9 Amazing Sedona Waterfalls and How to Visit Them in 2024
Looking for the best Sedona waterfalls? Then you’ve come to the right place!
Sedona, Arizona is home to some of the most breathtaking waterfalls in the United States, and visiting these falls can be a great way to take in the beauty of the red rock canyons.
In this article, we tell you how to find the best waterfalls in Sedona and everything you need to know about hiking to them.
There are trails to the waterfalls near Sedona for every ability, from short family-friendly hikes to more challenging routes.
What To Expect When Looking For Sedona Waterfalls
We’ll be upfront, there aren’t a lot of waterfalls in Sedona, Arizona. However, several falls are close by and can be easily combined with the numerous hiking trails in Sedona.
Keep reading for our top choices for the best Sedona waterfalls. Expect to find a variety of scenic canyons and various waterfalls, cascades, and pools.
When you’re going on Sedona hiking trails with waterfalls, it is important to remember that some of the trails may be steep and the rocks around the falls will be slippery at all times of the year, so please watch your step and wear shoes with good grip and ankle support.
Planning Your Sedona Trip
Before diving in, here are a few helpful tidbits to help you plan your trip:
- Where to Stay: There are many amazing places to stay in Sedona, but our number one recommendation is A Sunset Chateau Bed and Breakfast.
- How to Get There: Flying into Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport is going to be the cheapest and it’s only a 2-hour drive. Use Skyscanner to browse and find the cheapest flights.
- How to Get Around: Our favorite car rental booking site, Discovercars.com makes it so easy to book & pick up your car. Or rent a campervan with Outdoorsy and make a road trip out of it!
- Best Tour to Experience Sedona: This off-roading tour will take you to see some of Sedona’s most dramatic scenery all while having the ride of your life. It has almost 700 five-star reviews because it is truly the best tour you can take in Sedona.
- Don’t Forget: A lot of trailheads in Sedona require you to purchase a Red Rock parking pass. Although, you can park for free at a lot of trailheads if you have an America the Beautiful pass.
The 8 Best Sedona Waterfalls
Here are our suggestions for the top 9 Sedona hikes with waterfalls. We’ve included all the information you need about how to do these hikes including difficulty and how to get there.
You can hike these trails all year round, but these best hikes in Sedona with water are best enjoyed during the spring months when there is more water flowing.
⛺ Read More: 21 Best Places to Camp in Sedona ⛺
1. Seven Sacred Pools
- Distance from Sedona: 2 miles
- Trail Length/Difficulty: An easy 1.1-mile out-and-back trail
- 4×4 or High Clearance Needed: No
- Dogs Allowed: Dogs are welcome on this trail but must be kept on a leash
- How to get there: There are a couple of options. The closest car parking is at the Soldier’s Pass trailhead. This is located just off Soldier’s Pass Road. Alternatively, if this parking lot is full then use the Jordan Road parking lot and hike to the Seven Sacred Pools via the Cibola Trail.
The Seven Sacred Pools in Sedona, Arizona is one of the most popular hikes in Sedona with waterfall pools. The Seven Sacred Pools features a series of interconnected waterfalls after heavy rain located in the famous red rock canyons of the area.
It’s worth noting, most of the time you won’t find a waterfall at this spot, instead you’ll find seven pools of water. But after a heavy rain, these pools do flow from one to the other creating a beautiful waterfall. You can see from the photos above that when we visited the pools weren’t flowing from one to another.
The pools make up part of the larger Oak Creek Canyon, which is one of the most scenic areas and the best place to see a Sedona sunset.
The Seven Sacred Pools are popular with every ability of hiker. Although it might be tempting to jump in and cool off, especially during the warmer months, it’s not recommended as the pools are small and it can disturb the habitat.
This is one of the easiest Sedona waterfall hike options on our list, so the trail does get busy. Try to hike on a weekday and start early to enjoy the tranquillity of this waterfall in Sedona.
2. Slide Rock
- Distance from Sedona: 7 miles
- Trail Length/Difficulty: Moderately difficult, 0.3 miles out-and-back trail
- 4×4 or High Clearance Needed: No
- Dogs Allowed: Dogs are welcome on this trail but must be kept on a leash
- How to get there: Take Interstate 17 North to Highway 179, then the 179 West through Sedona. Head to Highway 89A which is the entrance to Oak Creek Canyon to find the trailhead.
Despite this being one of the shortest hikes on our waterfall hikes in Sedona list, it’s slightly challenging due to the slippery nature of the trail.
Slide Rock Sedona is where to go when looking for Sedona Arizona waterfalls. The park has a super fun natural water slide as well as picturesque waterfalls to enjoy.
