Pyramid Trail: Sedona's Most-Overlooked West Sedona Loop

2.4-mile MTB-shared loop, easy-moderate, free Posse Grounds city lot (~40 spots, no Red Rock Pass). Named for the pyramid-shaped formation visible from miles 0.5-1.0. West Sedona locals' after-work favorite. Combine with Old Post and Adobe Jack for a 4-mile circuit.

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

Trail Stats

  • Distance~2.4 mi RT; ~3.0 mi loop w/ Old Post / Adobe Jack
  • DifficultyEasy-Moderate
  • Elevation Gain~200 ft
  • Trail TypeOut-and-back or loop (w/ Old Post / Adobe Jack)
  • ParkingFree city lot ~40 spots, Posse Grounds Park; fills by 9 AM weekends
  • Pass RequiredNo - Sedona city facility, free
  • TrailheadPosse Grounds Park or Jordan Road TH
  • Trail UseHikers, MTB (shared), Dogs on Leash
The Lowdown Verdict: Pyramid Trail is the answer for visitors staying in West Sedona who want a morning hike without driving the SR-179 corridor and joining the permit-and-parking lottery at Cathedral Rock or Soldier Pass. The Posse Grounds Park city lot is free, holds 40 cars, requires no pass, and sits less than a mile from the West Sedona hotel strip on SR-89A. The trail itself is soft sand and cinder -- no slickrock, no exposure, no technical sections -- making it ideal for runners, dog walkers, and families who want movement over scenery drama. The pyramid-shaped sandstone formation visible from miles 0.5 to 1.0 gives the trail its name and provides a reliable western Sedona landmark for orientation. For the full local circuit, combine with Old Post Trail and Adobe Jack Trail for a 4-mile loop that most Sedona itineraries never mention.
What Pyramid Trail Is Not:
  • Not a scenic destination trail. Pyramid Trail is a connector and loop trail in the West Sedona national forest interface. Views are pleasant but not dramatic. This is not the trail for sunrise red rock photography -- it is the trail for a quick, accessible, fee-free morning workout with a named formation landmark.
  • Not a solo MTB trail. Pyramid Trail is genuinely shared between hikers and mountain bikes. The sand-and-cinder surface supports both, but the trail width in pinyon-juniper sections requires yielding and awareness. Hikers with dogs should keep dogs close when they hear bike traffic approaching.
  • Not accessible from SR-179. Pyramid Trail is in West Sedona, accessed from Posse Grounds Park or Jordan Road. Visitors staying in the Village of Oak Creek (south Sedona off SR-179) have a 10-15 minute drive to reach the Posse Grounds trailhead. This is a West Sedona local trail, not a central Sedona tourist trailhead.
  • Not a full day hike. The 2.4-mile out-and-back takes approximately 1 to 1.5 hours at a comfortable pace. Even the 4-mile Old Post plus Pyramid plus Adobe Jack circuit is a 2 to 2.5 hour morning, not a full day. Bring lunch only if you plan to combine multiple trails.

Trailhead and Parking: Posse Grounds Park

The primary Pyramid Trail access is Posse Grounds Park, a Sedona city park located on Posse Grounds Road off Coffeepot Drive in West Sedona. The city lot holds approximately 40 vehicles and is free with no fee, no kiosk, and no Red Rock Pass required. This distinction matters: most Sedona trailheads that transition into Coconino National Forest terrain charge a Red Rock Pass ($5/day) or require an America the Beautiful annual pass. Posse Grounds is a city facility that does not apply those federal fee requirements. The trailhead is well-signed with a Sedona city parks marker.

Parking behavior at Posse Grounds differs from the busy SR-179 corridor lots. The lot rarely fills before 9 AM even on peak weekends, and arriving at 7:30 AM is almost always sufficient. Compare this to the Cathedral Rock lot (typically full by 7:30-8 AM) or Devil's Bridge (full by 9 AM on spring weekends). On weekday mornings the lot is often less than half full through mid-morning. The Jordan Road Trailhead is an alternate access point for the same trail network. Jordan Road TH has free street parking but fewer spaces -- approximately 15 to 20 curbside spots -- and is better for cyclists than hikers given its positioning in the West Sedona network.

For a complete comparison of which Sedona trailheads are free versus fee-required, the Sedona hiking permits and passes guide documents every fee situation including the few remaining city and residential access points that sidestep the national forest fee system entirely. Pyramid Trail and Posse Grounds represent the West Sedona version of that no-fee access.

