Marg's Draw

Thunder Mountain

Marg's Draw is a great hike. It's not too short and it's not too long (whether you do the north or the south fork, you will travel a little less than 3 miles round trip). 

There is an interesting story associated with this trail. Marg was a mule, owned by the first recorded Sedona settler, Abraham James. When Marg didn't want to work, she would follow this path up into the evergreen near the red rocks and hide from her master. Hence, the name: Marg's draw. 

Views of Uptown and the Red Rocks

Like Marg, I was drawn to this trail. 

The first part of the trail is the most challenging with small and medium sized rocks underfoot. The hike is listed in most hiking books as 'moderate' but much of the trail is pretty easy going. 

Those with bad knees or lower back or ankle issues will want to be careful on the uneven footing at the beginning of the trail. 

Large rocks form stairs and require a bit of maneuvering as you go uphill. Once you are past this section, the trail is easier. It flattens out and winds through evergreens, yucca, agave and manzanita. 

Late April is a beautiful time to hike this trail.  You'll find delicate white and yellow flowers and small bushes with pretty purple foliage. 

The trail winds through beautiful red rock areas with views of uptown Sedona. Although it is relatively close to town, the foliage covers much of the residential and commercial scenery so you can enjoy the natural environs. 

Cathedral Rock in the Distance

At the trail split, we took a left and headed toward Schnebly Hill Rd. 

If you bear right at this point, the trail will take you toward Broken Arrow (a very popular hike among Sedona visitors and jeep tour companies). 



Along the way you'll be treated to views of Chimney Rock, Cathedral Rock, Thunder Mountain (the ubiquitous monument that seems to be in view from every trail), and close up views of Snoopy Rock in the bargain!

Snoopy Rock

Follow this trail until you reach Schnebly Hill Rd. If you cross this road and continue on, you will intersect with Huckaby Trail. 

Marg's Draw is a favorite!

Cockscomb, Dawa, Cypress, and OK Trails

Our hike today covered numerous trails and started from the Cockscomb Trailhead. The Cockscomb Trail is listed as moderate in the hiking books and easy/moderate on maps. 

For those who don’t like the uphill, uneven surfaces of many of the Sedona trails, Cockscomb is perfect. 

There is a bit of an ascent here and there but for the most part the path up and down is gradual and the path is smooth without a lot of small rocks to throw you off balance or large rocks to climb.

Cockscomb

You will have views of Cockscomb (aka he Young Maidens) and of Doe Mountain and Bear Mountain. 

When the path rises, you will have views of Thunder Mountain, and even Courthouse Butte, Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock in the distance on your right. 

Courthouse in the distance

You'll see some evidence of past fires and, if you are visiting during the Spring, you'll be treated to lots of white, yellow and purple flowers. 

Chimney Rock in the background

Cockscomb crosses a few small washes and eventually comes to a barb wire fence with a good sized fence post and a large rock where you can rest under the shade of a tree. If you turn back here and retrace your steps the hike will be a pretty easy one.

If you choose to go on, you can intersect with Dawa Trail. We took the left turn at Dawa and followed it along a path to cross some good sized washes (I wouldn't recommend this hike during monsoon season as these washes are large and would be impossible to cross if the water is rushing).

If you are a rock collector, you may want to pause in the large washes and look for specimens of jasper and other local minerals. We found some beautiful yellow and green jasper along the way!

Dawa winds around and eventually becomes a more challenging path for those hikers who have problems with balance or hiking trails with some ascent and descent and uneven surfaces. It is by no means a difficult trail but you will have to take your time if your knees or low back are a problem or if you have balance or ankle issues. Step carefully and watch where you are walking and you’ll be fine.

Cypress Trees

Dawa intersects with Cypress trail which is a smoother path with a lot of sandy surface. It will take you you along a path where you can see some large cypress trees which are not common in most parts of Sedona.

This trail intersects with OK Trail. If you follow this out to the trailhead you will find yourself back at 152C where you can walk the paved road back to the Cockscomb Trailhead. 

If you take this route be prepared for a long walk back to your car. The route is several miles long and, during the height of hiking season, there are a lot of cars traveling the road so you'll need to be careful to walk on the shoulder. 

Much of the road is flat or downhill but once you reach the stop sign and turn left to continue on 152C you will face a gradual climb that becomes a more extreme ascent up onto a good sized hill. 

All in all, this hike took us about 4 hours but, if you wish to shorten and simplify the trip, you can turn back at the barb wire fence on Cockscomb and still see some beautiful scenery without wearing out your hiking shoes!