Broken Arrow Trail in Sedona: Can You Ride It on an ATV or Jeep?

What that means for your ATV day

You cannot point your rental machine at the hiking trail and ride to Chicken Point. If you want to drive in red rock country, you use one of the 11 OHV routes the Forest Service lists in the Red Rock Ranger District, from easy dirt roads to extreme 4WD routes needing high clearance. Those include the Outlaw route at 10.5 miles, Diamondback Gulch as a 6-mile loop and Ranch Loop at 6.5 miles.

A guided tour or a rental from a licensed operator solves permits, decals and route choice in one booking. Operators handle the paperwork for their vehicles, and the guide keeps you on the legal route.

Which number should you plan around

Plan around 2 to 3 hours door to door for the full out-and-back to Chicken Point, and add time for photos at Submarine Rock. The Forest Service count of 1.5 miles one way is the baseline, and the round trip works out to about 3 miles with moderate effort.

What the ground is actually like

Expect packed red dirt at the start, then slickrock with occasional steep pitches as you climb toward Chicken Point. Nothing on the route needs hands or scrambling skill. The challenge comes from steady climbing and footwork on smooth rock, not from danger.

If you can walk 3 miles on a hill, you can do this trail.

Submarine Rock

Submarine Rock is a broad, flat slickrock dome partway along the route. Its shape explains the name. It is a natural rest spot with open views in every direction, and many hikers turn around here if time is short.

Chicken Point

Chicken Point is the turnaround for most hikers, roughly a three mile round trip from the trailhead per Tripadvisor. The point is a wide slickrock ledge with a long view over the red rock canyons. It is also where the parallel 4x4 route delivers jeep passengers, so expect company and a few photo queues at busy times.

Parking and the redesign

The trailhead sits off Morgan Road in Sedona, and the Forest Service has signed a redesign decision that adds turnaround parking, OHV staging areas and restrooms at the site. Work timing is not stated, so treat the lot as tight on busy days and arrive early.

If you leave your vehicle at a fee site you need a Red Rock Pass, which costs $5 daily, $15 weekly or $20 annually and is valid at Coconino National Forest fee sites in the Sedona area. You can buy it on Recreation.gov, where your license plate is recorded instead of a printed pass. An America the Beautiful annual pass at $80 also works at many Sedona-area sites.

A separate heads-up: the Forest Service alert on its OHV page reports severe flooding with many closures in the Red Rock Ranger District. Check that page and the trail status before you drive out, and call the ranger station at 928-203-2900 if in doubt.

Decals, helmets and equipment

Arizona requires a valid OHV decal on public and state trust land for any vehicle designed mainly for unimproved terrain that weighs 2,500 pounds or less, including street-legal ones. The decal costs $25 plus a processing fee for residents and nonresidents alike and is valid for one year. Nonresidents have needed the decal since it became mandatory for them, and each machine needs its own non-transferable decal. You can buy it online at ohv.azgfd.com or at AZGFD offices in Kingman, Mesa or Yuma. A receipt or screenshot works as proof for up to 30 days while the decal is mailed.

Helmets: under Arizona law a person under 18 may not operate or ride in an OHV on public or state land without a properly fitted and fastened helmet with a US DOT rating. Eye protection is required when operating on streets and highways. Your machine needs a muffler keeping sound under 96 decibels and a USDA-approved spark arrestor, plus lights for riding between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise.

Note that a free online OHV safety course is required of vehicle owners by the state deadline, a rule that applies to owners rather than renters. The state OHV page does not say whether rental or tour vehicles are covered, so confirm with the operator.

Where you may drive

On National Forest roads with horizontal route markers, only a street-legal vehicle with a license plate and OHV decal may drive. Forest rule is simple: do not drive off an open and authorized road, and obey speed limits and minimize noise in neighborhoods. A proposed 15 mph OHV limit applies only on City of Sedona-owned streets signed by resolution, starting with Morgan Road, and never on state highways.

The Forest Service lists 11 OHV routes in the Red Rock Ranger District, so there is plenty of legal ground beyond Broken Arrow itself.

Packing list

The published tips are sturdy shoes, plenty of water, starting early, and checking weather and trail conditions. Slickrock gets slippery when wet and shade is scarce, so a hat helps too.

Season matters. Red Rock State Park near Sedona averages a July high of 97°F and an August high of 94°F, so summer walking belongs at dawn. Spring and fall are kinder, with average highs of 73°F in April and 77°F in October. Winter works fine, with an average January high of 56°F.

Guided rides and rentals compared

A guided tour keeps you legal and on the best route without paperwork. A self-guided rental gives you the wheel but you follow the operator's rules and route advice, and at Sedona Off-Road Center the primary renter must be 21 or older with a credit card in their name, children must be 5 or older, and the operator advises booking 2 to 3 weeks ahead for weekends and holidays. Arizona ATV Adventures requires ATV tour drivers to be 15½ with a permit or license, and drivers under 17 need a parent or guardian on the tour.

Why Broken Arrow earns the title

The route packs Submarine Rock and Chicken Point into a half-day outing that suits hikers of all ages and abilities, and the trail extends just over 3 miles. If you want the views without the walking, a rim ride covers similar red rock from a seat. Many visitors do both in one day: hike early, then ride in the afternoon heat or golden hour.

Sample plan

Start the hike at dawn. With about 1 hour one way per the Forest Service, you can be back at the car by mid-morning. Eat, rest, then join an afternoon ride such as the 3-hour Outlaw Trail Jeep Tour or a 4-hour Talon rental from Sedona Off-Road Center at 3075 AZ-89A, open 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily. If a trailhead lot is full for another walk you want, the Sedona Shuttle trailhead routes serve Cathedral Rock, Little Horse, Soldier Pass, Dry Creek Vista and Mescal from free park-and-ride lots, roughly 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Book the ride ahead. Operators advise reserving early for weekends, and every tour and rental listed here comes with free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start, so a reservation costs you nothing if plans change.