Trail Stats
- Distance1.8 mi RT
- DifficultyEasy
- Elevation Gain~80 ft
- Trail TypeOut-and-back
- Parking~40 spots, free city park, rarely fills
- Pass RequiredNo - city park, no Red Rock Pass
- TrailheadPosse Grounds Park, West Sedona
- Trail UseHikers, Dogs on Leash, Jogging Strollers
- Not a scenic destination trail. Old Post Trail does not deliver dramatic red rock formation views like Devil's Bridge, Cathedral Rock, or Bell Rock. The terrain is open scrubby desert with views of the surrounding West Sedona neighborhood and distant buttes. It is a neighborhood walking trail, not a vista trail. Visitors who have driven to Sedona for the red rock scenery will want one of the destination trailheads.
- Not suitable for standard strollers. Jogging strollers and all-terrain strollers work well. A standard city umbrella stroller or small-wheeled stroller will struggle on the unpaved packed-dirt surface, particularly at the dirt-cinder transition sections. Check your stroller type before choosing this trail as a stroller route.
- Not a summit or overlook trail. The elevation gain is approximately 80 feet. There is no summit, ridge, or overlook. The trail ends at the Carroll Canyon junction, which is itself a flat canyon bottom. This is a nature walk, not a viewpoint hike.
- Not isolated from neighborhood sounds. The first quarter mile of the trail runs adjacent to the Posse Grounds Park recreational area and residential West Sedona. The urban edge is audible. The trail becomes quieter past the 0.4-mile mark as it enters the desert scrub corridor, but it is never truly backcountry.
Trailhead and Parking: Posse Grounds Park
Old Post Trail begins at Posse Grounds Park, located on Posse Ground Road in West Sedona. From SR-89A in West Sedona, turn north onto Posse Ground Road approximately 1.5 miles west of the Sedona Y junction. The park entrance is approximately 0.3 miles north of SR-89A. The paved city park lot holds approximately 40 vehicles. No fee. No Red Rock Pass. No reservation. This is a Sedona city park operated by the City of Sedona Parks and Recreation department, entirely separate from the Coconino National Forest fee system that governs most Sedona trailheads.
The parking lot is almost never full. On summer weekday mornings and fall weekday afternoons, the lot typically holds 5 to 10 vehicles at most. On peak spring and fall weekends, the lot may fill to capacity on busy afternoons when the park's softball fields, dog park, and tennis courts are all in use simultaneously -- but this is rare before 10 AM. The adjacent off-leash dog park draws consistent local traffic throughout the day; dog park visitors and trail hikers share the same lot. Restrooms are available in the park building adjacent to the lot. Water is available at the park.
Old Post Trail departs from the northwest corner of the Posse Grounds Park lot at a signed trailhead. The trail is clearly marked and immediately recognizable as a natural dirt surface departing the paved park. For visitors who want to extend the outing to a more challenging West Sedona trail, Thunder Mountain Trail departs from a separate trailhead approximately 1 mile west on SR-89A and gains 1,200 feet to the Thunder Mountain summit. For permit logistics on other Sedona trails, see the Sedona hiking permits and passes guide.
Who This Trail Is For: The West Sedona Local Pick
Old Post Trail occupies a specific niche in the Sedona trail ecosystem that most visitor guides ignore: the in-town trail for people who are not destination hikers. This means visitors staying at West Sedona hotels who want a 45-minute walk before breakfast without driving to a crowded trailhead. It means families with children under age 6 who need a flat, wide, forgiving surface. It means elderly hikers or visitors with mobility limitations who want to experience Sedona's desert environment without steep grades or technical terrain. It means dog owners who want a trail walk plus off-leash play in one stop.
The crowd profile on Old Post Trail is almost entirely local. On weekday mornings you will encounter West Sedona residents with dogs, occasional joggers, and retired couples taking their morning constitutional. The tourist density is dramatically lower than any national forest trailhead in the Red Rock District. There are no tour groups, no shuttle buses, and no permit kiosks. The vibe is neighborhood park, not national park. For visitors who have experienced Sedona's most crowded trailheads and found them stressful, Old Post Trail is a deliberate step back into a quieter hiking experience.
Check current Sedona trail conditions after rain events -- the packed cinder sections near the Carroll Canyon junction can become muddy after significant rainfall and are best left 24 hours to dry. The rest of the trail drains quickly and is typically hikeable within a few hours of light rain.
