Name: Courthouse Vista Loop
Rating: 4.2

Conditions

All Clear 14 days ago

Dry History

Getting forecast...

“A fast, fun, and scenic intermediate tour of the Courthouse Butte area.”

— Nick Wilder

Driving Directions GPX File

Dogs Unknown

Features -none-

Overview

One of the better intermediate link-ups in all of Sedona. Remarkable scenery and some technical challenges will give intermediates something to work for, but plenty of fast and smooth flow trail will keep everyone smiling.

Description

Starting from the Courthouse Butte Vista parking area, start out on Phone Trail with fast smooth singletrack until it ends at the Bell Rock Path. Quickly take a right on Baby Bell Trail which quickly ends at Llama Trail.

Go left on the Llama trail for a long, fun ride with moderate grades and excellent flow. A few rock ledges on the southern end make for some technical fun, but it's otherwise a fast and very scenic cruise.

Llama ends at an intersection with Little Horse Trail. Go left and bump down a more rocky trail with excellent rock armor work. Some folks will want to walk a couple of short sections here. As you reach the end of this trail, you'll come to a wash with a huge stratified rock face - go left and then right in 100 feet. Use the MTB Project mobile app to stay on the trail. There are three options, and don't worry if you take the wrong one - they all end on the Bell Rock Trail in a 100 yards or so.

From there, hop on HT Trail, through a culvert and a under a bridge, with a few rocky sections and short steep climbs. It's generally pretty easy.

Pass by Easy Breezy Trail until you get to Templeton Trail. Follow Templeton up and down easy hills on fast and fun trail under a pair of culverts back to the Bell Rock Trail, then take Phone Trail back to the start.

Contacts

Local Club: Verde Valley Cyclists Coalition

Land Manager: USFS - Coconino National Forest Office

Nov 12, 2018: Prescribed burns scheduled this week

Nov 12, 2018: Coconino NF to sell Christmas tree permits starting Friday

Nov 4, 2018: Prescribed burns scheduled this week

Full Details

Trail Ratings

4.2 from 14 votes

#4

in Courthouse Butte

#917

Overall

4.2 from 14 votes

5 Star		43%
4 Star		36%
3 Star		21%
2 Star		0%
1 Star		0%

Rankings

#4

in Courthouse Butte

#38

in Arizona

#917

Overall

254 Views Last Month

10,810 Since Feb 19, 2014

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Photos

Easy going with big views is what you'll find r…

Courthouse Butte in the background.

Llama trail alternates between singletrack in t…

Short connection for Little Horse to the HT trail.

Big rocky drop on an otherwise fast and smooth…

Courthouse Peak rises over the Llama Trail.

Fun and scenery on the HT Trail

Stunning views crossing under Hwy 179 on the HT…

Climbing rock ladder - lots of these on Llama T…

More fun slickrock on the Llama Trail

Bit of a climb

A view from the HT-Templeton intersection.

Llama trail has a few fun sections of slickrock…

Llama Trail - A few quick rocky climbs and easy…

2 Comments

Great loop, I've connected this loop from the south with "Intro to Sedona loop" doing it counterclockwise. It's fast and, in my opinion, more enjoyable than Hiline trail system.The loop crosses 179 for a bit, giving you opportunity to connect with slim shady or other trails west of 179. The trail level is intermediate with lots of flowy and enjoyable fast sections. Its a short trail, even when connected with the Intro trail. If you wan to ride more than 2hrs, consider connecting with other trails north or west of couthouse vista. Sep 22, 2015

Flag

Robert Cipoletti

This is a really fast and fun XC loop as it's described. You also have the option to take an out/back detour to the Chicken Point Overlook via Little Horse, but I would not go so far as to say that it's recommended, but only because of the pedestrian traffic headed out that way after you pass the intersection with Chapel Tr. Also, I'd prefer to start at Yavapai Pt. Then head up Hermit to the intersection with Templeton, and go right through the culverts to the road, turn right and go to Baby Bell and turn left, and you can follow the description above for the loop back to the Templeton/Hermit intersection. Tacking this loop onto the first and last parts of the Cathedral Rock Loop, all of which I described in a comment at the Cathedral Rock Loop (listed under my F'book alias - how'd that happen?) is, imo, just about as fun as it gets. Jan 1, 2018

Flag

6.2 Miles 10.0 Kilometers 100% Singletrack	386' 118 m Ascent -387' -118 m Descent
2% Avg Grade (1°) 11% Max Grade (6°)	4,446' 1,355 m High 4,163' 1,269 m Low

Courthouse Vista Loop

6.2 Miles 10.0 Kilometers

100%

386' 118 m

-387' -118 m

2%

11%

4,446' 1,355 m

4,163' 1,269 m

Shared By Nick Wilder

Conditions

“A fast, fun, and scenic intermediate tour of the Courthouse Butte area.”

Dogs Unknown

Features -none-

Overview

Description

Contacts

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#4

#917

#4

#38

#917

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