Cockscomb-Dawa-Arizona Cypress Loop
The Cockscom-Dawa-Arizona Cypress Loop at Coconino National Forest in Sedona, Arizona is an easy 4.6-mile loop hike that features views of the distant red rock mountains, birding, biking, and plant identifying opportunities.Trail names: Cockscomb Trail, Dawa Trail, Arizona Cypress Trail
Location: Fay Canyon Trailhead Parking Area, Boynton Pass Road, Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness, Coconino National Forest, Sedona Arizona
Permitted uses: Hiking, Running, Walking, Nature Study, Horseback riding, Bicycles, Birding
Prohibited uses: Closed to motor vehicles and motorized equipment. No E Bikes. No Pedal Assist.
Fees and Parking: There is conflicting information online about paying a fee to hike here. Some sites report that a $5.00 Red Rock pass is needed, and others say there is No fee. When we visited there was no fee to park or use the trails. There is ample parking at the trailhead.
Pets: Dogs MUST be on a leash and owners must remove dog waste.
Accessibility: The trail is not wheelchair accessible.
Sanitation: There is a gender-neutral vault restroom with a trash receptacle available at trailhead parking area.
Length and Trail information: This is 4.63-mile trail done as loop hike. This hike is considered to be an easy hike for beginners with some sections rated as intermediate. The Trailhead parking area has an excellent information Kiosk with a couple maps of the trails and the surrounding forest. There is also a bike repair station, which no doubt comes in handy as this trail seems to be very popular with bike riders especially for beginners. There is a wooden sign marker near the information Kiosk that directs visitors either across the street to Fay Canyon, or in the opposite direction to the Cockscomb Trail. The trail starts behind the restroom, down a small slope. There are no colored trail blaze markers along the trail, instead you will find at almost every trail junction, a wooden sign and a posted map. We started our hike in the earlier part of the day to avoid high temperatures and large crowds. We did not encounter any other hikers, but we did see about a dozen bikers that we suspect were with a local tour company. This is a great trail for birding, especially if you go early in the day. It's also great trail for seeing a wide variety of plant life. We were delighted by the many beautiful blooming wildflowers that virtually filled the fields on either side of the trail. On our hike we were able to identify several different types of plants including Blackfoot Daisy, Broom Snakeweed, Wright's Buckwheat, Red Dome Blanketflower, Pointleaf Manzanita, Sulfur Buckwheat, Toadflax Penstemon, Hairy False Goldenaster, Arizona Cypress and Rough Menodora. For most of our hike the trail was wide and flat. The substrate is sandy or gravely, with no trip hazards and is easy to follow. In a couple places along the hike, the effects from repeated bike rider traffic can be seen with sections having become rutted rather than flat trail. The Arizona Cypress Trail winds its way along the wash of Dry Creek and is flanked by Arizona Cypress trees offering hikers a bit of shade and a slightly different ecosystem than that found on the Cockscomb or Dawa Trails. Here, there was less evidence of bike traffic. This combination of trails offered an interesting look at plant life and lovely views of the distant red rock mountains, just keep an eye out for large groups of people on mountain bike tours.
