton Canyon trail is OPEN. The only things out Dry Creek Rd. that are closed are: 1) the access road 152 which takes you to the Devil's bridge trail, and 2) the road that takes you to Fay Canyon arch and Doe and Bear Mountains and the ruins- as I reported in another posting at end of Feb. there is a sinkhole there on the road and it is still closed. Rt 152 is due to open in the next few days.
So I am now wondering, how exactly did you try to get to the Boynton Canyon trail? The trailhead is 700 ft. BEFORE the entrance to Enchantment resort's guarded gate. Going towards Enchantment, BEFORE you get to their guard gate you turn right into the big parking lot for the trailhead. There are restrooms there, and you can access Boynton Canyon trail and Deadman's Pass trail from that lot. That is the only way to get to those trails. From there, the trail hugs right next to but outside of Enchantments gate for the first mile or so.
Did you by any chance try to go into Enchantment instead of turning into that lot before Enchantment? I actually missed the lot myself the first time I went out there- but I backtracked from Enchantment following my hiking guidebook (Mangum's "Sedona Hikes") and found it. Usually the guard at Enchantment will tell people how to go back 700 ft and turn into the paved lot if you ask where Boynton Cayon trail access is.

Hi emd, I did the trail that you describe--went to the trailhead, which branched off to either Deadman's trail, Boynton Canyon spire, or the one that goes around Enchantment. I hiked a short distance (I thought it was short!)and I could see the resort below. When I got to the end of their gate on the trail, though, there was a big sign saying that if we went any further we'd be trespassing. I guess I thought I could pass the resort on the trail to find more nature, so I was bummed out that I had to turn back. The entire hike, including the spire and some meditation time on the spire, took a shorter time than I had allotted, but there wasn't enough time for me to find another trail to hike, it was more of a "tween" time.

oh, Melissa, I'm sorry. You could have continued on the trail. You just can't go through Enchatment's gated area. I've seen that sign (unless it is a new one), it is right at the end of their gated area and it says you can't go through their property- but their porperty is insdie the gate, and also their property can be accessed from the open grassy area just beyond the gate (if you tunred around and walked back towards Enchantment). I think you misread it and thought they were saying you can't go any further, period, when in fact they are saying you can't go through their property- but you can contiune on the trail, which goes around the edge of their property (when you get to the end of the gate and the sign, you have to bear to the left and then pick back up the trail as it cuts thru a grove of bushes.
I usually tell people to stop at the ranger's station and get trail info or to buy Sherry and Rcihard Mangum's great book, "Sedona Hikes", to follow the trails. I am really sorry you didn't stay on the trail o rhave a guide to tell yo uwhat to do at that point.

Aaaaah, you know what, the sign is not clear. I did not have anyone in front of me, but there were several groups way behind me. They all stopped and turned around at that point, too. I know this because I stopped to take a phone call a little after turning around at the sign, and saw everyone turn around and walk back. I guess everyone thinks that's the end of the road for them!

It's not good for the resort, either. The sign says that we are under security surveillance, right? Someone had X-ed out "security" and wrote "fascist" over it. Unhappy hikers, I'm sure!

Yes, and Enchantment makes it sound like you will be shot on sight if you happen to stray on their land. It is not nice, and they need to coexist w/the hikers. I've stayed there for business and the attitude really turned me off.
I hope you get the chance to go back. There are so many great hikes there. I just rented a house around the holidays and we are just going to bike and hike as much as we can, and look at property to buy. I want to retire part of the year there, not right in Seodna, but in the Village before you get to it.

<b>Exactly!</b> I had this vision of myself crossing past the sign and being apprehended by police &amp; attack dogs. har har. Half of me literally wanted to just keep walking past the sign to see if anything would <i>really</i> happen to me.

I was wondering if Arizona hotels/resorts had different standards from other people. I've worked in hotels/tourism in Hawaii, and the standards for the staff and the hotels are very rigid to ensure the guest gets the best and most consistent service possible. At both the Doubletree Paradise and the Sunburst Resort, I found they were excellent only sometimes, and lame some other times. It was the wierdest experience for me and I didn't quite know how to deliver the news to the front desk when they asked how my stay was.

I was in Sedona about 2 weeks ago. Just beautiful. My husband and I did Boynton Canyon trail and we also did Long Canyon. We liked Long Canyon better b/c it really gets you into the canyon, up close to the rocks. Goes over a stream several times. We enjoyed it much more than Boynton canyon.

alzalum, I asked this on the other GC/Sedona post you posted about this hike on, but I will ask it here in case you come back. hen you hiked Long Canyon, did you have construction noise from Secret Canyon resort construction just past the trailhead? I really wanted to do this hike in Feb., and got out of the car adn started hiking, but there was so much noise I turned back. I coudln't tell if the noise would subside due to the fact that the hike is so open in the first part. Any problems w/that? If not, I am going to plan on that hike w/my son on an upcoming trip.

I think there was a little noise, but nothing that bothered us. I think it's more from the tail being open in the beginning with the golf course near by. After about a mile or so, you don't hear anything. The hike is gorgeous and gets you really up close against the red rocks. The Sedona Hikes book lists the hike as 3 miles, but cont for 4 miles. We never really found the 3 mile point, but just kept hiking. Beyond the 3 mile point it's really quiet and beautiful. A little up and down and some steep steps, but nothing strenuous. I highly recommend it!

ok, you clinched it, I am doing that hike on upcoming trip. Along w/Doe Mountain- in same area- not as long a hike but the vistas are good. Tthe road is still closed to that one due to the sink hole, but it's a nice hike in anyway.
BTW, if you like Long Canyon, try the Lost Canyon hike (in Mangum's Sedona Hikes book), also out Dry Creek Rd. area. Absolutely stunning 360 vistas from the top ledge, and the coolest thing is you go by a very intact set of Sinagua ruins set into a canyon ledge (completely inaccessible to anyone without ropes, so they are very intact). One of the 3 favorite hikes I've done in the area over many yrs of hiking there.

Unfortunately my husband and I live in NYC and were only in Sedona on vacation 2 wks ago. I wish we could go back soon to do some more hiking! The scenery is just so different from here, and much more beautiful. Enjoy the hike!