Casner Canyon Trail No. 11
Bring your wading shoes for this one, because you'll be wading in the clear, cool waters of Oak Creek early in the hike. According to historians, this trail was built to provide cattle grazers a means of getting their stock from water on the canyon floor to pastures on the canyon rim. Today, it is used by hikers and horseback riders for access into the heart of a landscape most people see only through their telephoto lens.
After crossing Oak Creek, the trail leads a short way up the floor of Casner Canyon before turning up the canyon's north slope. It then continues a long and sometimes steep climb to the canyon rim about a half-mile north of the Schnebly Hill Road overlook. The route it follows is a scenic one, right through the middle of some of the rock formations that make up the spectacular view from Sedona and state Route 89A. Because shade is sparse, this can be a hard, hot climb on a sunny day. Bring lots of water along with your camera.
Specific Trail Information
Trail Number
Trail Type
General Information
- Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous. Very challenging due to its steep, rocky climb through scrub oak and full sun.
- Trailhead Elevation: 4,530 ft.
- Elevation Gain: 1,800 ft.
- Length: 2 miles.
- Time: 1.5 hours one way.
Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful Pass required to park at the trailhead.
Address: 8375 State Route 179, Sedona, AZ 86351
Phone: 928-203-2900
Hours: Wednesday 12 p.m.-4:30 p.m. All other days, open 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Office Email: SM.FS.Cof_Webmail@usda.gov
Getting There
Directions
Location: 25 miles south of Flagstaff (2 miles north of Sedona) on paved roads in scenic Oak Creek Canyon.
Access: Drive 25 miles south from Flagstaff or 2 miles north from Sedona on state Route 89A. Park either on the west side of the highway across from a road blocked by a closed gate or at the Grasshopper Point recreation Area. If you park at Grasshopper, you'll have to follow Allens' Bend Trail to its intersection with Casner Canyon Trail. Allen's Bend Trail starts at the north end of the Grasshopper Point parking lot.
GPS (Map): 34°53'35.9"N 111°43'59.6"W
