# Kid mountain biking recommendations in Sedona, AZ?



## fireswamp (Nov 4, 2013)

(Not clear if I should post this on the AZ forum or Families/Kids forum)

Anyone have experience mountain biking with kids in Sedona? Trail suggestions?

We're headed to Sedona for a week. Our 6 and 9 year olds are experienced single-track riders.


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## bsdc (May 1, 2006)

Start at the Bell Rock trail and progress from there.


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## kabayan (Oct 25, 2004)

How was it? Ride report?


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## fireswamp (Nov 4, 2013)

*Sedona single track with kids*

It worked out great. We rented a 20" wheel Kona from Sedona Bike n Bean, and I took both my 6 year old and 9 year old separately on the same bike. For background, my kids are used to riding beginner (the 6 year old) and intermediate (the 9 year old) PNW (Seattle-area) single track trails. This report is from the ride with 9 year old daughter (ride with 6 year old was a shorter version).

We started from Bike n Bean / Absolute Bikes area, entered the trail system at the Bell Rock parking lot and headed north on the Bell Rock Pathway. We stayed on this main trail past Bell Rock (fun, easy double track with a few rock/slick'ish rock kid-size challenges) and continued north until turning off onto the "Bail trail" which heads toward Llama trail. Climbing bail trail proved a bit challenging for my daughter, with rock chunder to navigate, etc. and we weren't sure we had enough daylight to make the entire Llama loop, so we turned back a little ways into the Llama trail. Going down bail trail went much faster than up .

We headed back south on the Bell Rock main trail, then took a detour (to the east) around Baby Bell rock, including stopping to climb Baby Bell, a great side-trip with kids. Winding back around main Bell Rock, we spent as much time as we could on the single track loops south of Bell Rock proper. These are great beginner/easy-intermediate trails (relatively level other than the drainage crossings). We watched a desert sunset on the way back to Bike n Bean.

This is great kid biking terrain if your kids are anything other than rank beginners---I did watch less-experienced kids struggle on the Bell Rock Trail, so not a place for a "first kid mountain bike experience." The area south of Bell Rock was good for my 6 year old, and all of this was great for my 9 year old.

If heading to Sedona for a family biking vacation, it works well to stay near the Village of Oak Creek because many of the trails start from there. I did solo dawn rides from our hotel room (no driving to trail head) almost every morning.

Thanks, all, for the trail suggestions.


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## kabayan (Oct 25, 2004)

Sedona spring break 2015. Good times. The weather was mild - mid 60s, maybe a little windy.
My 7yo and I went riding in the afternoon while the younger ones were poolside. We brought his 20" Scott Voltage and I swapped out his clipless pedals for some flats.
We started from the Bike n Bean / Absolute Bikes area. The trailhead itself has limited parking and can get full quickly.
The Bell Rock pathway is the main trail and we explored several trails that branched off from it.
The Courthouse Butte Loop (not a loop!), Middle Trail, Phone Trail, and the top singletrack bypass were fairly tame with a few rocky sections here and there. He enjoyed the sections of the Llama trail from Little Horse, and from Bail Trail to the Bell Rock Pathway the most. There were some sections of the Llama Trail, heading south past the Bail Trail, that were a tad technical for him. We had some close calls where he challenged himself and almost went OTB. But getting to do some desert riding, with all the cacti and rocks, was a great experience for him.
There weren't any long, steep climbs, which was awesome. I think he got more tired from pushing his bike up and down all the rocky steps; the Scott's a 1x6 and weighs half as much as him.
The red rocks do make for some great background in the pics. 
Thanks to fireswamp for the ride report and tips.


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## fireswamp (Nov 4, 2013)

Fantastic! Thanks for the ride report, and glad to hear you had a successful trip.


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