EXPLORING THE CANYONS, BUTTES AND OVERLOOKS ON FOOT.

Byline: Eric Noland Travel Editor

SEDONA, Ariz. - Spry visitors who want to set out on foot across the rugged, red-rock terrain of Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon can choose from among 61 trails maintained by the U.S. Forest Service.

Some are flat, short and easy, ideal for stretching the legs after a long car journey - half-mile Allen's Bend, for example. Others are withering - including the Mooney Trail, which is rated strenuous and features a 3,000-foot elevation change on its round trip of 8 1/2 miles.

Trail maps are available at any of four Forest Service visitor centers, which are positioned on each of the three highway routes into the area and also in Uptown Sedona.

We found the hiking information on the maps to be cursory and at times confusing - not the helpful detail common to publications produced by the National Park Service. But staffers at the visitor centers can provide further information. Looking for something that climbs to scenic viewpoints? Traverses a shady canyon? Ascends a sandstone amphitheater along the side of a butte? They'll be able to direct you.

Here are three of the more popular walks in the area:

Boynton Canyon: This trail gradually climbs 2 1/2 miles to the back of a spectacular box canyon. At its conclusion, the trail ascends a natural staircase to a broad rock bench. This affords views all around at the spectacularly steep walls of the canyon. The scene is ever-changing but always dramatic, according to the time of day and the angle of the sun's rays.

The trail through the canyon floor is overhung with juniper, pine and manzanita, making this a particularly popular hike on hot days. In the first mile or so, you'll see red sandstone spires eroded into odd shapes, but you'll also skirt the grounds of the tony Enchantment Resort, an unwelcome intrusion on this nature walk.

The hike is especially popular with international travelers. You'll hear as many British accents on this trail as you'll hear in England's Lake District.

Cathedral Rock: It's a short walk (about a third of a mile) to the sandstone shelf at the base of Cathedral Rock. Bring your camera, because you'll pick up a splendid view of Courthouse Butte to the east. This provides an excellent if unorthodox vantage point at sunset - face away from the sun and watch its low rays light up the buttes as if with a spotlight. You'll then have to stumble only a short distance in the gathering darkness back to your car.

A trail marked with little towers of stones leads up to a Cathedral Rock saddle. The rough sandstone provides good traction, although you might suffer a few pangs of vertigo on the return scramble.

Bell Rock: This wide trail encircles Bell Rock, a distinctive butte at the southern reaches of the Sedona area. The 3 1/2-mile loop is good for some exercise and fresh air, but it won't appeal to visitors seeking wilderness.

The trail head is right along Highway 179, the main road into Sedona from the south (and the main link for Phoenix and its hordes). Much of the loop is within sight - and, thus, earshot - of the highway. Also, the newer housing developments of the Village of Oak Creek, the community just south of the Bell Rock, sprawl uncomfortably close to the butte and the trail. Our walk was accompanied by the beep, beep, beep of construction equipment in reverse gear, and was called to an early halt as a result.

The site is incredibly beautiful, with views of towering red spires and cream-colored sandstone bluffs dotted with evergreens. It just has the feel of the Grand Canyon's South Rim on a Fourth of July weekend.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Several stunning red-rock vistas await hikers along the first mile or so of Boynton Canyon Trail.

(2) Magnificent Cathedral Rock, accessible via a short trail, is a popular spot for taking in sunsets.

Eric Noland/Travel Editor