Devil's Bridge Trail
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4.7(482)yelp
HikingRock FormationMust-See
Overview
The Devil's Path is a hiking trail in the Greene County section of the Catskill Mountains of New York, sometimes described as one of the more challenging trails in the New York Tri-state area. It goes across the eponymous mountain range and then three other peaks to the west, offering hikers and peakbaggers a chance to reach the summits of five of the 35 Catskill High Peaks (two more are reachable by detours). It draws hikers from not just the region but far outside, due to the challenging climbs straight up and down the steep gaps between the four peaks of the range, which often require hikers to use hands as well as feet to pull themselves almost straight up cliffs and through rocky chutes.
Practical Info
Suggested Duration2.5-4 hours
Best TimeSpring (March–May) and autumn (October–November) are most comfortable. It's highly recommended to arrive at the parking lot and start walking before 6 a.m. or at sunrise, which not only avoids the scorching afternoon sun but also spares you the long photo queue
Getting ThereLocated in the desert heartland of northwestern Sedona. From Thursday to Sunday it's advisable to take the free Sedona Shuttle (Route 14) directly to the Dry Creek transfer point, which completely spares you the pain of finding an official parking spot
Travel Tips
- This is Sedona's most popular ultimate star hike; the endpoint is a giant natural red-sandstone arch masterfully carved by nature, spanning in mid-air over a red-rock valley hundreds of feet high—extremely strong visual impact
- The latter half of the trail includes a very steep 'natural stone staircase' scramble requiring hands and feet, posing some challenge to stamina and fear of heights
- When you reach the bridgehead, because there are so many people taking photos, you usually have to voluntarily queue for over 30 minutes to take turns going onto the bridge for a photo
- If you're driving an ordinary sedan, you can only park at the outer Dry Creek lot, requiring an extra long hike along a bumpy, dusty unpaved 4WD dirt road
- Only a rugged high-clearance 4WD off-roader can drive directly to the real Devil's Bridge trailhead
Reviews
Positive
- The moment you actually stand on Devil's Bridge, surrounded by a 360-degree grand red valley, that suspended, thrilling sensation sends your adrenaline soaring! Everyone was very orderly, and while queuing people even helped take solo/group photos for one another
- The first half is easy to walk; although the last section is a bit steep, the steps are built very steadily. As long as you're not afraid of heights, the natural bridge is actually very wide when you walk onto it—much safer than imagined and very worth the challenge
Heads up
- Its fame is so great that it's over-commercialized and crowded. After finally climbing to the top, to take a photo standing on the bridge I baked under the blazing sun waiting in line for over an hour—the experience was somewhat diminished