Trail Breakdown: Mile by Mile
Posse Grounds Park to Desert Edge
The trail departs the park's northwest corner on a wide packed-dirt path, passing the perimeter of the off-leash dog park fence line. The surface is firm and even. Views of West Sedona neighborhood and distant Thunder Mountain open to the north. Grade is essentially flat. The trail transitions from the park edge into open desert scrub at approximately 0.2 miles.
Open Desert Scrub Corridor
The trail widens through open desert scrub with scattered juniper and pinyon. The surface alternates between packed dirt and volcanic cinder. The only appreciable elevation gain on the trail (approximately 60 feet) occurs in this section on a broad gentle rise. Views extend north toward Thunder Mountain and west toward Coffee Pot Rock. The trail is well-signed at the two junction points in this section.
Anasazi Ridge Junction
Old Post Trail meets the Anasazi Ridge Trail junction at approximately mile 0.5 to 0.6. Anasazi Ridge Trail branches north toward the ridge for hikers wanting more elevation and views. Old Post Trail continues west on flat terrain. The junction is signed. The cinder surface becomes more prominent past this point and provides a slightly softer walking surface than the compacted dirt section.
Carroll Canyon Junction
Old Post Trail reaches the Carroll Canyon Trail junction at approximately mile 0.9, which is the standard turnaround point for the 1.8-mile out-and-back. Carroll Canyon Trail continues west into the canyon drainage for hikers extending the route. The junction is signed and has a flat sandy rest area. This section runs along the edge of the Carroll Canyon rim with the canyon visible to the north below the trail level.
Return to Posse Grounds Park
Return east on Old Post Trail to the Posse Grounds Park trailhead. The return is largely downhill across the gentle 80-foot gain made on the outbound leg. Total round trip from the park lot: approximately 1.8 miles in 45 to 60 minutes at a relaxed pace. The off-leash dog park is directly accessible from the trailhead parking for dogs.
Best Season and Nearby Trails
Old Post Trail is one of the best summer hiking options in Sedona precisely because it has minimal slickrock -- the packed dirt and cinder surface does not retain heat the way exposed red sandstone does. Summer hiking before 8 AM is comfortable even in June and July, which is unusual for Sedona trails. The open desert scrub provides little shade, but the flat grade means you can walk fast enough to finish before the heat builds. Winter is also excellent; the low elevation and south-facing aspects keep the trail dry and walkable year-round with no ice concerns except after rare winter storms.
The West Sedona trail network that Old Post connects to offers natural progression options as hikers develop confidence. Carroll Canyon Trail adds approximately 2 miles of canyon-bottom hiking to the west with more shade and slightly more dramatic terrain. Sugarloaf Loop Trail is a 1.4-mile loop from Jordan Road that climbs Sugarloaf Mesa for West Sedona panoramic views -- the first step up in difficulty from Old Post. Thunder Mountain Trail is the hard option in the West Sedona family, gaining 1,200 feet to the mesa rim for views across the entire Sedona basin.
For families combining the trail with other West Sedona activities, the area near Posse Grounds Park has several amenities: the park itself has softball fields, tennis courts, a playground, and the dog park. The SR-89A corridor through West Sedona has coffee shops, grocery stores, and casual restaurants within 0.5 miles of the park entrance -- making Old Post Trail the easiest Sedona hiking morning for families who want breakfast immediately after. For a Sedona overview trip, see the Red Rock Scenic Drive audio tour.
Family-Friendly Sedona Tours
If you want a guided Sedona experience for families or visitors who prefer not to navigate trails independently, Viator lists family-friendly jeep tours, guided nature walks, and evening programs that complement a morning on Old Post Trail. Many operators specialize in groups with children or seniors.
Find Family Sedona Tours on Viator →Affiliate link -- we earn a small commission at no cost to you.
Editorial note: Trail researched Spring 2026 by The Lowdown Guide editorial team. Posse Grounds Park lot capacity (~40 vehicles) confirmed on-site. City park / no-Red-Rock-Pass status verified against City of Sedona Parks and Recreation public records. Jogging stroller suitability assessed via field observation of surface conditions. Carroll Canyon and Anasazi Ridge junction distances field-verified. Crowd and use patterns (predominantly local dog walkers) confirmed via weekday and weekend site visits.