Carousel-Giddy Up-Del Sol Circuit

CAROUSEL-GIDDY UP CIRCUIT

Carousel Trail

Anthropologists say that the fear of heights is adaptive. 

Carousel Trail

It’s an evolutionary trait with origins that date back to prehistory when fall injuries would mean pain, death or compromised ability to outrun sabertooth tigers. Natural selection favored humans that steered clear of cliffs, trees and steep slippery slopes.

The system is well-signed

Woolly Morning Glory bloom May - November

Thus, our modern brains are hard wired to avoid doing stupid stuff in high, exposed situations.

Carousel Trail

At least most of the time. As many hikers know, any trail is more fun with a touch of adrenaline.  Mountains, canyons, and edgy traverses maintain a magnetic appeal for hikers with enough experience, stamina, traction and sense enough to mitigate the stupid.

View from Giddy Up Trail

But for those willing to admit to experiential deficiencies, maybe starting with a little adrenaline is a smart plan. 

Scarlet Creeper blooms May - October

Taking a cue from pop medicine, why not try adrenaline micro-dosing?

Carousel Trail

Acclimating to trail exposure like cliffs and slopes is easy— just pick a path with short duration drop offs and multiple exit plans—-all within cell phone range.

Carousel Trail

A good one to test out is the Carousel Trail that’s part of the Turkey Creek Trail System in the Village of Oak Creek. 

Carousel Trail

The 0.4-mile connector route in Coconino National Forest whips around the slick rock ledges of a small sandstone butte.  It links up with several of the system's longer routes for dozens of loop options.

Camphorweed blooms March - November

To find the Carousel Trail, begin at the Turkey Creek trailhead with a half-mile walk to the Giddy Up trail.  Hike 0.3-mile on Giddy Up and pick up Carousel where a sign warns that the trail is not recommended for horses—a signal that the way is narrow with some steep slopes.

Carousel Trail

Right from the get go, the route hugs red-rock walls, whipping around the butte in a wide arc.  In terms of exposure, it’s not too bad, though the trail does hang precariously over some cactus-cluttered inclines. 

Del Sol Trail

Just nerve-jangling enough for a mild rush, the path also delivers some fine vistas of Sedona-area landmarks like Cathedral Rock, Capitol Butte and Napoleon’s Tomb.

Del Sol Trail

After a few adrenaline surges, the trail rounds a bend and begins winding downhill.  While still mostly on smooth red rock, the remainder of the route is more comfortably situated away from the queasy edges. At the 1.2-mile point, Carousel ends at the junction with the Del Sol trail. Here, white arrows help navigate the trails where they traverse bare rock. For a 2-mile loop, hang a left (heading downhill) on Del Sol and follow the arrows and signs back to the trailhead. Otherwise, continue south on Del Sol (a 3.3-mile trail) for a larger dose of height-related thrills. While you’re there, you might encounter trail workers building out the system.

Start of the Carousel Trail

The system is already two years in the making and Phase III trail construction resumes in November for the 2026-27 season. Over 7 more miles of new construction, refinement and restoration are planned.  

LENGTH: 2-mile loop

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 3,924 – 4,118 feet

GETTING THERE:

Turkey Creek Trailhead:

From State Route 179 in the Village of Oak Creek, go 4 miles west on Verde Valley School Road to Forest Road 216B on the left. Park in the dirt lot at the large forest service sign a few yards in. Follow the “trail” signs to  access the route.  There are no facilities or fees at this trailhead.

Roads are paved up to the last half mile which is maintained dirt suitable for all vehicles. 

KEEP UP WITH TURKEY CREEK TRAIL SYSTEM HERE:

https://redrocktrailfund.org/turkey-creek-year-2-phase-iii-whats-coming-this-trail-season/

 

 

Beaverhead Flat Trails

 BEAVERHEAD FLAT TRAILS

View from Beaverhead Flat outer trail

The trails of Beaverhead Flat aren’t the easiest to follow. 

Typical scene on Beaverhead Flat

Encroaching creosote, sandy substrates, random cattle  tracks and drainages that scour the level landscape make picking out the maze of paths a challenge in places.

Lizard-Tail blooms April - October

Located a few miles south of Sedona in a pocket of high desert flatlands in Yavapai County near Cornville, the Beaverhead Flat trailhead is a bare bones entry point to a series of old roads that have been repurposed into non-motorized routes open to hikers, bikers and horses.

Sedona landforms to the north

The sparsely signed, sketchy paths circle an oblong ridge rolling out a carousel of unobscured mountain vistas. 

Trails are mostly unsigned and sketchy

When compared to the 15-mile Limestone Trail that passes to the north, linking Red Rock and Dead Horse Ranch State Parks and the White Hills Single Track mountain bike system across the way, the trails in this desolate parcel are primitive. 