Slide Rock is located in the Oak Creek Canyon of Sedona, Arizona, and is a popular spot for swimming, picnicking, and sunbathing. The natural waterslide is created by a shallow section of Oak Creek that is lined with smooth, slippery rocks.
This is one of the more exciting natural waterfalls in Sedona, AZ thanks to it being pretty much nature’s adventure playground. Visitors can slide down the creek on the rocks or wade in the shallow pool for a refreshing swim. We had so much fun visiting on a hot day after hiking some of the best Sedona hikes.
The park also has a picnic area, restrooms, and a gift shop. Slide Rock Sedona is a great spot to cool off in the summer heat and enjoy the natural beauty of the area.
3. Grasshopper Point Swimming & Picnic Area
- Distance from Sedona: 2.5 miles
- Trail Length/Difficulty: An easy 1-mile out-and-back trail
- 4×4 or High Clearance Needed: No
- Dogs Allowed: No
- How to get there: Drive 2 miles north from Sedona on US 89A. Grasshopper Point is approximately 2 miles south of Encinoso Picnic Area on the east side of US 89A.
Grasshopper Point Swimming & Picnic Area is located nearby Sedona, Arizona, and is a great spot when looking for waterfalls in Sedona Arizona.
Grasshopper Point offers hiking, swimming, picnicking, and much more. It’s a fairly easily accessible and popular trail.
The swimming area is surrounded by tall red rock cliffs, and the views here of the Sedona landscape are stunning. This is one of the most family-friendly Sedona waterfalls hikes on our list.
Do note though to get down to the water you will have to walk on large boulders to access the waterfall & swimming area.
There are picnic tables and grills located close to the parking lot, making it the perfect spot for a picnic.
Grasshopper Point also has a deep swimming hole and cliff jumping. Swimming is popular here and it’s a perfect place for paddling around and cooling off on a hot day at this popular Sedona hikes waterfall.
4. West Fork of Oak Creek
Looking for one of the best Sedona trails with water? If you’re in Sedona during the summertime and you’re looking to go hiking but also cool off somewhere during your hike, look no further than the West Fork of Oak Creek trail.
This trail is one of the most perfect water hikes in Sedona as it follows along Oak Creek and crosses over Oak Creek 13 times, meaning you will definitely have chances to cool off during your hike.
The trail ends at a deeper pool where you can actually swim a bit or if you’re not feeling like conquering the 6.5-mile trek, many people just hike down to the first creek crossing to play around in the water.
Overall, this is one of the best hiking trails in Sedona with water- and you’ll even find a small waterfall at one of the creek crossings.
The drive to this trailhead is also one of the most scenic drives in Sedona, so you’re bound to enjoy your time even when in the car!
5. Fay Canyon Trail
- Distance from Sedona: 8.3 miles
- Trail Length/Difficulty: Moderately challenging, 2.3-mile out-and-back trail
- 4×4 or High Clearance Needed: No
- Dogs Allowed: Dogs are welcome on this trail but must be kept on a leash
- How to get there: From Sedona, head towards Dry Creek Road (152C). Then turn north and drive three miles to the Boynton Canyon intersection. The parking lot and trailhead are located off Boynton Pass Road.
The Fay Canyon Trail is located in the Coconino National Forest near Sedona, Arizona. It’s classed as a moderate-difficulty short trail with plenty of scenic views of the red rock canyons.
If you’re looking for a great stop on a Sedona to Antelope Canyon road trip, this would be a great hike to break up the drive.
Along the trail, you’ll be able to see interesting rock formations, unique desert vegetation, as well as the immense red rock canyon walls.
Although these aren’t the biggest waterfalls in Sedona, AZ, the trail does feature some smaller falls overlooking the picturesque landscape. Since you can only see these falls after heavy rain & only at certain times of the year, they are definitely one of the hidden waterfalls in Sedona.
So although it’s not the most dramatic waterfall on the list, its location still makes this a very pleasant waterfall Sedona, Arizona has to offer.
6. Munds Wagon Trail
- Distance from Sedona: 1 mile
- Trail Length/Difficulty: A moderately challenging 7-mile out-and-back trail
- 4×4 or High Clearance Needed: No
- Dogs Allowed: Dogs are welcome on this trail but must be kept on a leash
- How to get there: From AZ-89A & AZ-179, head south on AZ-179. Make a left on Schnebly Hill Road. Drive about 0.8 miles and then turn left. You will then be at Huckaby/Margs Draw Trailhead.
The Munds Wagon trail follows an old cattle trail near downtown Sedona that leads to some pretty amazing Sedona waterfalls.
This is one of the only trails so close to the actual town of Sedona that has waterfalls. But do remember, water will likely only be flowing if there has been recent rain and if you’re visiting Sedona in the fall, there likely won’t be much of anything.
