Soldier Pass, Brins Mesa, Brins Butte Loop in Coconino National Forest, AZ

Hike Soldier Pass, Brins Mesa, Brins Butte Loop Coconino National Forest, AZ

Class 2 7.4 miles 1200 gain 3-5 hrs Loop Dec 16, 2017
Effort
Beauty
Personality
Solitude

Soldier Pass, Brins Mesa, Brins Butte Loop GPX Track

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This popular Sedona loop has some delightful views along Brins Mesa, and avery cool series of arches, the Soldier Pass "Caves", as they're locally known. Getting a parking spot at the Soldier Pass Trailhead is really difficult, but since that's where I started, it's how I'm writing my trip report. If you're doing the whole loop, I recommend you park here instead at the Jordan Road Trailhead (34.88787, -111.76842).

I headed along the Soldier Pass Trail past the Devil's Kitchen (a sinkhole) and Seven Sacred Pools, looking out for Soldier Pass Arch on the cliffs to the right. Apparently there is a way to get to the arches from the bottom, but my route was from the top. I included both approaches on my attached map. The official trail is really nice and I recommend it if you have the time to do the whole loop and you're not just set on seeing the "caves". I continued to Solider Pass and then took the Brins Mesa Trail, where a social trail leaves the main trail to head toward the top of the Solider Pass Caves, but the trail gets less and less obvious. There's a Class 2 scramble that leads from the top of the arch to the bottom, so hypothetically you could use the ledge system as a way to get down the otherwise sheer cliffs and back to the trailhead from here, rather than continuing back to the trail. Anyway, after checking out these cool arches, I headed back to the Brins Mesa Trail and continued along it until just before it began descending to the Jordan Road Trailhead. Here, I located a social trail on the right and ascended toward Brins Butte. I will note that there are many options for getting up, most involving at least a tiny bit of bushwhacking, but there are enough possible social trails that it shouldn't be unpleasant. I had to scramble up a couple of Class 2 blocks to reach the ridgeline, and then I ascended to the summit of the peak.

Once off Brins Butte, I continued down the Brins Mesa Trail to the Jordan Road Trailhead and took the Cibola Pass Trail, which turns into the Jordan Trail to complete the loop.

PEAKS ON HIKE
Elevation (ft) / Prominence (ft)
Peaks on hike
Elevation
Prominence
1
Brins Butte
5502 ft
382 rise

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Image 0 from gallery
Image 1 from gallery
Devil's Kitchen
Devil's Kitchen
Image 3 from gallery
Image 4 from gallery
Seven Sacred Pools.
Seven Sacred Pools.
Image 6 from gallery
Image 7 from gallery
Image 8 from gallery
Soldier Pass Arch to the northeast.
Soldier Pass Arch to the northeast.
Looking back from the approach to Solider Pass.
Looking back from the approach to Solider Pass.
Image 11 from gallery
Image 12 from gallery
Solider Pass, looking east.
Solider Pass, looking east.
The junction with the use trail to Soldier Pass Arch.
The junction with the use trail to Soldier Pass Arch.
The trail goes away mostly on the way to Solider Pass Arch.
The trail goes away mostly on the way to Solider Pass Arch.
Solider Pass Arch from above.
Solider Pass Arch from above.
The top of Solider Pass Arch.
The top of Solider Pass Arch.
Image 18 from gallery
Class 2 scramble into Solider Pass Arch.
Class 2 scramble into Solider Pass Arch.
Image 20 from gallery
You can get all the way to the ground from within Solider Pass Arch.
You can get all the way to the ground from within Solider Pass Arch.
Image 22 from gallery
Solider Pass Arch.
Solider Pass Arch.
Back on the Brins Mesa Trail, Brins Butte is next, visible top right.
Back on the Brins Mesa Trail, Brins Butte is next, visible top right.
View back along the Brins Mesa Trail.
View back along the Brins Mesa Trail.
I left the trail on a social trail to head up to Brins Butte, visible ahead.
I left the trail on a social trail to head up to Brins Butte, visible ahead.
Class 2 up Brins Butte.
Class 2 up Brins Butte.
Lots of social trail options leading up Brins Butte.
Lots of social trail options leading up Brins Butte.
View back to Brins Mesa as I near the ridge of Brins Butte.
View back to Brins Mesa as I near the ridge of Brins Butte.
Brins Butte ridge.
Brins Butte ridge.
Summit of Brins Butte.
Summit of Brins Butte.
Close-up toward Morning Glory Spire.
Close-up toward Morning Glory Spire.
View north from Brins Butte's summit.
View north from Brins Butte's summit.
Back on the Brins Mesa Trail, continuing down to the Jordan Road Trailhead.
Back on the Brins Mesa Trail, continuing down to the Jordan Road Trailhead.
Image 35 from gallery
Image 36 from gallery
Image 37 from gallery
Along the Cibola Pass Trail.
Along the Cibola Pass Trail.
Image 39 from gallery
Along the Jordan Trail.
Along the Jordan Trail.
Image 41 from gallery
Almost at the end of the loop, back to Devil's Kitchen.
Almost at the end of the loop, back to Devil's Kitchen.

Hire me or show me some love!

Hire/refer me as a web developer or send me a few bucks if you find my site useful. I’m not sponsored, so all fees are out-of-pocket and my time preparing trip reports is unpaid. I really appreciate it!