Cow Pies Trail: Sedona's Secret Sunrise Mesa with Vortex Views

1.6-mile round trip, easy, free Schnebly Hill Road pullout (~10 spots, no pass). Rounded sandstone formations across a mesa top with unobstructed sunrise views to Cathedral Rock and Munds Mountain. Gate closes November through March.

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

Trail Stats

  • Distance~1.6 mi RT
  • DifficultyEasy
  • Elevation Gain~100 ft (mesa-top walking)
  • Trail TypeOut and back / mesa wander
  • ParkingFree pullout ~10 spots, Schnebly Hill Rd ~3 mi up
  • Pass RequiredNo (free dispersed access)
  • Road Access4WD/high-clearance recommended; gated Nov-Mar
  • Best TimingSunrise, Apr-Oct (when gate open)
The Lowdown Verdict: Cow Pies Trail is Sedona's best-kept sunrise secret for travelers who know how to handle an unpaved road. The rounded sandstone formations scattered across the mesa top are genuinely photogenic, and the eastward orientation delivers an unobstructed sunrise view across to Cathedral Rock and Munds Mountain that you simply cannot get from any trailhead closer to town. The catch is Schnebly Hill Road: 4WD or high-clearance required when open, gated entirely from November through March. If you have the right vehicle and want a sunrise hike with zero crowds and no pass fee, this is the call. For the broader Schnebly Hill Road corridor, the Schnebly Hill Road Viewpoint guide covers the full drive experience and other stops along the route.
What Cow Pies Trail Is Not:
  • Not a sedan-accessible trailhead. Schnebly Hill Road unpaved section is rocky, rutted, and requires 4WD or high-clearance. Standard two-wheel drive sedans and low-clearance vehicles risk undercarriage damage. Rental car agreements typically prohibit unpaved roads.
  • Not open year-round. The Schnebly Hill Road gate closes in late October or November and reopens April or later depending on road conditions and precipitation. When gated, the trailhead is inaccessible by vehicle. Confirm gate status with the Coconino National Forest before visiting between October and May.
  • Not a trail with formal infrastructure. There is no signed trailhead, no vault toilet, no trail kiosk, and no formal trail tread in the traditional sense. The route is a mesa wander among dispersed sandstone formations. Navigation is by landmark and general direction rather than a maintained path.
  • Not a destination for afternoon hiking in summer. The mesa top is fully exposed with no shade. Summer afternoon temperatures on the dark red rock surface can be extreme. Go at sunrise or not at all from June through August.

Trailhead Access: Schnebly Hill Road

To reach Cow Pies Trail, take AZ-179 to the Schnebly Hill Road junction in downtown Sedona (the road cuts east off AZ-179 just north of the bridge). The first 0.5 miles of Schnebly Hill Road are paved. At 0.5 miles, the pavement ends and the gate is located -- this gate is locked November through March. When open, continue on the unpaved road approximately 3 miles to the Cow Pies pullout, which appears on the left side of the road. The pullout holds roughly 10 vehicles in a dispersed dirt area. There is no sign, no fee, and no Red Rock Pass required.

The road surface between the gate and the pullout is rocky and uneven. A standard 4WD truck or SUV with high clearance handles it without difficulty. The drive takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes from the gate. Do not attempt in a low-clearance vehicle or standard sedan. Most rental car agreements prohibit driving on unpaved forest roads -- check your rental terms before attempting.

When the gate is locked (November through March), parking near the gate and hiking the additional 2.5 miles of road each way adds approximately 5 miles to your total, making it a 6.6-mile round trip instead of 1.6 miles. The road walk is flat and straightforward but significantly changes the commitment level of the outing.

The Trail: Mesa Wander Among Formations

From the pullout, the route heads west and slightly north across open Schnebly Hill sandstone mesa. There is no formal trail tread -- you navigate by walking toward the visible rounded sandstone formations that dot the mesa surface. The formations begin appearing within 0.2 miles of the pullout and become denser as you move onto the mesa top. The walking surface is firm sandstone with patches of sandy soil between rocks.

0-0.3 mi

Pullout to First Formations

Walk west from the pullout across open mesa. The rounded sandstone formations begin appearing. Cathedral Rock and Munds Mountain become visible to the east across the valley. No formal trail -- follow the formations.

0.3-0.8 mi

Main Formation Field

The densest concentration of cow-pie sandstone formations. Walk among them freely -- the surface is solid. Sunrise light from the east catches the red sandstone and the Cathedral Rock silhouette simultaneously. This is the photography destination. The vortex energy of the area is reported to concentrate around the largest grouped formations.

Return

Back to Pullout

Return the same way, keeping Schnebly Hill Road visible to your east as a navigation anchor. The pullout and vehicles will be visible from the mesa top. Total distance depends on how far you wander among formations.

Best Season and Timing

April through October is the only reliable window for Cow Pies Trail given the Schnebly Hill Road gate schedule. Within that window, spring (April through May) delivers the best combination of comfortable temperatures, occasional cloud drama for sunrise photography, and moderate tourist pressure in Sedona overall. The Cow Pies pullout itself sees very few visitors regardless of season -- on most mornings you will have the mesa to yourself entirely.