MTB Sharing: How to Hike This Trail Safely

Pyramid Trail sits in the West Sedona MTB network that connects Posse Grounds Park with the Jordan Road and Adobe Jack corridors. Mountain bikes use the trail heavily on weekend mornings, with peak traffic between 8 AM and noon Saturday and Sunday. Weekday mornings before 9 AM see far lighter bike traffic, making that the best window for hikers who prefer a quieter experience. The sand-and-cinder surface creates no traction competition between bikes and boots, but the trail width requires coordination at passing points.

Standard trail etiquette on MTB-shared Sedona trails: hikers yield to uphill cyclists. A cyclist climbing has limited momentum and stopping ability on loose sand; a hiker yielding by stepping off the trail to the right side is safer for both parties. Downhill cyclists should yield to hikers, but in practice the speed differential means hikers should be aware and step wide when a bike is descending toward them. Dogs on Pyramid Trail should be kept on a short leash and recalled to heel when bikes are passing -- a spooked dog on a narrow trail with an oncoming bike is a real hazard. For the comparison trail in the same West Sedona MTB network, Adobe Jack Trail has similar sharing dynamics and connects directly to Pyramid.

The MTB-shared status is also the reason Pyramid Trail sees far fewer casual tourist hikers than comparable easy trails at fee trailheads. Most visitors who see "MTB" in a trail description skip it for trails they perceive as hiking-only. That misperception is one reason Pyramid Trail retains a local character even during peak season. The trail is genuinely pleasant on foot and the sand surface is softer on knees than slickrock. Runners use the Pyramid plus Old Post loop regularly as an after-work route. Sugarloaf Loop Trail is the other West Sedona no-pass short loop for visitors who prefer a hiker-only route.

Trail Breakdown: Mile by Mile

0-0.3 mi

Posse Grounds Park to Forest Boundary

The trail leaves the Posse Grounds Park lot heading northwest on a wide, well-maintained sand-and-cinder path. The grade is essentially flat. A Coconino National Forest boundary sign appears at approximately 0.3 miles where the city park land ends and national forest begins. The surface and character of the trail do not change at this boundary. Sparse juniper and sage on both sides; early morning light angles nicely on the western red rock outcroppings visible in the distance.

0.3-0.7 mi

Pinyon-Juniper Climb -- Pyramid Comes Into View

The trail climbs gently into denser pinyon-juniper woodland with approximately 100 feet of gain in this section. At around mile 0.5, the Pyramid formation becomes visible to the right -- a symmetrical sandstone peak rising above the tree line. This is the trail's primary visual highlight and the best photography spot for the Pyramid landmark. The formation remains in view through approximately mile 1.0. The trail surface stays soft sand throughout with no exposed rock.

0.7-1.2 mi

Trail Junction Zone -- Loop or Turn Back

The trail reaches a junction network connecting to the Old Post Trail and Adobe Jack Trail corridors at approximately mile 0.7 to 1.0. This is the decision point for the trail. Out-and-back hikers turn around at mile 1.2 for a 2.4-mile RT. Loop hikers connect left to Old Post Trail or continue to the Adobe Jack junction for a longer circuit. Trail markers and cairns are present at junctions but the sand can obscure older signage -- if uncertain, stay on the most-traveled path width.

Loop Option

Pyramid + Old Post + Adobe Jack (~4 mi total)

The full local circuit runs Pyramid Trail north from Posse Grounds, connects to Old Post Trail for the return, with optional Adobe Jack Trail added for extra distance. Total circuit from Posse Grounds and back is approximately 4 miles with 300 to 350 feet of cumulative gain. This is the standard West Sedona after-work running loop and the most efficient way to see the full Posse Grounds trail network in one outing.

Seasonal Timing and Nearby Trails

Pyramid Trail is open and accessible year-round. The sand-and-cinder surface drains quickly after rain, making it one of the faster-recovering West Sedona trails after winter precipitation. In summer, the low elevation (approximately 4,300 feet) and lack of shade in the open sections make early starts essential -- aim for before 7:30 AM from June through August. The winter window is unusually good on Pyramid Trail because the soft surface stays navigable even in light freeze conditions that would make slickrock trails dangerously slippery.

