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Broken Arrow Trail to Chapel of the Holy Cross

Sedona, Arizona

4.5/5
based on 4 reviews

Details

Distance

4.91 miles

Elevation Gain

640 ft

Route Type

Out-and-Back

Description

Added by Sara Beirne

The Broken Arrow Trail is: easy to access, dog-friendly, easy to hike, and breathtaking views. No water, so bring your plenty!

The Broken Arrow Trail is stunning. 

To reach the Broken Arrow Trail from the town of Sedona, head south on 179-S for approximately 1.5 miles and turn left on Morgan Road. Drive down Morgan Road until you reach the end of the asphalt and it turns into a dirt road. Drive down the dirt road approximately 100 feet. There the dirt road will diverge into 2 routes - the parking lot and the 4x4 trails. Park your car in the parking lot and from there you will see signs for Marg's Draw and Broken Arrow Trail. Entering the parking lot, the Broken Arrow Trailhead will be accessible on the right. 

From the parking lot the Broken Arrow Trail is quite easy to follow. There are semi-permanent cairns and a fair amount of trail direction signs. The cairns are piles of rocks encased by chicken-wire, so if you ever find yourself a little turned around, use the cairns to guide you back to the trail. 

Along Broken Arrow Trail, there are vistas with views of the red rock formations Sedona is known for in all directions. You will pass signs for Submarine Rock, Twin Buttes Trail, and High on the Hog. Continue past all of those until you reach Chicken Point Overlook. Chicken Point is an incredible place for photos. There were a few jeep tours that come to Chicken Point as well so sometimes there are quite a bit of people on the point. 

From Chicken Point we kept going south, down around the Chicken Point Formation. From there, you hike approximately half a mile to reach the trail for the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Chapel of the Holy Cross is an incredible chapel built into the side of a formation. The views of and from the Chapel are some of the best in Sedona. 

The Chapel has a gift shop with a restroom. The chapel opens at 9 and the gift shop opens at 10. If you happen to be low on water, the gift shop sells water bottles for $1 if you ask the attendant at the counter. 

To the chapel it is approximately 2.5 miles so the out and back distance was 5 miles. The trail can get pretty hot pretty fast since there is not much shade and you hike primarily on the rock formations. Make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen and water, especially if you are bringing a pet with you. We hiked the trail on the last weekend of May starting a little before 8 am. Any later in the year or later in the day would have been too hot. Get an early start to avoid the heat and the crowds. 

The trail is dog friendly. 

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Features

Fitness
Photography
Running
Hiking
Dog Friendly
Easy Parking
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Romantic
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Broken Arrow Trail to Chapel of the Holy Cross Reviews

take a jeep on the broken arrow trail as it is one of the best off road experiences in the lower 48.

I ran solo out and back to the Chapel. It was a beautiful morning. I felt safe out on the trail as a single woman and was happy to see the Chapel, then escape the crowds again back into nature!

This is a cool hike with many great views on the way. Just watch out for the Jeeps on broken Arrow. This is more of a Jeep trail than a hiking trail.

Love Broken Arrow! But be careful, the jeep tours can surprise you! Bring lots of water and make sure to practice LNT principals!

Leave No Trace

Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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