Sunrise timing is the primary use case for this trail. Arrive at the pullout 45 minutes before sunrise. In spring this means arriving around 5:45 to 6:00 AM. The walk to the formation field takes about 15 minutes, leaving 30 minutes to set up before the Cathedral Rock and Munds Mountain east faces light up. The vortex-adjacent experience is reported to be most intense in the pre-dawn quiet before other hikers arrive -- which at this trailhead means every morning.

Avoid summer afternoons entirely. The mesa top absorbs heat intensely and has no shade whatsoever. If visiting in June through August, complete your walk by 8:00 AM at the latest and be off the exposed mesa before the rock surface begins radiating stored heat.

Gear Recommendations

  • ✓Headlamp for sunrise approach -- the mesa surface is uneven in darkness; a headlamp is essential for pre-dawn arrival
  • ✓Water: 1 liter minimum -- no water source at or near trailhead; even for a short hike, hydration matters on exposed mesa in warm months
  • ✓Trail runners or hiking shoes -- sandstone surface is firm; sandals are workable on dry days but limit traction on sloped rock faces
  • ✓Sunscreen and hat -- zero shade on the mesa top from first light onward
  • ✓Camera or phone -- the formation-plus-Cathedral-Rock sunrise composition is genuinely striking; wide angle performs best on the low scattered formations

Nearby Trails and Related Guides

Cow Pies Trail pairs naturally with the broader Schnebly Hill Road corridor. The Schnebly Hill Road Viewpoint covers additional stops and overlooks along the same road. For other free-access Sedona hikes with no Red Rock Pass required, see the Munds Mountain Trail for a longer and more demanding objective in the same eastern Sedona corridor, or Huckaby Trail for an Oak Creek canyon alternative that also avoids pass fees. For dawn photography in the Cathedral Rock area from the opposite (west) approach, Baldwin Trail via Verde Valley School Road is the complementary pick.

Guided Vortex and Sunrise Tours from Sedona

If you want a guided sunrise vortex experience with a local who knows the formation sites, light angles, and road access conditions, Viator lists Sedona jeep tours and vortex hikes departing from Uptown and West Sedona.

Find Sedona Sunrise Tours on Viator →

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Stay Close to Schnebly Hill Road

For a Cow Pies sunrise hike, staying in uptown or central Sedona puts you 10 minutes from the Schnebly Hill Road junction. Expedia lists Sedona lodging across all price points.

Find Sedona Hotels on Expedia →

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Cow Pies Trail trailhead in Sedona? +
The Cow Pies Trail trailhead is accessed via Schnebly Hill Road off AZ-179 in Sedona. Drive approximately 3 miles up the unpaved section of Schnebly Hill Road to the Cow Pies pullout on the left, which holds roughly 10 vehicles. The pullout is informal with no fee and no Red Rock Pass required. Schnebly Hill Road is gated from approximately November through March; the gate is located at about mile 0.5 from AZ-179. When open April through October, 4WD or high-clearance is strongly recommended for the unpaved section.
Do you need a permit or Red Rock Pass for Cow Pies Trail? +
No permit and no Red Rock Pass are required for Cow Pies Trail. The trailhead is a free dispersed pullout on Schnebly Hill Road. There is no fee kiosk and no host fee station at the pullout. This is one of the few Sedona hikes in the immediate red rock zone with completely free access. The road itself (Schnebly Hill Road unpaved) is open to the public at no charge when the seasonal gate is open, typically April through October.
What are the cow pie formations on Cow Pies Trail? +
The cow pie formations on Cow Pies Trail are rounded, disc-shaped Schnebly Hill sandstone boulders and outcroppings that weathered into shapes resembling flattened cow patties scattered across the mesa surface. They are the result of differential erosion of the Schnebly Hill Formation red sandstone, where softer surrounding material eroded faster than the capped rock surfaces. The formations are walkable and provide natural platforms for sunrise photography with Cathedral Rock and Munds Mountain in the background. They are not a single landmark but dozens of scattered formations spread across the mesa top.
Is Cow Pies Trail good for sunrise? +
Yes, Cow Pies Trail is an excellent sunrise hike. The mesa-top position and eastward orientation give unobstructed views across to Cathedral Rock and Munds Mountain, which catch early morning light on their east faces. The short distance of 1.6 miles round trip means you can reach the formations well before sunrise without an alpine start. The drive up Schnebly Hill Road in the dark requires headlights and care on the unpaved surface. Plan to arrive at the pullout 45 minutes before sunrise to allow time to hike out to the formation area before first light.
When is Schnebly Hill Road open and closed? +
Schnebly Hill Road is gated from approximately November through March each year. The gate is located at about mile 0.5 from the AZ-179 junction. When gated, you can park near the gate and walk the additional 2.5 miles to the Cow Pies pullout, making the total hiking distance approximately 7 miles round trip instead of 1.6 miles. The road is typically open April through October, though opening date varies by year and precipitation. Call the Coconino National Forest Red Rock Ranger District to confirm gate status before visiting between October and April.