Doe Mountain

Overview

Difficulty: Easy Class 1
Distance: 1.5 miles round-trip (3.6 miles if you walk around the summit)
Elevation Gain: 467 feet

Doe Mountain is a flattened mesa located in the western section of Sedona and is one of the last prominent pieces of red rock before you reach the Verde Valley. Short and easy this mountain is definitely a worthwhile endeavor for those searching out great views or for those just looking to bag another peak.
As a climb, Doe Mountain is not overly impressive. The views however from it are. You really can’t go wrong in Sedona. The whole area is beautiful. On a partly cloudy day, the views are even better.
The climb starts out from a small parking lot with room for probably 10-20 cars. This can be a fairly popular trail, so parking may not always be available. I know when I went, there was only one spot available and I took it.
The trail climbs gradually up the mesa via a fair amount of switchbacks but there is nothing too steep for a novice hiker in my opinion. The views West from the trail looking across the road are great.
Once you reach the top you can walk your way around the top of the mesa for views of all of Sedona. There are little pointers to lead you in the right direction and plenty of rock cairns. If you hit this trail at the right time of year (April/May) you may see some pretty nice wildflowers and cactus blooms.
There are many great spots where you can just sit at the edge of a cliff and get some solitude from the rest of the hikers enjoying this easy climb.
This will not provide views like most mountains as the summit is very large, you will actually have to walk around to enjoy the views.

Getting There

From 89A heading South:

Once you reach the intersection of Highway 179 and 89A continue South along 89A for a little over 3 miles until you reach Dry Creek Road. Take a right here and follow it for about 2.9 miles to a stop sign. Then take a left at the stop sign for another 1.6 miles. You will reach an intersection at this point and you will want to take a left here as well. From here you will find the trailhead parking located on the left in about another 1.2 miles. The trailhead begins right at the parking lot.

From Phoenix

Follow I-17 North until you reach Exit # 298 (AZ-179). Follow this exit towards Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon. Right after taking this exit, take a left onto AZ-179 for 14.5 miles. Then turn right onto AZ-89A towards the town of Sedona. From this point you will take a left on Dry Creek Road once you reach it and then follow the above directions to the trailhead.

Red Tape

You will need a Red Rock pass, which are actually excellent deals.

One Day Pass - $5.00
Weekly Pass - $15.00
Annual Pass - $20.00

Weekly and Annual passes can be purchased online here

Rather than creating a very huge list of where you can buy passes either in person or by phone, I will just add a link with all of those details. Click here to see that list.

Camping

No camping allowed on the mountain.

When to climb

Doe Mountain can generally be climbed anytime of the year. During Winter months Sedona does get snow occasionally but I wouldn't forsee that as a problem on this trail. Spring and Fall would be great times to climb, and in the Summer just be very cautious of afternoon thunderstorms and the heat, as it can reach 100 degrees.

Weather Conditions

Click the Satellite picture for a video loop of current weather

Images

View Doe Mountain Image Gallery - 13 Images