The Teacup Trail in Sedona, Arizona offers scenic views of several iconic red rock formations. It’s a family-friendly hike for all skill levels! Located in the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness of the Coconino National Forest, the Teacup trail offers hikers lots of options of connected hiking trails. With multiple different paths, you can pick and choose how much you want to do and customize the day to fit your own hiking plans.
How to Get to Teacup Trailhead
There is a convenient parking lot at the trailhead for the Teacup trail off of Buena Vista Drive in West Sedona. It’s on the smaller side with only 10 marked parking spaces. The trailhead parking lot is very close to homes in a suburban area, and therefore, highly accessible.
Parking costs $5 daily for a Red Rock Pass or use your America The Beautiful Pass. Keep in mind, the trailhead has no restroom or running water so plan wisely. Also feel free to bring your dog on any of the trails off Teacup, just remember to have him on a leash and pack out waste.
Plan to arrive early or try to come on a weekday to avoid the busiest times. You will likely be able to snag a parking spot if you’re early enough. On the weekends and during holidays, the parking lot fills up very quickly. If parking is full though, you can try parking at the Andante Trailhead off Andante Drive.
Hiking Along Teacup Trail
This east to west path is one of the best “bang for your buck” trails as it offers tons of scenic views and options to connect with other paths. Starting from the trailhead, you’ll immediately be greeted with the sight of Capitol Butte towering high above. Sugarloaf summit will also immediately be to your right. You’ll likely see climbers hiking up the layers of the mound. Coffee Pot Rock is one of the area’s spectacular formations and is hard to miss.
Teacup Trail is extremely close to town, and you’ll often feel like you’re almost in people’s backyards! In comparison to many other hikes in Sedona, the Teacup Trail is not seriously challenging. It doesn’t require a lot of effort, but you still get beautiful views! There are a few inclines, but they are gentle enough, and multiple areas with trees offering shade.
Options for Trails Connected to the Teacup Trail
Multiple picturesque red rock formations are accessible from the Teacup Trail. Here are some options you can choose from depending on your skill level and the amount of time you have to explore.
- Sugarloaf Loop Trail: This is a super family-friendly, short hike. You can climb up onto the mound of Sugarloaf and as high as you want up to the summit (4,872 ft. elevation. The loop trail is just under 2 miles in length.
- Teacup Trail to Coffee Pot Rock: Under 3 mile loop hike to the base of Coffee Pot Rock – an iconic formation resembling a classic percolator coffee maker.
- Thunder Mountain to Andante Loop: A 3 mile loop trail with considerable elevation change as you can climb up the ledges of Thunder Mountain. Another option is to take Thunder Mountain Trail over to Chimney Rock and loop around that red rock formation.
- Devil’s Kitchen Sinkhole: An interesting geologic feature in the area worth checking out! From Teacup trail, this would be about 4 miles round trip.
- Soldier Pass Trail to Seven Sacred Pools: Hike to a unique series of seven tricking pools or potholes in the red rocks. It is considered sacred by the Apaches and Yavapai communities. The pools cascade into each other and form a waterfall during the rainy months.
- Soldier Pass Cave: Past Devils Kitchen and Seven Sacred Pools, there is Soldier Pass Cave. Prepare for a steep climb into the cave for a memorable Sedona experience.
- Keyhole Cave: An off trail strenuous 30 ft climb up into a cave. Do not attempt this without some climbing experience as it’s rated as a class III climb.
Resources on Preserving and Protecting Sedona
- When visiting this precious place, please follow Leave No Trace principles to respect and protect this special area.
- Pledge to take care of the environment by joining the Sedona Cares Challenge.
- Understand the importance of Public Land Preservation.
