Bear Mountain Trail
Bear Mountain Trail
5
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5.0
260 reviews
Excellent
217
Very good
41
Average
2
Poor
0
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0
Carol P
Redwood City, CA4 contributions
Apr 2022
Strenuous hike but well worth it! The views keep unfolding, better and better. We're both in our sixties, and hike a lot, but this surprised us. We left at 9 a.m. and returned at 4 p.m. Admittedly, that included bathroom breaks, photo-taking, chatting with others on the trail and a 30 minute lunch - but still! Perhaps 80% of the trail is scrambling over rocks, and it's just as hard on the way down as on the way up! Still we loved it!
The white arrows painted on rocks were very helpful in pointing out the path, but did require regular scouting for them! At some critical junctures, arrows weren't visible sometimes.
We met people from ten states and from two spots in Canada on the trail. Weather was perfect. Predicated 70 degrees in Sedona that day.
The white arrows painted on rocks were very helpful in pointing out the path, but did require regular scouting for them! At some critical junctures, arrows weren't visible sometimes.
We met people from ten states and from two spots in Canada on the trail. Weather was perfect. Predicated 70 degrees in Sedona that day.
Written 14 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
vacationgrl2010
Minneapolis, MN131 contributions
Jul 2022
We started this hike at around 6:30am in order to beat the hot July heat. We lucked out with cloudy skies during the climb and full sun came out once we made it to the top. The club is very hard. We are in our 40s and hike regularly. May not be an ideal hike for those not in good shape or avid hikers, however you can always go slow. It’s 2000 foot climb almost all up. Had we been in full Sun it would have been even tougher. We thought views were well worth it! And we never saw another person in the four hours in and out that it took us. Def bring tons of water, some Gatorade for electrolytes, and a snack.
Written 21 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott B
St Paul, United States58 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
More of a climb than a hike and one's fitness level will matter on this one. Lots of areas to bake in the sun, so water is a must and hiking boots are a critical accessory to scramble over the rocky and steep terrain. Well worth the climb to the top.
Written 22 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mblawlor
Plymouth, MA12 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
Fun hike! Challenging but definitely doable if you are a regular hiker. Most of the incline is moderate with just a few steep sections. It’s in direct sun and it is all uphill for the first half, so definitely bring lots of water. Really amazing views at the top and along the way. We made it up and down in about 3 hours and I didn’t feel overly exhausted by the end. I would definitely do this one again.
Written 13 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travelingfamily4Ma
MA723 contributions
Oct 2022
So we were thinking of doing the West Fork trail and then decided to get overly ambitious on our last day in Sedona and changed plans at the last minute for Bear Mountain. We had previously done 2 other 2000 ft climbs in the last week of our Arizona trip, so figured we would give this one a try. Well, this was definitely the hardest one! (We had done South Kaibab to skeleton point in the Grand Canyon and Spencer Trail in Lee’s Ferry in the past week). This was honestly more of a rock climb than a hiking trail. So not only were you going up 2000 ft, you were basically rock climbing it- though not a scary, technical climb. Just an exhausting climb! The views at the top were beautiful and expansive. It was almost as hard coming down as going up. It took us about 5 hours to complete including all our stops. I feel good that I was able to do it, but would not do it again!
Written 23 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
David S
10 contributions
Jun 2021
By far the most challenging hike we did in Sedona. Views from the top are amazing and well worth the struggle. Many false peaks can leave you somewhat discouraged as you climb but don't worry...the payoff at the top is incredible! There are white directional markers painted on rocks to help you stay on the correct trail...they helped us tremendously. We plan to return to Sedona in February and will definitely climb this "mountain" again!
Written 24 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
That Hiking Guy
Sedona, AZ7 contributions
Jan 2021
BEAR this in mind. There are over 135 US Forest Service trails in Sedona , and the vast majority are built for the " 12 oz. bottled water crowd", meaning there are gobs and gobs of tourists.
They take a candy bar , a small bottle of water , wear flat tennis shoes , are never realistically prepared, and usually the ones who get rescued a half mile from their car. They refer to ACTUAL U.S FOREST SERVICE TRAILS by their hilariously incorrect online fake names or VORTEXES.
They are who make experienced locals or visitors cringe , as they refuse to understand how quickly minimal water, no map, no sun block or hat, and high temperatures causes heat stroke or worse.
Their friends are the people who don't grasp renting and running all over the place in an off roader with the radio obnoxiously BLARING is EXTREMELY OBTRUSIVE. Their friends are the ones who drive up from Phoenix , park alongside 89A and take a short 10 minute walk down to the creek , ignorantly littering the entire area with trash. They are the people who show no respect for nature or their surroundings.
