Carroll Canyon Trail is a 3.3 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Sedona, Arizona that offers scenic views and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
hiking
mountain biking
nature trips
walking
bird watching
views
Directions from The junction of Routes 89A and 179: take 89A west 1.9 miles west to Shelby Drive on the left. Go .5 miles to a business driveway on the right just past Stanley Steamer Road, with 3 designated trailhead parking places. Trail access is obscure, and goes through a private land easement for a short distance where the trails begin at a kiosk just to the south. Follow the Old Post Trail West from this trailhead for .4 miles. The Old Post turns south and after another .1 mile, the Carroll Canyon Trail begins.
Great trail. One big 3+ mile loop. Would be great for trail running. Likely a perfect 5k run/hike. It has some tougher areas, so moderate is a good designation. There seemed to only be 3 or 4 parking spots, I could see this getting busy in the summer. We will be back for sure!
Lauren Hook recorded Carroll Canyon Trail
Highly recommend! Dog friendly, limited people, great scenery. Lots of hills to walk up, but trail is clearly marked
Excellent trail! Beautiful view of the canyon and other red rock. We were hoping to see more wildlife but we did see a couple of jackrabbits. There are plenty of opportunities to wander off the trail and hike through the canyon.
Melissa West recorded Carroll Canyon Trail
Really enjoyed this trail. Not a lot of people so a very quiet hike. Relatively easy. Nice areas to overlook the many peaks. Trails are marked fairly well although I used the All Trail App because it was my first time. I would do this trail again.
The review below mentions the 3 parking spaces being in the lot of a plumbing company - but that company is not obvious until you have already turned into the lot. More clearly, turn right into a parking lot that is just past Stanley Steamer Rd, across from the Recycling Center, and just before a sign that says "Road Ends". Also, although the trail is clearly marked, it is not marked with signs saying Carroll Canyon (except for one small section). If going clockwise, you are on Ridge Trail for about halfway, and then on Old Post trail to come back.
You'll find three designated parking spots at the end of the plumbing company parking lot. This is a beautiful trail with lots of variation. Great view of the canyon. Not busy. Lots of tour planes and helicopters overhead but remarkably quiet when they're gone.
We walked up Shelby and found the trailhead nestled amongst some businesses. There's a doggie bag dispenser and the trailhead sign is right there. Walk through the narrow fenced entrance way and the trail will open up shortly after. There is actually a nice little system of trails in the area, but we stuck to the Carroll Canyon Loop. We opted to go counter-clockwise and found the trail to be on the easier side of the moderate rating. The first part of the trail winded through the canyon and didn't really offer up any spectacular views, but around mile marker two, all the prior steps were well worth it. Definitely light traffic as we saw only one other person, but then again it was on the chilly side with some snow flurries.
Very well marked. Great views
Fun hike with kids. Trail not marked well in some spots. Beautiful view on the canyon along the ridge.
