Old Post to Ridge Loop

Dogs Unknown

E-Bikes Unknown

This is a good ride but not one of the very best for the area. However, it is easily accessible from West Sedona and the high school and is a great quick workout.

There are many places to park/start this ride - take a look at the map and choose any of them, or add on Herkenham Trail for a harder start/finish. I prefer to start where shown here because you get all the climbing over with on the first half and have a really fun descent on Ridge Trail.

As described here, start on Old Post Trail - a mellow, winding trail, climbing gently on mostly smooth dirt with a few smaller rocks thrown in. After it passes Herkenham Trail, the climb becomes more difficult with a steady grade, loose soil, and rock steps along the way.

The reward for the climb is a very nice, flowy section of trail descending back down the other side. It's mostly hard-packed red dirt, winding through bright green Junipers.

From here, you may consider a side trip up Bandit to Airport Loop to Tabletop. This is an advanced, tough climb, but the views from the end of Tabletop are some of the best in Sedona, which says a lot.

Back to this ride... continue on Ridge Trail, which runs south through a pasture with easy flowing turns. The route is relatively flat except for a few cobbly dry stream crossings.

After passing the Carroll Canyon intersection Ridge starts to climb steadily to a high point overlooking Oak Creek Canyon and Cathedral Rock.

From there the trail descends gradually across sandstone before plunging down a few rocky technical sections. Stay right at the bottom of the last section and roll out to the road.

Go down the road a short ways until you reach Secret Slickrock. Enjoy playing on the slickrock, then find your way off the west end and find the Ramshead Trail. This descends quickly at first and then mellows out into a rolling traverse northwest.

When the trail hits the creek bottom you'll have to push through the sand and then climb a rock staircase to get to the other side.

Ramshead finishes with more mellow twisting singletrack before hitting the Old Post Trail intersection. Take a left and you'll be back where you started in a few seconds.