Do you like the sound of a true hidden gem trail that’s short, on the easier end of moderately difficult and leads to two superb viewpoints overlooking Sedona, Arizona? Well, that’s exactly what you’re going to get when you hike Chimney Rock and Little Sugarloaf Loop Trail. We hiked them both for sunrise on our last morning in town and they turned out to be two of our favorite photo spots.
In this guide we show you how to hike Chimney Rock Trail and Little Sugarloaf Trail in Sedona, based on our experiences.
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Our Experience
We’d already spent 7 amazing days exploring Sedona from dawn to dusk, and we decided to end our trip with a sunrise hike to both Chimney Rock and Little Sugarloaf. The trail was relatively unknown which was what made it appealing to us and it turned out to be among our favorite hikes in Sedona.
We parked at Andante Trailhead and summited Chimney Rock just as the sun appeared from behind Airport Mesa. It was a bit of a scramble near the top, but nothing too strenuous. Then we dropped down and climbed back up a short path to summit the much flatter and more open Little Sugarloaf. Both summits are excellent, so try to make it to both if you can. Read more about us.
The Two Peaks
Okay, so what exactly are you hiking to on this trail? Let’s take a quick look at the two red rock formations:
Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock is a distinctive formation that stands out in the skyline, so you’ll no doubt see it from other hikes or viewpoints across Sedona. From close up it looks like three gigantic fingers sticking up into the sky, but from afar it appears like the sail, or fin, of a submarine.
It’s backed closely by a taller red rock cliff wall to the north, which means the view is partially obstructed to one side but the remaining 270 degree views are outstanding. It’s the higher up of the two peaks and it’s the harder summit to reach.
Little Sugarloaf
Little Sugarloaf is nondescript and easy to miss. We’d never heard of it and we didn’t notice it on any other hike in Sedona because it blends in from below. But we always look at trail maps on Google, Gaia and other popular hiking apps to see if we can find hidden spots, and we had a good feeling about this one.
It has a large, flat and open expanse with unobstructed 360-degree views. We’d go as far as saying Little Sugarloaf is one of the must visit photo spots in Sedona. It’s the lower of the two peaks on this hike, and it’s the easier summit to reach.
Trail Map
The Chimney Rock and Little Sugarloaf Loop Trail is shaped like the number 8 but angled slightly to the right as though it’s falling over. Chimney Rock is at the center of the top right loop and Little Sugarloaf is at the center of the bottom left loop.
Now, unless you desperately want to fully explore both loops, we think the best way to tackle this trail is to head straight for Little Sugarloaf from Thunder Mountain Trailhead. Next, hike in a clockwise direction around Chimney Rock, taking the rough spur trail to its summit half way around. Finally, complete the upper loop and return to the trailhead.
Or you could start at Andante Trailhead like we did, starting with Chimney Rock then going down in a counter-clockwise direction to Little Sugarloaf before completing the loop. Either direction is fine, it just depends which of the two peaks you want to summit first. For instance, if you’re hiking for sunrise (which we highly recommend), it’s easier to get to Little Sugarloaf in the dark and it has a more expansive view.
Trail Statistics
- Distance: 2.1 miles roundtrip
- Elevation Gain: 650 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time: 2.5 hours
Note: If either the distance, elevation gain, difficulty or time leaves you feeling unsure, we encourage you to consider an easier variant of this trail by simply hiking straight from Thunder Mountain Trailhead to Little Sugarloaf and back. It’s 1 mile roundtrip with just 150 feet elevation gain.
Trailhead Parking
The two parking areas you can use for this hike are Thunder Mountain Trailhead and Andante Trailhead. Let’s take a look at both:
Thunder Mountain Trailhead
Thunder Mountain Trailhead parking lot is the larger of the two lots with around 20 spaces. It’s closer to Little Sugarloaf, so make sure you use this lot if you only intend to hike up to the lower of the two peaks. We also recommend parking here if you want to reach Little Sugarloaf in time for sunrise, before continuing the loop to Chimney Rock.
- Here’s the Thunder Mountain Trailhead Google Maps location.
Andante Trailhead
Andante Trailhead is much smaller with only 7 spaces. It’s closer to Chimney Rock, so we recommend parking here if you want to summit the higher up of the two peaks first or in time for sunrise. Andante is also further from town, so if you’re not bothered about which lot you end up parking in, try Thunder Mountain first and consider Andante as a backup option.
- Here’s the Andante Trailhead Google Maps location.
Hiking Tip: You do not need to display a pass to hike Chimney Rock Trail or Little Sugarloaf Trail.
Trail Walkthrough
We didn’t know what to expect from Little Sugarloaf, so we started with Chimney Rock first because we wanted to guarantee a good spot for the sunrise. But after doing the hike, in hindsight we wished we’d started with Little Sugarloaf for the sunrise, then climbed up to Chimney Rock.
So that’s exactly how we’ll walk you through the hike now. You absolutely don’t have to do it for sunrise, but it is amazing.
