Sedona, Arizona: West Forks trail is great for the entire family. The trail itself is an easy stroll, but you will have to cross the stream in a few places. Plan on strategically negotiating a few stepping stones or take an old pair of sneakers along that you don't mind getting wet.
Conduct a small history lesson as you pass through an old settlement with overgrown remnants of fireplaces and stone floors still visible. There are a number of reasons why West Fork is the most popular trail on the Coconino National Forest. You'll know some of them once you've strolled beside the pleasant little stream that ripples along the canyon floor and looked up, way up, at the dizzying cliffs that tower above it.
You'll know even more if you come in the spring, when migrating songbirds decorate the trees with flashes of brilliance, or in the fall when pastel leaves float in clear reflecting pools under a canopy of solid color. You can even add to that list if you come in the winter, when icicles hang from red rock overhangs and snatches of snow persist in cool shadows. As a matter of fact, you'll probably find a new reason to be here every time you visit.
The trail is marked for the first three miles; however, many hikers continue beyond that. Eventually the pathway ends and you will be forced to hike in the stream bed as you continue into the Secret Mountain/Red Rocks Wilderness. If you choose to travel all 14 miles from one end of the canyon to the other, plan to do a lot of wading and boulder hopping, and even some swimming.
Length: 3 miles;
Rating: Easy
Boynton Canyon
Boynton Canyon is one of the most scenic of the box canyons that make Arizona Red Rock Country so famous. This particular trail enjoys the additional advantage of being conveniently accessible to nearby towns on well paved roads.
As you might suspect, that is both good and bad news for those who choose to come here. The good news is you don't have to bounce down a dusty jeep track to get to the trailhead. The bad news is you may have more company than you hoped for when you arrive. Boynton Canyon always has been popular for its outstanding scenery. Lately it has become even more so, since it developed a reputation as a site of a New Age "vortex" - a sort of energy field emanating from inner earth.