Just 1 mile into this hike will lead you to gorgeous picturesque waterfalls, and some in this area are even 6-7 feet high!
3.5 miles into this hike, at the base of Merry-Go-Round Rock, you will find another cascading waterfall that totally pays off for the uphill climb you just did.
This is also a super popular spot for people to come to enjoy a spectacular Sedona sunrise.
7. Fossil Creek
- Distance from Sedona: 76.9 mi
- Trail Length/Difficulty: A moderately challenging 2.6-mile out-and-back trail
- 4×4 or High Clearance Needed: Yes
- Dogs Allowed: Dogs are welcome on this trail but must be kept on a leash
- How to get there: From Sedona, head south on Hwy 179 and then turn right and merge onto I-17 S toward Phoenix. Take exit 287 for AZ-260 toward Cottonwood and turn left. From here take a right at Fossil Creek Road and drive for 13 miles. Turn right on Child’s Power Rd and arrive at the lower Fossil Creek.
This is one of the prettiest waterfalls near Sedona, and the great thing here is that there are two entry points to enjoy Fossil Creek depending on how energetic you’re feeling.
If you just want to see the Sedona AZ waterfalls with minimal hiking, then park at the lower parking lot and hike along the creek. The trail has several inviting pools leading up to the first waterfall.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for even more Sedona hiking trails with water, park at the upper parking lot. This route gives you beautiful views of the Mogollon Rim and the Fossil Springs Wilderness. Follow the trail along to the upper waterfall. This fall isn’t visited as much as the lower one.
8. Wet Beaver Creek
- Distance from Sedona: 18.6 miles
- Trail Length/Difficulty: A moderately challenging 7-mile out-and-back trail
- 4×4 or High Clearance Needed: No
- Dogs Allowed: Dogs are welcome on this trail but must be kept on a leash
- How to get there: From Sedona, turn right onto Forest Road 618 (Beaver Creek Road) and then follow the signs to FR 618A on the left side of the road for about 2 miles. Turn on to FR 618A and park at the Bell Trail parking area.
Wet Beaver Creek is a scenic hike and one of the most beautiful Sedona falls to visit. The creek originates from several springs and is a major tributary of the Verde River.
What makes this one of the most popular waterfalls Sedona, Arizona has to offer is the multitude of activities that you can do here. It’s not only a great spot for swimming, but also fishing and cliff jumping are popular here too.
In addition to this, the creek is home to a variety of wildlife, including beavers, river otters, and fish.
There are several trails in the area, including the Wet Beaver Creek Nature Trail, which is a two-mile loop that takes hikers through marshy wetlands and woodlands which is perfect for wildlife enthusiasts and families.
9. Secret Canyon
- Distance from Sedona: 8.9 miles
- Trail Length/Difficulty: A moderately challenging 14.7-mile point-to-point trail
- 4×4 or High Clearance Needed: Yes
- Dogs Allowed: Dogs are welcome on this trail but must be kept on a leash
- How to get there: From Sedona, drive to Dry Creek Road (152C) located at the west end of town. Turn right on Dry Creek Road and drive for two miles to Forest Road 152.
Secret Canyon is home to a spectacular red rock canyon and is a beautiful waterfall hike Sedona has to offer. This is another waterfall near Sedona AZ that is only active during snow melt or after heavy rain.
The canyon is characterized by its towering red rock cliffs and is filled with magnificent views of the surrounding landscape.
The Secret Canyon Trail leads you through the canyon, with plenty of lookout points along the way. If you have more time in the area, there are also several other trails you can do from here.
💧 Looking for some other water activities in Sedona? 💧
Check out the best kayaking in Sedona spots to add to your list.
Sedona Waterfalls FAQ
Here are the answers to some common questions we get asked about doing waterfall Sedona hiking.
There are only a few waterfalls near Sedona. The most popular waterfalls in the area are Seven Sacred Pools and Secret Canyon Falls.
The closest waterfalls near Sedona, Arizona are Seven Sacred Pools.
You will also find a waterfall in Red Rock Canyon. The Red Rock Sedona waterfalls flow into a small pool, from here you can also hike to the snow-fed Mary Jane Falls.
Oak Creek Falls, Munds Wagon Trail, and Secret Canyon Falls are some waterfalls in Sedona that are definitely worth a visit.
If you’re looking for more challenging Sedona Waterfalls hiking, we recommend Secret Canyon. Secret Canyon is home to an impressive 50-foot waterfall.
For a less challenging hike, then we recommend Oak Creek Falls. Here you’ll find a 30-foot waterfall located in the Canyon. It’s easy to access by a short hike.
