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LITTLE HORSE TRAIL to CHICKEN POINT
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| View of Cathedral Rock from Little Horse Trail |
There are myriad reasons why the Little Horse Trail No. 61 is one of the most popular hiking routes in Sedona.
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| Cliff-rose emit a pungent fragrance April- Sept. |
Epic vistas, connectivity with the Bell Rock Pathway system of trails, iconic rock formations and rich botanical diversity combine for a classic Red Rock Country trek.
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| Featherplume bloom March - June |
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| Little Horse Trail culminates at Chicken Point |
The well-known and heavily-travelled path in Coconino National Forest really draws the crowds and finding parking at the trailhead can be a challenge, especially on weekends.
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| Fragrant cliff fendlerbush bloom March - June |
The recently introduced Sedona Shuttle service offers a convenient solution to parking quagmires at many of Sedona’s most beloved trails, including this one. So, grab a seat and avoid the headaches as well as the trailhead parking fee.
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| Smell Gregg's ceanothus March - May |
Springtime is the optimal window to experience Little Horse in its full-blown wildflower color storm.
Situated just outside of Munds Mountain Wilderness Area, the hike begins with a 0.3-mile walk on the wide Bell Rock Pathway where views of Cathedral Rock tower above vivid russet cliffs to the west. This sunny segment is fringed with globemallow, antelope horns, blackfoot daisies, sego lilies, evening primroses and fuzzy fleatherplume shrubs. Head left at the signed Little Horse junction and follow the trail as is descends into a steep-walled drainage.
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| Evening primrose bloom April - September |
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| Scenic point over a gorge on Little Horse Trail |
Once through the stony corridor, the trail begins a steady uphill climb on staircase-like sandstone slabs, twisting among blooming cliff-rose shrubs that emit a pungent fragrance that most folks either love or hate. This polarizing aroma competes with the softer lilac notes of the Gregg’s ceanothus bush and the subtle orange bouquet of cliff fendlerbush.
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| Antelope horns bloom April - August |
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| Waxy yucca flowers blooms April - July |
The desert blooms provide olfactory distractions worthy of taking a moment to breath in. Ducking among pockets of cypress, pinon and fir, breaks in the tree cover frame views of Chapel of the Holy Cross plus the iconic Madonna and the Nuns, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte rock formations before meeting the turnoff for an optional side trip up to Chicken Point. The not to be missed spur path flanked by yucca and gangly agave stalks culminates on a rounded sandstone mound bolstered by striated, weather-worn spires and views that extend to the distant Bradshaw Mountains.
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| Sandstone spires surround Chicken Point |
A stream of visitors doing handstands and yoga poses on a stone outcropping is the closing act at trail’s end.
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| Globemallow color the trail April - September |
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| Sego lilies can be white or pink and bloomApril - July |
LENGTH: 3.6 miles roundtrip
RATING: moderate
ELEVATION: 4,240 – 4,400 feet
GETTING THERE:
From
Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the Sedona-Oak Creek exit 298 for State
Route 179. Continue on SR 179 to milepost 308.9 (3.6 miles south of the SR
179/89A traffic circle in Sedona) and
turn right into the Little Horse trailhead parking lot. There is a restroom at
the trailhead. You can
park either at the trailhead or at the North SR 179 Park & Ride and
take the Sedona Shuttle for free.
FEE: A Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful Pass is required to park.
There is a self-serve permit kiosk at the trailhead.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/recarea/?recid=54892
INFO & MAPS:
COCONINO NATIONAL FOREST
https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=55336
SEDONA SHUTTLE
