Arizona Safari Jeep Tours: Outlaw Trail Jeep Tour

Stop by Stop

You check in at the tour office in Uptown Sedona before your departure time, board the open 4x4 Jeep and set out through Sedona into the historic ranch land of the Coconino National Forest. The Outlaw route itself is a 10.5-mile loop on the Forest Service map of Red Rock Ranger District OHV routes. Along the way the guide points out Snoopy Rock, Elephant Rock, Thunder Mountain, Doe Mesa and Loy Butte, with opportunities to stop for photographs throughout the tour. On the return you drive past Cathedral Rock, one of the most photographed formations in Sedona, and the tour ends with drop-off back at the tour office. No departure clock times are printed on the listing, so plan around the slot you book.

There are no public restrooms on site or on the route, and the operator asks you to plan accordingly. Sunset tours are a special case: the operator asks you to call (928) 282-3012 at least 24 hours before the tour date to reconfirm the departure time.

If You Want the Same Operator with More Altitude

Arizona Safari Jeep Tours also runs the Schnebly Hill Road jeep tour on the same style of open 4x4 Jeep. That one climbs about 1,500 feet up a 120-year-old wagon road through Bear Wallow Canyon to the Mogollon Rim in 2.5 hours for $124 per person, and it is rated very rugged. Outlaw is the tamer of the two and the family option, while Schnebly Hill is the one for a big climb.

In the Price and on Top

The price covers the seat in the open 4x4 Jeep, the professional guide who also drives, bottled water and local taxes. That is the full list from the listing. Gratuities are explicitly not in the pricing, and the operator adds a minimum 18% gratuity at check-in for parties of 6 or more. There is no deposit on this tour, so you do not need to hold a large sum on your card the way some rentals require. Fuel, goggles, hotel pickup and a damage waiver do not appear in the listing as included, so treat them as not covered. No restrooms sit on the route or at the office, so plan a stop before you arrive.

The table below sets each line out. Every figure comes from the Viator listing for this tour.

Dogs and Special Cases

Dogs under 25 pounds ride free. Dogs over 25 pounds are charged a child rate and the operator needs advance notification directly from you before the tour. Service animals are allowed.

The tour runs in all weather conditions, and the operator cancels for bad weather with a refund, so dress for the day you get.

Age, Family and Health Limits

The tour is not suitable for children aged 3 and under. Children aged 3 to 5 require you to provide a car seat, and the pricing treats ages 3 to 12 as child rates with adults from 13 to 99. The listing also says not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, not recommended for pregnant travelers, and not recommended for people with any neck and back problems. A rough 4x4 trail throws the body around, and open Jeeps have no doors or padding to spare you. Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness to climb in and sit through 3 hours of uneven ground.

If you are pregnant or carrying a bad back, a calmer option is the Verde River kayak trip with a UTV ride, a private 2-hour paddle with the outfitter driving. Families with a toddler under 4 might look at the Cliff Hanger Hummer tour, which takes ages 3 and up in 2 hours for $89 per person.

Dogs, Groups and Reconfirmation

Dogs under 25 pounds ride free, but dogs over 25 pounds are charged a child rate and the operator needs advance notice directly from you. Parties of 6 or more have an 18% gratuity added at check-in, which is a real cost to budget for on a big family booking. Sunset departures must be reconfirmed by phone at least 24 hours ahead, so do not assume the time on the ticket stands.

The tour operates in all weather, which in practice means cold wind in winter and full sun in summer, so read what to wear and bring before you pack.

Rules and Passes That Touch This Ride

Under ARS 28-1179, a person under 18 may not operate or ride an OHV on public or state land without a properly fitted and fastened helmet with a US DOT rating. Arizona also requires eye protection when operating an OHV on streets and highways under ARS 28-964A. On this tour the operator drives a Jeep rather than an ATV, and the listing does not state helmet arrangements, so ask the operator directly when you book with children in the party. The Arizona OHV decal, at $25 plus a processing fee and valid one year, applies to vehicles of 2,500 pounds or less built mainly for unimproved terrain. Nonresidents do not need it for 4x4 vehicles, which covers this Jeep, but if you rent an ATV elsewhere, ask the operator whether the vehicle carries the decal.

The Red Rock Pass costs $5 daily, $15 weekly or $20 annually and is valid at Coconino National Forest fee sites in the Sedona area. It only matters when you park at a fee site, for example if you drive yourself to a trailhead before or after the tour. Stops of about 15 minutes or less to take a photo do not need a pass, and vehicles parked on National Forest land without a valid pass can be cited. You can buy one on Recreation.gov, where your plate is recorded instead of a printed pass. The ride itself uses the Outlaw route, a 10.5-mile loop among the 11 OHV routes the Forest Service lists in the Red Rock Ranger District.

Season matters too. Red Rock State Park near Sedona averages a July high of 97°F with a low of 64°F, and a January high of 56°F with a low of 30°F. Summer rides bake in an open Jeep, so book morning or sunset slots, and winter rides are cold with the wind moving. More on the year round picture sits in best time of year and the weather and Arizona OHV rules, the decal and the Red Rock Pass.

What to Wear and Bring

Dress for the weather you booked, because the tour runs in all conditions. Closed-toe shoes and long pants make the ride more comfortable on a rough trail, and sunglasses or goggles keep the dust out. Bring water if you drink more than the bottled water provided, and sunscreen for an open vehicle in Arizona sun.

No deposit means no need for a credit card at check-in on this tour, though you may want a card for tips, which the operator states are not in the pricing.