Yucca on FR9205D

But that’s part of the site’s character, which oozes with old ranch flavor and open range braided cattle tracks.

FR9205D

The trail system is made up of a 3-mile outer loop—sometimes called the Beaverhead Loop and a 0.57-mile crosscut also referred to as Juniper Ridge. 

Crucifixion thorn on outer loop

Based on faded road signs placed at junctions, the outer loop follows Forest Road 9205B and the crosscut is Forest Road 9205D. 

Blue gilia blooms May - November

A third road, FR9205C is a short spur out-and-back to a scenic overlook —-at least from what I could see.

Mountain vistas on the outer loop

The lack of directional signs, cairns or consistent tread is a refreshing diversion from over manicured trails that remove any need for thinking. It’s undiluted rangeland road walking at its best. 

A few feet past the trailhead gate, the (unsigned) outer loop splits.

Trails circle this ridge

I took the right leg which headed out through acres of creosote, crucifixion thorn and a smattering of junipers that grow just high enough to tickle-frame hazy views of Coconino National Forest mountain peaks to the east and Sedona’s iconic landforms to the north.

Silverleaf nightshade blooms May - October

Unapologetically shadeless, the sun bleached plains peppered with cacti and scrub bursting from a limestone foundation would loose its mojo under cover of trees.  The open-to-the-sky ambience is its currency. 

One of the few signed junctions 

Along this leg, the trail vacillates among narrow single-tracks, rutted two-tracks and confusingly arbitrary game trails. At the 0.9-mile point, the trail meets a metal water tank where the route seems to vanish. 

Fractured flats

I took the dirt road heading left from the tank and followed it to the 1.3-mile point where a sign for FR 9025D wrapped in creosote indicates a vague trail heading left. 

Water tank on the route

This short segment makes an easy uphill through fractured drainages and a tiny juniper forest. 

Spreading Four O'Clock blooms Apr - Sept

Topping out on a crest with some of the best views of the fringes of Sedona, the trail heads back downhill passing prickly pear cacti, ratany shrubs and magnificent yuccas that frame views of the Bradshaw Mountains.

Engelmann's Prickly Pear blooms April-June

Trails start behind the gate

The trail meets the junction with FR 9205C at the 1.8 mile point, then descends lazily back to the trailhead. 

Trailhead entry

LENGTH:

Circuit described here: 2.2 mile loop

Outer (Beaverhead) Loop: 3 miles

Crossover Path (Juniper Pass): 0.57 mile

RATING: easy

ELEVATION: 

As described here: 3,744 - 3,603 feet

Outer Loop: 3,847 - 3,603 feet

GETTING THERE:

From Interstate 17 north of Camp Verde, take the McGuireville/Montezuma Well exit 293.  At the end of the offramp, go left and continue 5 miles on Cornville Road (County Road 30) to Beaverhead Flat Road on the right. Turn right and go a few yards to the trailhead on the left.  The dirt lot is huge with room for horse trailers. There are no fees or facilities at this trailhead.  Roads are paved all the way to the trailhead. 

Longshot-Turkey Creek Loop

LONGSHOT-TURKEY CREEK CIRCUIT

Slick rock segment on the Longshot Trail

Like many intriguing adventure stories, this one begins on a familiar launch pad then dives into things unknown with shiny new temptations and unexpected turns.

Longshot Trail

The legendary  Turkey Creek trailhead along Verde Valley School Road in the Village of Oak Creek has evolved from a somewhat remote, lightly used access point for its eponymous trail into a gateway to a growing stable of new hiking routes.

Longshot Trail 

The acres of hill-acious high desert west of the super popular trails orbiting Cathedral Rock are being developed with a 21-mile maze of loopy routes that diverge from the legacy Turkey Creek Trail. 

Ocotillos on the Longshot Trail

Over the past year, several of the planned routes of the Turkey Creek Trail System in Coconino National Forest  have debuted—-Del Sol, Third Rock, Rodeo, Lion King, Pony Up, Hyena and Giddy Up, to name a few.

Desert Four O'Clock bloom Mar-Sept

And, just when it seemed the system couldn’t get any better—it did. 

New trail ready for permanent signage 

Enter the Longshot Trail.  This one, which makes a U-shaped loop off the Turkey Creek Trail one mile from the trailhead, officially opened this spring. There’s never a dull moment on this fresh-cut, mile long single track. Every yard is a joy to hike. 

Big vistas on Turkey Creek Trail

From the first junction, the route hits a slick rock passage hugging the base of high, red sandstone cliffs. The edgy segment is packed with ocotillo-framed vistas and moderate drop-offs that overlook grasslands below the House Mountain volcano. 

