Sedona: Guided ATV Tour Red Rock Canyons & Skeleton Bone Mountain

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/9

Duration4h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

Your own ATV, a local guide, and trails that tour buses never find.

You drive your own ATV through West Sedona's backcountry for three hours, with a local guide choosing trails based on your skill level and interests. The tour includes helmets, goggles, water, and stops at viewpoints like Skeleton Bone Mountain—terrain and views that standard tour buses cannot reach. Arrive 30 minutes early with a valid driver's license or learner's permit, wear long pants and closed shoes, and plan for a moderate physical effort.

Step-by-step itinerary

Guided ATV tour in West Sedona Canyon

Arrive 30 minutes before tour
Travel to trailhead by van
Begin 3-hour guided ATV tour
Explore rugged western Sedona trails
Stop at scenic viewpoints
View Verde Valley from Skeleton Bone Mountain
Watch for antelope along valley floor
Return from trailhead to departure point

The Experience

The guide met us at the trailhead—a guy named Marcus who'd been running these rides for years and could tell you which canyon wall was in which Western film just by looking at it. He asked right away about our experience level, whether anyone had done this before, what we wanted to see. That's the thing about a fully guided ATV tour in Sedona: it's not a fixed route you're locked into. The West Sedona backcountry has over a hundred miles of trails, and Marcus picks the ones that match who's in the group that day. If you're solid on a bike, you go deeper. If it's your first time, you get the scenic loop with time to breathe and take photos.

The ride itself is three hours, and you're on your own single ATV the whole time—not sitting behind someone else, not in a van watching the landscape roll past. You're steering through red rock canyons, over rocky desert floor, past canyon walls that tower above you, and the views open up in ways that don't happen from a road. The stop at Skeleton Bone Mountain is the one everyone talks about: you're over 800 feet above the Verde Valley, and on a clear day you can see for miles. Marcus pointed out antelope running alongside the trail—apparently they do that sometimes, and yeah, it happened. The geology stuff he shared made sense of what you're actually looking at instead of just being pretty rocks.

Logistics matter here: you need to arrive 30 minutes early, and you have to be at least 15.5 with a learner's permit or driver's license. Closed-toed shoes and long pants are non-negotiable—dust and sun don't care what you wore. The van ride from the departure point (about 8 miles west of Sedona) to the actual trailhead takes a bit, but that's when the guide starts talking, so it doesn't feel like dead time. Bring a camera. The light on those canyon walls changes every hour, and you'll want to remember it.

What’s included

Your three-hour tour includes a single-rider ATV, helmet and goggles, bottled water, and a local guide who customizes the route based on your group's skill level and interests.
The guide shares stories about the West Sedona backcountry—including the over 40 movie filming locations in the area—and stops at scenic viewpoints like Skeleton Bone Mountain.
Van transport from the departure point to the trailhead is included, as is local sales tax.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Arizona ATV Adventures

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to ride your own ATV through Sedona's backcountry without planning the route yourself or worrying about getting lost. The guide handles navigation and customizes the trails to your ability, which is what makes this work for first-timers and experienced riders alike. Plan for a moderate physical effort over three hours, and arrive 30 minutes early with a valid driver's license or learner's permit.