Dogie Trail

Wildly beautiful and lightly traveled, the Dogie Trail goes through Sycamore Pass and drops into the heart of the Sycamore Canyon Wilderness Area. This is a down-out and up-back trail, more often used by backpackers than by day hikers.
 
 
The name is pronounced “dough-gi” (rhymes with hoagie) and is derived from the ranching history of this area. These days you will not see any cows along this trail, but you can still see evidence of its ranching history.
 
Sycamore Canyon is about as wild as Arizona wilderness gets, so it is home to plenty of animals like black bears, mountain lions, bobcats, coyotes, badgers, javalina, deer, quail and plenty of rattlesnakes.
 
The Dogie Trail connects with the canyon floor above Parson’s Spring, so this section of the wash is normally dry. Day hikers will enjoy exploring the pass itself, which is only a half mile from the parking area.
 
There are numerous caves on both sides of the pass (shown below), some of which contain cliff dwellings. These are off-trail but easy to find and walk to, because the terrain around the top of Sycamore Pass is mostly slickrock. The view from the pass is virtually unspoiled by evidence of human habitation or activity. The photo below was captured looking west toward the pass, with Sycamore Canyon in the background.
 

 
FINDING THE TRAILHEAD

The Dogie Trail is a system trail in the Coconino National Forest, designated as Trail #116. A high clearance vehicle is needed to access this trailhead.
 
From West Sedona take Highway 89A west toward Cottonwoood.
From the last stop light in Sedona (at the High School on Upper Red Rock Loop Rd) it is 5.27 miles to a right turn on Forest Road 525. This dirt road often washboarded, but it can be driven from end to end in a regular passenger car if you go slow enough.
 
GET THE GPS TRACK FOR EVERY TRAIL IN SEDONA INCLUDED WHEN YOU PURCHASE THE WANDERER"S GUIDE! 
 
From turn off the highway it is another 2.72 miles to a left turn on FR 525C. Follow this road for another 8.34 miles to the parking area at the end of the road.
 
The last 2.1 miles is very rough and requires a high clearance vehicle. There are numerous places along 525C where the road crosses a wash, and these are subject to flooding. Do not attempt this drive in the rain.
 

HIKE DETAILS

NOTE: A high clearance vehicle is required to reach this trailhead.

RATED: Difficult due to length and elevation gain/loss. This system trail is well marked and easy to follow. You are hiking down into the second largest canyon in the state of Arizona. The largest, of course, is known as Grand Canyon.

TOTAL DISTANCE
10.8 miles out and back

ELEVATION GAIN
-1250 ft

EST. HIKING TIME
One full day or overnight

BEST TIME TO GO
Sept - May

PET FRIENDLY
Yes. Must be leashed at all times.