Vultee Arch Trail: Sedona's No-Pass Arch Hike

3.4 miles round trip, moderate, 534 feet of gain via FR-152 at the end of Dry Creek Road. No Red Rock Pass required at this trailhead — one of the few fee exceptions in Sedona. A sandstone arch named for Gerard Vultee, who died with his wife Sylvia in a 1938 plane crash above Sterling Canyon.

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

Trail Stats

  • Distance3.4 mi RT
  • DifficultyModerate
  • Elevation Gain534 ft
  • Trail TypeOut-and-back
  • Parking~15 spots, end of FR-152
  • Pass RequiredNo — fee exception at FR-152 trailhead
  • TrailheadEnd of FR-152 (Dry Creek Rd), past Sterling Pass jct
  • Time1.5–2.5 hours
The Lowdown Verdict: Vultee Arch is an underrated arch hike in the Sedona area — shorter than Devil's Bridge, no Red Rock Pass fee, and significantly less crowded, though the Forest Service rates it moderate rather than easy (534 ft of gain over 3.4 miles). The catch is the access: FR-152 is a rough dirt road that the Forest Service says is not recommended, and may be closed, in wet weather; high-clearance is recommended, especially after monsoons. The 15-car lot at the end of the road self-limits crowds. The trail follows Sterling Canyon, gradual and shaded in the lower section, before opening onto slickrock for the final 0.2 miles. The arch is not visible until you look up and right on the unmarked slickrock — look for the gap in the upper sandstone wall. Named for Gerard Vultee, who died with his wife Sylvia in a 1938 plane crash near East Picket Mesa, above. Pairs naturally with Sterling Pass Trail, which shares the same FR-152 access corridor.

Trailhead Access: Driving FR-152 to the End

Vultee Arch trailhead sits at the end of FR-152, also known as Dry Creek Road, in northwest Sedona. From the AZ-89A and Dry Creek Road intersection, head north on Dry Creek Road. The first 2 miles are maintained graded dirt suitable for standard passenger cars in dry conditions. Past mile 2, the road roughens considerably. Monsoon season (July through September) can leave washouts, ruts, and soft sandy sections between miles 2 and 5. High-clearance vehicles are recommended from mile 2 onward year-round and are essential after any recent heavy rain.

The Sterling Pass trailhead junction appears on the left side of FR-152 at approximately mile 3.5. Continue past it for the Vultee Arch trailhead at the end of the road, roughly mile 5. The final lot holds approximately 15 vehicles. There is no overflow parking. The lot does not require a Red Rock Pass — a notable exception among Sedona hikes. This means no fee kiosk and no $5/day charge. The pass-free status, combined with the 15-car lot cap, makes this the most crowd-limited arch experience in the area.

The adjacent Sterling Pass Trail shares the FR-152 corridor but has its own trailhead 1.5 miles before the Vultee Arch lot. Both trails can be accessed in the same drive. The Sterling Pass lot is slightly larger (roughly 20 spots) and also lacks a pass requirement at this access point, though conditions vary seasonally.

The Trail: Sterling Canyon to the Unmarked Slickrock Finish

From the trailhead, the Vultee Arch Trail enters Sterling Canyon immediately and follows the canyon floor upstream. The canyon provides intermittent shade from cottonwood and Arizona sycamore, making this one of the cooler hikes in the area during summer mornings. The grade is gradual throughout the main canyon section — this is the gentler part of the trail's overall moderate rating. Trail surface is primarily sandy, with some rocky sections near the canyon walls.

At approximately 1.5 miles, the canyon narrows and the trail begins climbing more steeply toward the upper canyon wall. The signed trail effectively ends where the canyon opens onto bare slickrock. The final 0.2 miles is completely unmarked. Hikers must navigate on their own to the arch. The key navigation cue: when you reach open slickrock, stop and look up and to the right (east-northeast). The arch is at elevation — approximately 100 feet above you — and spans a gap in the upper sandstone wall. It is clearly visible once you stop looking straight ahead and look up.

The arch itself is a substantial natural sandstone span — larger than it appears from the base of the slickrock approach (its exact dimensions are not published on the official Coconino National Forest trail page; treat any specific footage as a field estimate, not an official figure). Most hikers scramble up to the base of the arch for a closer view but do not climb onto it. The return follows the same canyon route back to the trailhead. Because the canyon provides shade in the morning and the trail is relatively short, Vultee Arch is more heat-tolerant than most Sedona hikes, though midday in July remains inadvisable.

Trail Breakdown: Mile by Mile

0.0–0.5 mi

Trailhead to Sterling Canyon Entry

Sandy, flat trail entering Sterling Canyon from the lot. Cottonwood and sycamore provide shade. Gradual grade. Canyon walls rise on both sides. Pleasant, uncrowded start.

0.5–1.3 mi

Canyon Floor — Main Route

Trail continues up canyon floor. Sandy path with occasional rocky steps. Seasonal water flow possible after rains. The canyon narrows progressively. Most of the trail's moderate rating comes from the terrain here and the final slickrock section: gentle and well-defined for now.

1.3–1.5 mi

Steepening — Approach to Slickrock

Grade increases. Canyon opens slightly. Trail surface transitions from sand to rocky. Signed trail route ends where the canyon meets open sandstone. This is where route-finding begins.

1.5–1.7 mi

Unmarked Slickrock — Look Up and Right

No trail signs. No cairns. Navigate on open slickrock to the base of the arch. Stop and look up and right (east-northeast) for the arch gap in the upper canyon wall. Scramble to the base for close views. Return the same way.