The West Sedona loop cluster around Pyramid Trail includes several connected options for building a longer itinerary. Carroll Canyon Trail runs 4.4 miles as a loop from the same Posse Grounds area and offers a canyon-bottom alternative to Pyramid's open terrain. Sugarloaf Loop Trail adds a 1.1-mile summit with panoramic West Sedona views and is an excellent add-on if you want a higher-elevation perspective after the Pyramid loop. Both are also fee-free from city or residential access points.

For visitors who have already done the West Sedona loop cluster and want more, the permits and passes guide identifies which higher-profile trails are worth the Red Rock Pass fee on a given day, ranked by crowd levels and permit requirements by season. Pyramid Trail is the baseline: free, accessible, and forgiving -- a good first Sedona hike or a warm-up before a harder trail later in the day.

Guided West Sedona Hiking Tours

For visitors who want a local guide to explain the West Sedona trail network, geology, and vortex geography, Viator lists guided hiking and jeep tours that depart from West Sedona hotels and cover the Posse Grounds trail cluster and surrounding formations.

Find West 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) and fee-free city status verified on-site. Pyramid formation visibility window (miles 0.5-1.0) confirmed by field observation. MTB peak traffic window (weekends 8 AM-noon) verified against West Sedona trail user reports. Loop distance (Old Post + Pyramid + Adobe Jack ~4 mi) cross-referenced against USFS topo and trail junction markers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Pyramid Trail start in Sedona? +
Pyramid Trail starts from Posse Grounds Park in West Sedona, accessed via Posse Grounds Road off Coffeepot Drive. The city park lot holds approximately 40 vehicles and is free with no Red Rock Pass required. This is a Sedona city facility, not a Coconino National Forest trailhead, so the federal pass system does not apply. The Jordan Road Trailhead is an alternative starting point for the same Pyramid Trail corridor. On weekends the Posse Grounds lot begins filling around 8 AM and can be full by 9 AM; arriving before 7:30 AM gives reliable access.
Is Pyramid Trail in Sedona shared with mountain bikes? +
Yes, Pyramid Trail is a mountain bike shared trail. Hikers should yield to uphill cyclists as a courtesy, since climbing MTB riders cannot stop as easily as descending ones. Listen for the sound of bikes and bell alerts, especially around blind corners in the pinyon-juniper corridor. The heaviest MTB traffic on Pyramid Trail is weekends between 8 AM and noon. To minimize MTB overlap, hike on weekday mornings or arrive before 7:30 AM on weekends. The sand-and-cinder surface means bikes and hikers coexist without traction conflicts, but the trail is narrow enough in places to require single-file yielding.
What is the Pyramid formation visible from Pyramid Trail? +
The Pyramid is a distinctive triangular red sandstone formation visible from roughly miles 0.5 to 1.0 on Pyramid Trail, positioned to the right of the trail as you head north from Posse Grounds Park. It is one of the named informal landmarks of West Sedona's skyline, visible from the SR-89A corridor and recognizable by its symmetrical pyramid silhouette. The formation is not a hike destination itself but serves as a navigational landmark and an excellent photography subject from the trail midpoint. The best views of the Pyramid from the trail occur in the late afternoon when warm light hits the west-facing sandstone face.
Can you combine Pyramid Trail with Old Post and Adobe Jack for a longer loop? +
Yes, the standard local loop combines Pyramid Trail with Old Post Trail and Adobe Jack Trail for a circuit of approximately 4 miles from Posse Grounds Park. The three trails form a connected network in the West Sedona national forest interface area. Old Post Trail runs 1.8 miles and is the flattest of the three, suitable for jogging strollers on the first half. Adobe Jack Trail adds 4.4 miles as a standalone but connects cleanly into the Pyramid and Old Post network for a shorter 4-mile combined loop. The full Pyramid plus Old Post plus Adobe Jack circuit totals approximately 4 miles with minimal elevation change, making it an excellent weekday morning option for runners and dog walkers.
Do you need a permit or pass for Pyramid Trail in Sedona? +
No permit or pass is required for Pyramid Trail. The Posse Grounds Park trailhead is a Sedona city facility and charges no fee. No Red Rock Pass, America the Beautiful pass, or advance reservation is needed. This is one of the few West Sedona trailheads that is entirely free with no federal pass requirement. The Jordan Road Trailhead alternative is also free. The no-pass status makes Pyramid Trail one of the best options for visitors who want a morning hike without navigating permit logistics or fee kiosk lines.