1. Park At Thunder Mountain Trailhead
Check sunrise times for Sedona the night before and plan to arrive at Thunder Mountain Trailhead at least 45 minutes before sunrise. It’ll take you 15-20 minutes to get up Little Sugarloaf and we don’t want you to miss the sun coming up. The trail begins on the west side of the parking lot and you need to take an immediate right turn on Lower Chimney Rock Trail.
2. Lower Chimney Rock Trail
After just 0.1 mile and 2 minutes you’ll reach another fork in the trail. Take the left spur to stay on Lower Chimney Rock Trail and follow it for around 5 minutes as you gain some light elevation. Stay left at the next fork and 20 seconds later you’ll reach the left turn that will take you up to Little Sugarloaf summit.
3. Summit Little Sugarloaf
The climb up to Little Sugarloaf is reasonably straightforward. It’s narrow and there are some steeper sections with very light scrambling and lots of uneven foot placements, but overall it’s pretty easy. Once you reach the summit you’ll be standing on a large and flat plateau, hopefully with nobody else around if you made it up for sunrise. The views are magnificent and it’s a great place to take photos.
4. Upper Chimney Rock Trail
Carefully descend Little Sugarloaf back to the main trail. Take a right and a quick left onto Upper Chimney Rock Trail. This is the path you saw earlier but didn’t take. Follow this in a clockwise direction for 0.6 miles, which should take you around 15 minutes due to some elevation gain. Keep your eyes open for a spur trail to the right side so you don’t miss the summit climb.
5. Summit Chimney Rock
The ascent to Chimney Rock is steep and only partly maintained. You’ll need shoes with good grips and traction to avoid slipping on loose stones and hard packed dirt. Follow the beaten path as far as it goes, then forge your own path up to the spires. We’ll admit the final push is a lung buster and a thigh burner! Don’t forget to look out for hot air balloons which usually take off at sunrise.
6. Head Back To The Car
Once you’ve taken a bunch more photos of the awesome views, descend very carefully from the base of Chimney Rock to the main trail. Turn right to continue on Upper Chimney Rock Trail for 0.6 miles going gradually downhill until reaching Thunder Mountain Trailhead. Just make sure you take the left turn for the parking lot.
Pros And Cons
Pros:
- Spectacular Sedona sunrise views
- Very quiet compared to other hikes
- Quick and easy to access from town
Cons:
- Limited parking at Andante Trailhead
- Chimney Rock ascent is steep and unmarked
- Views not as impressive if hiked during the day
Best Time To Hike Chimney Rock Trail
Sunrise is the best time of day to hike Chimney Rock Trail and Little Sugarloaf Trail because parking won’t be a problem, the trails will be quiet and views are truly sensational as the sun rises. We had both summits entirely to ourselves, which was one of the coolest experiences we had on our entire trip.
We also think sunset would be a fantastic time to hike this trail because the two summits are so open. But the downsides to sunset are potential issues with parking and crowds at the summits. Hiking during the day would be perfectly fine, but the magic and beauty of the vistas wouldn’t be as special.
Sedona is busy year round, but it does have a slight dip or low season in the winter. We visited Sedona in December which allowed us to benefit from fewer crowds at parking lots and on trails. The other major benefit was later sunrise times, so we didn’t have to get up too early.
Even though Chimney Rock and Little Sugarloaf Loop Trail is a bit of a hidden gem, Sedona gets incredibly busy in spring, summer and fall so it’s even more important to hike early in the morning. We would avoid weekends and especially holidays at all costs.
What To Pack
Footwear: You’ll need robust shoes with good grips and traction to help with navigating sections of loose stones and soft dirt packed trail. There are some sharp rocks and rough desert vegetation so open toed sandals aren’t the best idea here.
Water: You’ll be out hiking for anywhere between 1.5-3 hours, which means you’ll need to carry plenty of water even at sunrise. Summer months require more water and maybe even electrolyte drinks.
Sun protection: Sunglasses, sun hats, long layers and sunscreen are vital if you’re visiting Sedona in summer. Most of the Chimney Rock and Little Sugarloaf Trail is open and exposed so make sure you’re prepared.
Winter: Early starts and late finishes can be cold during the winter, trust us we know. We hiked this loop early on a December morning and we both wore long mid-layers.
The Morgan Conclusion
What we liked: It’s nowhere near as popular as other hikes, so parking isn’t as much of an issue and the trail isn’t as busy. The views from both summits are outstanding and we’d say it’s probably one of the best trails to do in town for sunrise. Check recent comments to see what others are saying about conditions.
What we didn’t like: Honestly, there’s not much we can say from a negative perspective. The climb up to Chimney Rock is a bit sketchy and it could be dangerous after rainfall, plus both the parking lots could do with having a few more spaces for the rare times it gets busy on weekends and holidays.
Is Chimney Rock Trail worth it? Yes! Chimney Rock Trail is a true hidden gem hike in Sedona. It’s close to the majority of hotels in town, it’s short and it’s a fun trail. We highly recommend waking up early to summit either peak for sunrise, you won’t regret it. And you can thank us later!
We hope our guide to hiking Chimney Rock Trail helps with planning your visit to Sedona!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
Where Are Those Morgans has been featured in USA Today, Gestalten, Get Your Guide, CityPASS and Condé Nast Traveler along with various other publications. Read more about us.