Strawberry hedgehog cactus bloom Mar-Apr

The rocky section then dips into shaded juniper-pine-fir woodlands, passing the Pony Up junction at the 1.4 mile point. From here, the trail jogs over drainages that feed wildflower meadows rife with primroses, Miniature Wool Star, penstemons, Blackfoot daisies, and brilliant magenta Desert Four O’Clock.

Fragrant cliff-rose bloom Apr-Sept

 

View from Longshot Trail

A fringe of blooming cacti and shrubs add continuous splashes of color springing from the sandy soils.  The west end of the loop rejoins Turkey Creek at the 2.3-mile point.  For a 4-miler, head right and follow the basket cairns back to the trailhead.

Longshot trail junction

 

Kudos must go to the forest service and volunteer teams that constructed these trails.

Littleleaf Ratany blooms Apr -Sept

Clearly, they are experts in sustainable builds that deliver what trail users want—variety, customizable lengths, eye candy and enough challenge to get the heart pounding. 

Miniature Wool Star bloom Mar - Jun

The “new trail shine” on these recent additions to the Sedona area hike menu won’t be rubbing off anytime soon. 

Drainage crossing on Longshot Trail

LENGTH:  4.2 miles

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 3,901 - 4,022 feet

GETTING THERE:

Turkey Creek Trailhead

From State Route 179 in the Village of Oak Creek, go 4 miles west on Verde Valley School Road to Forest Road 216B on the left. Park in the dirt lot at the large forest service sign a few yards in. Follow the “trail” signs to  access the route.  There is another optional trailhead a mile down FR216B for those with high-clearance vehicles. There are no facilities or fees at this trailhead.

Roads are paved up to the last half mile which is maintained dirt suitable for all vehicles. 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/r03/coconino

Lion King-Hyena Circuit

LION KING-HYENA CIRCUIT

Hyena-Lion King Trail junction 

The new Turkey Creek Area trail system is a no-brainer candidate for your next hiking obsession. 

Blackfoot daisies on Turkey Creek Trail

The pocket of high desert in Coconino National Forest south of Red Rock State Park and Oak Creek has been consistently rolling out new non-motorized trails on its way to a 21-mile menu due to be completed in 2028. 

View from Hyena Trail

This March, two new routes debuted off the legacy Turkey Creek Trail.

Forested section of Lion King Trail

Purpose built for mountain bikers to test their mettle, the Lion King and Hyena trails are rife with technical elements, swooping flats and tight bends—features that are fun for hikers as well. 

Featherplume

View near hike high point

From the first Turkey Creek parking area on Forest Road 216B, (a second trailhead is a half-mile farther down the 4x4 road) the hike heads west on the Turkey Creek Trail.

Napoleon's Tomb (left) and Cathedral Rock (right)

This easy 0.7-mile segment moves through fir-juniper woodlands with an understory of scrub oak, cliff-rose and a riot of wildflower color. 

Cliff-rose

Fuzzy featherplume bushes add pops of purple while Blackfoot daisies and banana yuccas sprout brilliant cream-colored blooms throughout the hike.

Overlooking Oak Creek

At the signed Lion King junction, the route bends southeast and starts a gradual climb on alternating red dirt and slick rock staircases. 

The trail engineering here is amazing. Not only are the trails laid out for maximum visual impact, they also take advantage of the natural contours of the landscape with hand-built walls, steps and stabilizing structures that blend seamlessly with the terrain. 

Technical section on Lion King

After a couple of steep techie climbs, big views of Sedona area landmarks stretch out all around from the route’s high point at the Hyena trail junction at 0.9-mile. 

Texas Storkbill 

Overlooking the green corridor of Oak Creek, the pinnacle serves up vistas of Cathedral Rock, Capitol Butte and the House Mountain Volcano. 

Banana yucca buds

Hyena trail then twists slightly downhill. Milder than Lion King but still packed with some challenges, the 0.67-mile path rounds a prominent rock formation before reconnecting with Lion King. 

Turkey Creek Trail

For a 3-mile loop hike, head right at the junction and follow Lion King’s track back up to the pinnacle and retrace your steps.  Never intended to be boring, both new trails have just enough challenge and exposure to register somewhere between exhilarating and stupid—in other words, fun.

Lion King and Hyena opened March 2026

Besides, the day you let the distinction muddle your sense of adventure is the day you should stop hiking. 

LENGTH: 3 miles roundtrip

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION: 3,922 - 4,280 feet

GETTING THERE:

Turkey Creek Trailhead

From State Route 179 in the Village of Oak Creek, go 4 miles west on Verde Valley School Road to Forest Road 216B on the left. Park in the dirt lot at the large forest service sign a few yards in. Follow the “trail” signs to  access the route.  There are no facilities or fees at this trailhead.

Roads are paved up to the last half mile which is maintained dirt suitable for all vehicles.