Courthouse Butte Loop: Best Easy Full Loop in Sedona

By The Lowdown Guide Editorial Team · Visited April 2026 · Updated May 2026

Trailhead and Parking: Bell Rock Pathway South Lot

Courthouse Butte Loop starts from the Bell Rock Pathway South Lot on AZ-179 in the Village of Oak Creek, approximately 6 miles south of Sedona proper. The lot is on the east side of AZ-179, just south of the Y-junction where Bell Rock Boulevard meets the highway. With approximately 80 parking spaces, it is one of the largest Forest Service trailhead lots in the Sedona area — significantly bigger than most, which means it is also the target for a larger number of hikers. On spring and fall weekends, it fills between 9 and 9:30 AM. Arriving by 8:30 AM gives you a strong chance of a spot without waiting.

A Red Rock Pass is required: $5 per day or $80 per year (America the Beautiful interagency annual pass). Pay at the automated fee station at the lot entrance. The pass covers all Red Rock fee sites in the Coconino National Forest for the day, so if you plan to visit multiple trailheads, the daily rate is per vehicle, not per stop. Courthouse Butte Loop shares this lot with Bell Rock Trail, so parking competition is high on any warm weekend morning.

The loop begins at the south end of the Bell Rock Pathway — a wide, well-signed paved path heading north from the lot along the west side of the formations. Follow the pathway north for approximately 0.3 miles until the signed junction for the Courthouse Butte Loop branches east. For counterclockwise routing (south side first, east side past Spaceship Rock, return along the Bell Rock Pathway), turn right at the junction and begin the south approach.

The Back Side: Cairns, Slickrock, and the Disappearing Highway

The front (west) side of the loop, along the Bell Rock Pathway, is well-signed and straightforward. The back side is a different experience. From the south end of the butte, the trail curves east and north around Courthouse Butte's base, crossing terrain that is mostly unmarked sand and open slickrock with cairns indicating the correct route. There are no trail signs on the east side. Hikers unfamiliar with the loop should watch cairns carefully, particularly on the open slickrock sections between miles 1.0 and 2.5.

One of the most notable sensory details of the back side: the sound of AZ-179 traffic disappears completely once you round the east face of Courthouse Butte. The formation acts as a natural sound barrier. Hikers who have just come from the busy Bell Rock Pathway area consistently report surprise at the quiet on the east side. This is partly what makes the back-side experience distinctive — you are still 4 miles from Sedona town, but the landscape reads as genuinely remote.

Spaceship Rock is the informal name for a distinctive sandstone feature at roughly mile 2.0 of the counterclockwise loop, on the east face of the butte. The formation's unusual aerodynamic silhouette is recognizable and widely used as a photo stop and halfway landmark. Most hikers who have done the loop before know to wait for it as confirmation they are on the right route. After Spaceship Rock, the trail crosses Big Park slickrock heading northwest before connecting back to the Bell Rock Pathway for the return south to the lot.

Trail Breakdown: Mile by Mile (Counterclockwise)

Pairing with Bell Rock and the Vortex Experience

Courthouse Butte Loop and Bell Rock Trail share the same trailhead complex and are the natural pairing for a first-time Sedona hiking day. Do Courthouse Butte Loop first (4.2 miles, easy) while energy is highest, then drive 0.3 miles north to the Bell Rock Pathway North Lot for the Bell Rock base circuit. The two together cover 5 to 6 miles with less than 400 feet of combined elevation change. For most intermediate hikers, this is a 3 to 4-hour morning.

For a longer extension, Templeton Trail connects northwest from the Bell Rock area toward Cathedral Rock, adding up to 5.6 miles more for hikers who want a full-day route. Combine Courthouse Butte Loop, Bell Rock, and Templeton for an 8 to 10-mile day covering more of Sedona's most iconic terrain than almost any other single-day route in the region.

Shade disappears after the first mile of Courthouse Butte Loop in any direction. From May through September, start before 8 AM. Carry at least 2 liters of water for the loop alone. Afternoon temperatures on exposed slickrock in June through August regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit at surface level. See our passes guide for Red Rock Pass details and current fee information.