Sedona, Arizona · Devil’s Bridge · Part 7 of a Sedona Series
Devil’s Bridge is the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area, and if you’ve seen photos of it online you’ve probably also seen the crowds that come with it. Early in the week my wife and I decided we wanted to experience it a little differently. That meant arriving at the trailhead about an hour before sunrise and hiking in by headlamp.
It’s a strange but memorable way to start a hike. The beam from the headlamp only lights a few feet of trail at a time, and the shapes of the red rocks appear and disappear at the edges of the light. The air was cool and the desert was quiet in a way it rarely is once the day gets going.
We reached the arch just as the sky started shifting from black to deep blue, and for a little while we had the entire place to ourselves.
Sunrise on the Bridge
Standing out on the bridge as the sun came up is something we won’t forget. The sky that morning was incredible—soft pink and purple light spreading across the horizon, the kind of colors that make you check your camera white balance just to make sure it’s real.
The arch stretches across a wide drop into the canyon below. With open air on both sides and that early light hitting the surrounding rock walls, it’s hard not to notice just how big the landscape feels out there.
Not long after we arrived, the first hikers started coming up the trail. There’s a bit of an unspoken system at Devil’s Bridge—once people reach the arch, everyone takes turns photographing each other standing out on the span. Since I hadn’t brought a tripod, we waited for a couple of hikers to arrive so we could trade photos. My wife and I both wanted a shot together out on the bridge.
Getting there early made all the difference. Later in the day a line forms for that same photo, and depending on when you arrive it can stretch to two hours or more.
My wife, who had already powered through the Cathedral Rock scramble earlier in the week, stepped right out toward the edge without much hesitation this time.
On the hike back down we passed a jeep slowly working its way up Dry Creek Road. The rough track that can cut the hike nearly in half if you’ve got the right vehicle. We had started from the Mescal Trailhead instead, which meant a longer walk, but in the quiet of the morning the extra distance felt like part of the experience.
By the time we reached the trailhead, a steady stream of hikers was already heading toward the arch. The early start had definitely paid off.
Next in the series: From Sedona to the Grand Canyon — A Day Trip to the South Rim
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