From Sugarloaf to Chimney
Are you looking for a flat roughly 2 1/2 mile hike that keeps you close to the heart of West Sedona? If so, you can trek from Sugarloaf to Chimney Rock or vice versa using a combination of the Teacup/Thunder Mountain/Adante trails.
Views of Thunder Mountain greet you as you enter from the Sugarloaf parking area. You want to follow the path to the first signpost junction. Hang a right, and you’re headed toward your destination — but I suggest a side trip up Sugarloaf summit first. It only adds .3 miles to your trek, and it blasts your hamstrings — scaling a mountain is way more fun than hitting the Stairmaster! More importantly, you enjoy spectacular views.
Once you’ve sunned yourself like one of the many Sedona geckos at the top, it’s time to pick your way back down and head to Chimney. The nice thing about this hike is, even if you get turned around in places, it’s hard to get lost. Merely head toward the rock with the flue-like spire at the top, and you’ll eventually reach it.
The hike is as flat as you can find around these parts. If you’re a trail runner or biker, it won’t give you any challenges. You’ll pass a few interesting formations along the way. Sometimes, you pause to photograph a random rock and prickly pear — why not? These cacti are gorgeous any time of year, but especially in the spring, when they come alive with blooms.
As you near the end of your trek, you’ll see Summit Rock approaching. Like Sugarloaf, this mountain is a short heart-pounder that will *switches to infomercial voice* give you that toned, sexy derriere you desire. However, my dinner was calling me, and since I had arrived on foot, I still had to run home. I opted to scale Summit another day. I took one look back at Sugarloaf from where we came and exited the parking area, stage right.
Getting there: Take Highway 89A north from Cottonwood. Turn left on Coffee Pot drive. Turn left at the stop sign at Sanborn Drive. Turn right at the stop sign at Little Elf. Follow the brown hiking signs to the Sugarloaf/Teacup trail parking area.
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