Herkenham-Skywalker-Old Post Loop

HERKENHAM-SKYWALKER-OLD POST LOOP

Ocotillo frame views on the Herkenham Trail

In the exalted realm of Sedona hiking trails, Herkenham barely registers a blip. Maybe because it’s been around for so long, it has become invisible. Or perhaps its nexus is misunderstood.
 There’s no cave, no natural bridge and no babbling creek. While lacking in traditional hiker catnip, the trail’s list of don’t-haves includes one attribute that some hikers must have.

Courthouse Butte (L) and Bell Rock (C) from Skywalker Trail

There are no crowds.  And to the aforementioned some, swapping a look-at-me Instagram moment for solitude is a fair tradeoff.

The Herkenham Trail sits in the corrugated hills above Oak Creek on the west side of Sedona. It’s part of a network of looped trails that trace airy ledges and scoured gullies. 

Pyramid formation from Old Post Trail

The system that spins around the twisted course of Carroll Canyon has easy access points and lighter traffic than many other Red Rock Country hike destinations. But that doesn’t mean the trails lack appeal.  The singletrack paths trudge through gorgeous high desert ecozones with enough elevation change to guarantee good workouts and continually changing vistas. 

A rare shady spot on Herkenham Trail

The beauty of the Carroll Canyon area in Coconino National Forest is way trail expansion has evolved around a few stalwart heritage routes. Besides Herkenham, the Old Post and Carroll Canyon trails have been around for years, while the newer Skywalker, Scorpion and Pyramid trails add miles with respect for the original core routes. 

Tabletop Mesa (C) from Skywalker Trail

One way to sample old and new is to make a loop hike using the Old Post, Herkenham and Skywalker trails. The moderate-rated hike may be accessed from the Old Post Trailhead along Chavez Ranch Road by hiking 0.7-mile north on the Old Post Trail to the Herkenham junction.

The loop is well signed

The first leg is an easy-going stroll through cactus-dotted grassland. 

Skywalker Trail ducks around a gully

Sparce shade is courtesy of sporadic stands of pinion pines and junipers that pop up in groups large enough to block the sun for a water break but never dense enough the eclipse mountain vistas.  Most of the hike’s elevation gain happens on the 1.1-mile Herkenham Trail leg. While the loop’s overall high-to-low elevation difference is less than 600 feet, the route is deceptively more challenging. A constant string of rises, dips and turns keep things interesting and pleasantly paced.  Herkenham tops out at a small parking area across from the old Red Rock High School.

View of Oak Creek from Skywalker Trail

This site may be used as an alternative trailhead, but it fills up fast, especially on weekends.  At the parking area, the Skywalker Trail begins with a rocky descent outside the bounds of a residential area. 

Capitol Butte (center horizon) from Skywalker Trail

Beyond the homes, the trail begins its 1.5-mile southeast trek.  The first half of the trail rides high on a ridgeline with the best views of the loop.  

A little rain brings out the ocotillo on Skywalker

The green band of the Oak Creek corridor glows in the valley below with outstanding peeks at Courthouse Butte, Bell Rock,  and Capitol Butte.  Views to the northeast are more elusive, but quick looks at the Cockscomb formation and Bear Mountain are available to those who pay attention. 

Carroll Canyon trails are easy to loop up

After several dozen flowing bends, the “sky walking” portion of the trail ends where the long profile of Tabletop Mesa and the colorfully layered peaks of Munds Mountain Wilderness stand out on the horizon.  The trail then makes a steady descent back down to the Old Post trail for the 1.5-mile return segment where the call of scrub jays mingles with the rumble of cars headed toward Red Rock Crossing--the closest ooh-and-ahh catnip.

LENGTH: 5.1-mile loop

RATING: moderate

ELEVATION:  3,979 – 4,569 feet (1,037 feet of elevation change)

GETTING THERE:

Old Post Trailhead:

From the State Route 179/89A traffic circle in Sedona, go 4 miles west (toward Cottonwood) on SR 89A to Upper Red Rock Loop. Turn left and continue 1.8 miles to Chavez Ranch Road (Forest Road 216A), turn left and go 0.1 mile to the Old Post trailhead on the left. There are no fees or facilities at the trailhead.

INFO:

Coconino National Forest

https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recreation/hiking/recarea/?recid=72089&actid=50