See Sedona's most iconic red rock views on this Airport Mesa hike. Here's how to try it
Great red rock country views take flight on this Sedona urban trail circuit. Also, aircraft take flight from the prominent mesa that acts as the hub of this Table Top/Airport Mesa loop hike.
A riff on the urban trail systems weaving among Sedona's suburbs and strip malls, this one ramps it up a notch with a swing around Table Top Mountain (aka Airport Mesa).
The Airport Loop Trail has been a staple outing for visitors to the Sedona Airport and hikers in search of a close-to-town route with panoramic vistas and moderate challenge. While the traditional access point is a parking lot near the airport, several other trailheads provide backdoor options.
One such alternative uses a mini interpretive trail in Sunset Park as a launch pad.
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A different way to hike Sedona's Airport Mesa
The 0.1-mile Lollipop Trail takes off from the parking area of the 7.5-acre park that packs picnic ramadas, shaded playgrounds, sports courts and a seasonal kiddie splash pad into its grassy, pocket-sized space. The left leg of the loop leads hikers to a road crossing where the Sunset Trail picks up on the opposite side.
The 0.4-mile connector trail makes a mild uphill climb, leaving Sedona city limits and entering Coconino National Forest. At the Sunset-Airport Loop junction, it's best to veer left and take on the ascent to the high point early in the hike.
The edgy uphill segment gradually unpacks classic red-rock vistas, first teasing with peaks at iconic Capitol Butte (aka Thunder Mountain) and Coffeepot Rock before rolling out the showstoppers. It's only a 400-foot ascent, but views increase in scope with each yard gained.
In less than a mile, the route rounds a bend over Carroll Canyon where see-forever looks stretch to the northwest and the elongated profile of the Bradshaw Mountains rises above more classic Sedona landforms, including the Cockscomb and the Pyramid.
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See Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and more from Airport Mesa
This penultimate scene sets the stage for the main attraction — an up-close encounter with Airport Mesa. The high-elevation, non-towered airport (KSEZ) sits at 4,830 feet and opened in 1955. Its 5,130-foot-long runways and 50-square-foot helipad serve small aircraft, executive jets and air tour services.
The compact site is busiest on the weekends, hosting about 96 daily aviation operations. The best chance of being buzzed happens on the Table Top Trail that peels off the loop's southwest side. The 0.4-mile side trip ascends an ancillary mesa that juts out below the end of the airport runway.
Along with the intermittent air shows, the trail offers views of Courthouse Rock, Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock, which hovers above the winding course of Oak Creek.
Yucca, agave and prickly pear cactus line the path as it works its way toward the nose of the isolated land jetty. A slim footpath circles the scenic lookout point serving up some of the most spectacular 360-degree visual overviews of Sedona that do not require a long, difficult trek to attain.
The loop then continues along the southeast flanks of Airport Mesa for more deep looks at Oak Creek and juniper-fleeced canyonlands before circling back to the start point along Sedona's urban-forest interface.
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Sedona hike: Table Top/Airport Mesa loop
Length: 5.1 miles.
Rating: Moderate.
Elevation: 4,317-4,719 feet.
Getting there: Sunset Park, 655 Sunset Drive, Sedona. From the State Route 179/89A traffic circle in Sedona, go 1.9 miles west on 89A (toward Cottonwood) to Sunset Drive. Turn left and continue less than a mile to Sunset Park on the right. Hike begins at the Lollipop Trail near the first parking spaces. Park hours are dawn to dusk daily. No fees.
Details: Coconino National Forest, https://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/coconino/recarea/?recid=71905.
Read more of Mare Czinar's hikes at http://arizonahiking.blogspot.com.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Sedona hike: Airport Mesa loop shows off Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock
