There are different tags given the deserts of the west that allude to their color or surfaces - the redness of the earth and hills in its surroundings make the popular northern Arizona town of Sedona a Red Rock Desert destination. Nonetheless, the riding experience to be had hereabouts is mostly well outside of Sedona itself. Enjoy the legendary mountains on foot when you go hiking, because flatter, if still rocky, terrain is what you will mostly come across on horseback.

Riding operators may take travelers out into the nearby Cottonwood/Verde River areas for rides that last an hour to two hours. You can take somewhat more challenging trails that will cross over streams and climb some cliffs, but for the most part the trails are along rough rocked but still level terrain. You pass occasional prickly pear cacti and other hardy desert shrub.

M Diamond Trailrides, in the other nearby town of Rimrock, does rides along the range land it maintains as a working cattle ranch. These are easier rides that still provide desert panoramas of the mountain range, with summertime rides happening just in the morning and early evening and lasting no more than hour to avoid searing summer temperatures.

Other smaller desert inhabitants you might meet up with include jackrabbits, roadrunners, quail and less often there may be a deer along the way.

What to wear: long pants and close-toed shoes. What to bring: sunscreen, a water bottle and your camera. Mountains even at a distance are still spectacular.

Written by  Hal Peat.

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