Summary: A hike along the southern and eastern edge of Bear Mountain that ends with a fantastic view of Fay Canyon
Challenge Level: Hard, because of the 1/2 mile up Bear Mountain and the very narrow trail to the overlook
Hiking Distance: 2 miles each way; 4 miles round trip
Trailhead Directions: You'll begin by hiking the Bear Mountain Trail. The parking area for the Bear Mountain hike is shared with Doe Mountain hike. From the "Y" roundabout (the intersection of Highway 179 and Highway 89A), drive west on Highway 89A about 3 miles. Turn right on Dry Creek Road. Stay on Dry Creek Road about 3 miles to the end and a stop sign. Turn left on Boynton Canyon Road and proceed about 1 1/2 miles to a stop sign. Turn left, continuing on Boynton Pass Road. The trailhead is the second trailhead on the left side, about 1 3/4 miles from the stop sign. The trailhead is across the road from the parking area
Description: After crossing the road, hike up the Bear Mountain trail for 0.5 miles. Turn right (east) and begin to follow a faint unmaintained trail which goes along the side of Bear Mountain. The trail is hard to follow in places so generally keep next to Bear Mountain. As you hike around the east end of Bear Mountain, the trail becomes very narrow, with loose rock, loose sand, scrub oak and cactus. Be extremely careful on this part of the trail. Proceed in an easterly direction until you come to the edge of Fay Canyon for some spectacular views. We found an area used by a bootlegger in the Prohibition days (known locally as "Bootlegger Cave"), who had a great view of Fay Canyon Arch.
Note: This trail is unmaintained and is difficult to follow. It is strongly suggested that you do not attempt this hike if narrow trails and steep drop offs are a concern. It is recommended that you have a portable GPS unit with the trail data installed (see below).
Photos:
For those of you who have a GPS unit, I have GPS data available for the hike which include "tracks," the route and waypoints.
Great Sedona Hikes
Last Updated April 29, 2013
Web Page by Bill Bohan (billbo@greatsedonahikes.com)
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