Located on Chavez Ranch Road is Herkenham Trail. The trail is named after Norm Herkenham, a local resident that work for the National Forest Service and volunteered with Friends of the Forest, who passed away in 2010. The trail is an easy walk great for all skill levels of hikers and the lack of shade along the trail makes this a great hike in the cooler months..jpg)
To find the trail from Chavez Road, go to the Old Post Trailhead. Old Post is popular with mountain bikers and used to be a road. From this point you will stroll through a few piñon pine and juniper trees with mesas on the right and Schuerman Mountain to the left. This portion of the hike is very scenic and if you glance back a little you will see views of Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte. These awesome views of course can be taken in and marveled on the return hike to the car.
About .34 miles into the hike down Old Post you will find an intersection with Ramshead Trail, you will want to continue on the Old Post Trail for a bit. After about .75 miles you will come the the trailhead for Herkenham Trail. Turn left onto the trial and climb though some more pine trees, giving the scent of winter and Christmas. Walk along the ledge of the shallow canyon, watch your steps as some sections can get a little steep especially if it is quite cold out and there is ice or snow on the ground. The trail will eventually even out and will parallel Upper Red Rock Loop and you will begin to hear and see some car traffic because the trail ends at Red Rock Loop Road eventually just right across from the Sedona Red Rock High School. You have now hiked just under two miles from you starting point. Turn around to go back to the car and enjoy a nice downhill hike with breathtaking views.
This may not be the most popular or difficult hike in Sedona, but is is great if you are looking to keep active in cooler months and stay safe on the trails at the same time. Herkenham Trail is stunning when Sedona becomes blanketed with snow. It is rare for Sedona to get snow, but it does happen. The mountains that can be seen on the return hike down the hill are especially pretty when coated or dusted in the white fluffy stuff. This hike is serene and peaceful and snow just makes it all the more peaceful and tranquil.
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Image By Coconino National Forest [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
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