Don't be any of these people. Don't rely on unreliable sources , but instead buy a real map. Take twice as much water as you normally would , high protein bars , not sugar , and some kind of electrolyte replacement. Stay on trail. Don't wear skintight yoga pants or jeans ,as they do not breathe. Wear shoes with deep lugs for traction or hiking boots ONLY. Use sporadic tree shade to rest. Don't be a statistic.
If you want to distance yourself ( no pun intended ) , there are not that many trails for the experienced hiker. GOOGLE high elevation , long distance , difficult trails and you will enjoy peace and serenity. If you add trails together you will get longer distances.
BEAR Mtn. and WILSON Mtn. are two of the higher elevation trails here. Bear goes up instantly , WILSON is a bit more gradual. Both offer long distance views on top. I have done both dozens of times. I prefer WILSON , since the trail splits on top. Staying to the right takes you further 30 minutes to a few rocky outcroppings to look North toward Flagstaff.
They take a candy bar , a small bottle of water , wear flat tennis shoes , are never realistically prepared, and usually the ones who get rescued a half mile from their car. They refer to ACTUAL U.S FOREST SERVICE TRAILS by their hilariously incorrect online fake names or VORTEXES.
They are who make experienced locals or visitors cringe , as they refuse to understand how quickly minimal water, no map, no sun block or hat, and high temperatures causes heat stroke or worse.
Their friends are the people who don't grasp renting and running all over the place in an off roader with the radio obnoxiously BLARING is EXTREMELY OBTRUSIVE. Their friends are the ones who drive up from Phoenix , park alongside 89A and take a short 10 minute walk down to the creek , ignorantly littering the entire area with trash. They are the people who show no respect for nature or their surroundings.
Don't be any of these people. Don't rely on unreliable sources , but instead buy a real map. Take twice as much water as you normally would , high protein bars , not sugar , and some kind of electrolyte replacement. Stay on trail. Don't wear skintight yoga pants or jeans ,as they do not breathe. Wear shoes with deep lugs for traction or hiking boots ONLY. Use sporadic tree shade to rest. Don't be a statistic.
If you want to distance yourself ( no pun intended ) , there are not that many trails for the experienced hiker. GOOGLE high elevation , long distance , difficult trails and you will enjoy peace and serenity. If you add trails together you will get longer distances.
BEAR Mtn. and WILSON Mtn. are two of the higher elevation trails here. Bear goes up instantly , WILSON is a bit more gradual. Both offer long distance views on top. I have done both dozens of times. I prefer WILSON , since the trail splits on top. Staying to the right takes you further 30 minutes to a few rocky outcroppings to look North toward Flagstaff.
Written 21 August 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Staci Kelly
Medfield, MA33 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
Definitely the hardest hike of our trip to Sedona. Make sure to take plenty of water and allow 6 hours to complete. Takes a toll on the knees but the views are amazing!
Written 18 September 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bruiser1113
Seattle, WA92 contributions
Feb 2018 • Couples
What everyone else said already, they are all pretty accurate. Somewhat less congested than other popular hikes in Sedona, but you'll not find solitude here unless you are hiking super early or late.
I won't repeat the same advices others have already shared, but once you get to the end of the trail with the sign that specifically tells you so, keep going further for just a little bit and you'll end up on this balcony on the other side of the plateau with a totally different view opening up in front of you, with San Francisco Peaks in the distance. A lot better spot for a few minutes of rest because most everyone stops on the south side of the plateau where end of trail sign is, and north side is virtually deserted.
Do be careful on the way down - small pebbly sand on top of red rocks make for a very slippery descent in some areas.
I won't repeat the same advices others have already shared, but once you get to the end of the trail with the sign that specifically tells you so, keep going further for just a little bit and you'll end up on this balcony on the other side of the plateau with a totally different view opening up in front of you, with San Francisco Peaks in the distance. A lot better spot for a few minutes of rest because most everyone stops on the south side of the plateau where end of trail sign is, and north side is virtually deserted.
Do be careful on the way down - small pebbly sand on top of red rocks make for a very slippery descent in some areas.
Written 4 March 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Scott and Jessica
Auburndale, FL1,267 contributions
Mar 2015
Even if you don't go all the way to the top, we didn't, the half way point for rookies is easy. See my photos.
Written 15 March 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
You can hike the trail without them. I used them on and off. They were helpful for the steeper parts of the trail. But when we were doing rock scrambling I put them back in my backpack since they were in the way.
Written 5 February 2018
Is this trail easily passable in winter? I was reading about some of the other Sedona hikes and it seemed that in January some were icy/snowy and hard to get through.
Written 8 January 2017
We hiked it Dec 29, 2017 and we were in our short sleeves! There was no ice or snow at all. You just need to watch the weather. The top of the mountain is only at 6000 feet.
Written 5 February 2018
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