Schnebly Hill Road

Total Miles
11.0

Technical Rating

Easy

Best Time

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter

Trail Type

Full-Width Road

Accessible By

Trail Overview

Schnebly Hill Road is one of Sedona's most iconic and scenic routes, connecting the red rock canyons below to the pine-covered Mogollon Rim above. Best traveled east to west, this trail is known not for technical obstacles, but for its unrelenting rock garden--a bumpy, rough surface that stretches from bottom to rim overlook above. Despite the lack of true obstacles, the continuous loose rock, embedded boulders, and ledges make for a slow and methodical drive. Drivers will be constantly picking their line to avoid tire damage or excess vehicle rattle, especially in stock rigs. It's not difficult--just rough. Along the way, there are several pullouts and side paths that lead to incredible red rock viewpoints, some requiring a short walk for the best perspective. The Schnebly Hill Vista near the top offers a stunning overlook and is the natural endpoint for most travelers. There are campsites along the rim, tucked into the trees - some with primitive fire rings. Remember, if you do have a fire, please check local and county regulations, as this area is prone to large and uncontrollable wildfires. Expect heavy traffic, especially during peak months. The route is a favorite of the Pink Jeep Tours, and their presence adds to the energy but can slow down progress. This is a classic Arizona off-road experience--not hard, but relentlessly bumpy with big payoffs in views. Plan to take your time, enjoy the scenery, and keep an eye out for the best pullouts.

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Difficulty

This isn't a difficult trail, just rocky and bumpy throughout. Though it's well-traveled, the trail can change over time due to use and weather. There are no major obstacles along this trail, and even the bigger rocks have room to go around them.

History

Schnebly Hill Road's history begins as the Munds Wagon Trail, a route established by rancher Jim Munds to move cattle between the Verde Valley and higher grazing areas in the 1800s. In 1902, J.J. Thompson, with funding from local groups, improved the trail, and in 1930, the current Schnebly Hill Road was built. The road is named after entrepreneur Carl Schnebly, who settled in the area and used the improved road to transport goods.

Technical Rating

Status Reports

We started from Sedona & went up to the Vista overlook. Took a little less than an hour & a half. Our stock 2007 runner w no mods did good aside from scraping twice. There were lots of folks out here with us. We passed maybe 5 Pink Jeeps and roughly 12 other rigs and a few people walking. By the end as we were crawling up the last stretch, there was a line of 4 of us. I agree with previous post, the last part was definitely the “hardest” . The rocks range in size so it’s a bumpy ride all the way but, but the road is so well travelled you clearly can see which line to take. Overall, 10/10 on views, 4/10 on difficulty.

Drove it from east to west starting at the 17. The top section coming down from the outlook was pretty deteriorated but not crazy bad. If you’re going in the direction I did that is definitely the most difficult part, not hard just put your tires in a decent spot on the trail and you’ll be good. Lots of sxs and pink jeeps. Other than the top part being deteriorated the rest was in good shape and the recent rain seemed to help it.

Beautiful scenery, but much easier than reported. I did the trail in 1H 7M travel time, in 2HI. The first 6 miles, to the overlook, can be done in higher clearance road vehicle. It's just the western half that requires a high clearance, large tire vehicle with either lockers or 4WD.

The western section (Sedona to Overlook) is far more challenging than a 2/10; it is closer to a 5/10, because you'll need to choose lines carefully due to the abundance of rocky terrain. We sat at the top of the overlook and listened to Tundras and F150's scrape their way through this trail, so go in with knowledge that you will be focused on the road, not on the amazing views.