History: Gerard Vultee and the 1938 Crash

The arch takes its name from Gerard Vultee, an American aircraft designer of the 1930s and co-founder of Vultee Aircraft, who had previously worked at Lockheed. On January 29, 1938, Vultee and his wife Sylvia were killed when their aircraft flew into a snowstorm and crashed near East Picket Mesa, the mesa directly above Sterling Canyon, per the Coconino National Forest's own trail description. He was in his late 30s.

The crash site is more than a mile north of the arch and at a much higher elevation, and is not reachable from the standard Vultee Arch Trail route. A bronze plaque near the arch, placed by the Forest Service, commemorates the Vultees. It remains the most significant historical marker in the Sterling Canyon corridor today.

The Sterling Pass Trail, which shares the FR-152 access road, climbs to the Sterling Pass saddle above the canyon and approaches the upper mesa area near the crash site (figures for that trail's length and gain were not independently re-verified in this update). It does not lead to the crash site itself, but provides context for the elevation and terrain Vultee's aircraft encountered. The Boynton Canyon Trail is the other major west Sedona corridor hike, accessible via a different road from the area.

Guided Hiking Tours Near Sterling Canyon

Viator lists guided hiking tours operating in northwest Sedona and the Dry Creek Road corridor. A local guide familiar with Vultee Arch can provide the historical context of the Vultee plane crash, navigate the unmarked slickrock to the arch, and identify the geological sequence of the Sterling Canyon walls. Most northwest Sedona guided tours also cover nearby Boynton Canyon and Fay Canyon options in the same half-day window.

Find Sedona Hiking Tours on Viator →

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Editorial note: Visited April 2026 by The Lowdown Guide editorial team. FR-152 road condition assessment (high-clearance past mile 2) is a field observation; the official Coconino National Forest guidance is more general (rough road, high-clearance recommended, may be closed in wet weather). Lot capacity (~15 vehicles) confirmed on-site; pass-free status is longstanding but not explicitly re-confirmed on the current fs.usda.gov trail page in this update. Elevation gain (534 ft) and trailhead elevation (4,802 ft) corrected 2026-08 against the official Coconino National Forest Vultee Arch Trail No. 22 page, which also gives the crash-site location as "East Picket Mesa" rather than "East Pocket" and does not publish arch dimensions. Difficulty updated to "moderate" to match the official rating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a Red Rock Pass for Vultee Arch Trail? +
No Red Rock Pass is required at the Vultee Arch trailhead on FR-152, per longstanding Coconino National Forest fee-site guidance. This is a notable exception among Sedona hikes, most of which require a Red Rock Pass ($5/day). The FR-152 trailhead at the end of Dry Creek Road sits outside the standard Red Rock fee zone, so hikers can park and hike without a pass. However, the road to the trailhead (FR-152, also called Dry Creek Road) is rough dirt, and the Forest Service notes it is not recommended — and may be closed — during wet weather. High-clearance vehicles are recommended, especially after summer monsoon washouts that can leave ruts and soft spots.
Who was Gerard Vultee and why is the arch named after him? +
Gerard Vultee was an American aviation pioneer and aircraft designer, co-founder of Vultee Aircraft, who had previously worked at Lockheed. He and his wife Sylvia died on January 29, 1938, when their aircraft crashed in a snowstorm near East Picket Mesa, above Sterling Canyon, per the Coconino National Forest's own trail description. The arch across the canyon from the memorial plaque was named in his honor. Vultee was in his late 30s at the time of his death. The crash site is more than a mile north of the arch, at a much higher elevation, and is not reached by the standard Vultee Arch trail route.
How do you find Vultee Arch at the end of the trail? +
The final 0.2 miles to Vultee Arch is on unmarked slickrock. When the main trail through Sterling Canyon begins to open onto open rock, look up and to the right (east-northeast) for the arch. It spans a gap in the upper sandstone wall of the canyon; exact dimensions are not published on the official Coconino National Forest trail page, so treat any specific footage you see elsewhere as an estimate. There are no trail signs pointing to the arch and the standard trail ends at the base of the slickrock. Most hikers who miss it are looking straight ahead instead of up and right. The arch is clearly visible once you know to look for it at elevation.
Is FR-152 suitable for standard passenger cars? +
The Coconino National Forest describes FR-152 (Dry Creek Road) as rough, with high-clearance vehicles recommended; the road is not recommended, and may be closed, during wet weather. Lower sections tend to be graded dirt passable to standard passenger cars in dry conditions, but the road roughens further in, and summer monsoons (July through September) can leave ruts and soft sandy sections. The drive to the Vultee Arch trailhead should not be attempted in a low-clearance sedan after wet weather. Check recent trip reports before driving the full length in summer.
What trails are near Vultee Arch and can you combine them? +
Sterling Pass Trail shares the FR-152 access road with Vultee Arch and branches off before the end of the road at the Sterling Pass trailhead. Combining Sterling Pass (approximately 4.6 miles RT, hard, roughly 1,100 ft gain — figures not independently re-verified in this update) with Vultee Arch (3.4 miles RT, moderate, 534 ft gain per Coconino National Forest data) in one day is possible but results in a strenuous, high-mileage day. Most hikers choose one or the other. Boynton Canyon Trail and Loy Canyon Trail are nearby west Sedona options reached via different access roads that complement Vultee Arch as a second day in the corridor.