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There are so many hikes to choose from around Sedona, AZ but Brins Mesa Trail stands out as accessible, athletic, and awe inspiring with vistas along its entire stretch.

The woman at the visitor’s center looked at the clock. “At this time of day, you should try Brins Mesa Trail.”

Sedona has so many trails in and among the brilliantly colored buttes that the choice of what to hike can be daunting. There are the classics—like Broken Arrow and Devil’s Bridge—but the popularity of these shouldn’t negate the many other trails. In fact, popularity and small parking lots can be a compelling reason to focus on alternate trails, especially later in the day.

So, we hike Brins Mesa Trail. The first half is an easy warm up—traveling along a relatively flat stretch of valley flanked by brilliant buttes. We can’t help but comment on what an easy but beautiful hike it is.

There are so many hikes to choose from around Sedona, AZ but Brins Mesa Trail stands out as accessible, athletic, and awe inspiring with vistas along its entire stretch.
Views are abundant along the trail.

There are so many hikes to choose from around Sedona, AZ but Brins Mesa Trail stands out as accessible, athletic, and awe inspiring with vistas along its entire stretch.
Juniper berries may not be something to just pop in the mouth but they do make me crave a product they are part of: gin.
There are so many hikes to choose from around Sedona, AZ but Brins Mesa Trail stands out as accessible, athletic, and awe inspiring with vistas along its entire stretch.
Brilliant diversity of flora along Brins Mesa Trail.

And then we start climbing. This is the ascent to the mesa. Luckily, we don’t have to embarrass ourselves too much with our huffing and puffing. Any time we get a little out of breath, we turn around to take in the view of the valley spread out below us.

The trail continues past the mesa, descending into another valley. Given the short daylight, however, we explore the mesa and then turn around for the even better hike down. Everywhere we turn is a breathtaking view!

There are so many hikes to choose from around Sedona, AZ but Brins Mesa Trail stands out as accessible, athletic, and awe inspiring with vistas along its entire stretch.
Brins Mesa Trail follows a line of brilliant buttes and then climbs to an awe inspiring mesa.

There are so many hikes to choose from around Sedona, AZ but Brins Mesa Trail stands out as accessible, athletic, and awe inspiring with vistas along its entire stretch.
Century Plant (Agave americana)
There are so many hikes to choose from around Sedona, AZ but Brins Mesa Trail stands out as accessible, athletic, and awe inspiring with vistas along its entire stretch.
Taking in the view
There are so many hikes to choose from around Sedona, AZ but Brins Mesa Trail stands out as accessible, athletic, and awe inspiring with vistas along its entire stretch.
It can be grand to feel so small.

Frankly, if the pictures can’t sell you on this trail. I don’t know what can.

Lexi lives in a truck camper down by the river.

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