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Lookout · Dry Creek Scenic Road

Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site

U.S. Forest Service
Looking west from Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site sits at 4,484 feet along Dry Creek Scenic Road, facing 270 degrees with the land dropping 171 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The view faces the sunset direction, with terrain and features visible to the west and northwest. Pink Jeep Tours, Inc. lies 0.8 miles west at 4,350 feet, while Posse Grounds Park, Bike Skills Park, Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park, and Posse Grounds Vista cluster around 2.2 miles west at elevations between 4,531 and 4,583 feet. Farther out, Cibola Mitten and Morning Glory Spire rise to the northwest at 2.4 and 2.5 miles, reaching 5,182 and 5,192 feet, and Table Top Mountain sits 2.5 miles west-southwest at 4,826 feet. Cottonwood is 18.0 miles west-southwest, Flagstaff is 23.5 miles north-northeast, and Prescott Valley is 38.3 miles west-southwest. According to the U.S. Forest Service, high-clearance vehicles are needed to reach the vista from Sedona due to road conditions, and the road to the vista, including the Merry-Go-Round section and above, is subject to seasonal closures, as is sometimes the entire lower road from Huckaby up. No camping or fires are permitted at the vista point, there is no fee, and there is no trash service or toilets, so visitors must pack out what they bring in. The previous lookout along the byway is Airport Mesa Viewpoint.

Access
0.8 mi detour
Elevation
4,484 ft
View
West · 270°
Light
Best at sunset
Relief
171 ft drop
In view
8 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
(1 in a multiple picture album) From high in the hills on the east side of Sedona, I shot a series of pictures as the sun went down. This one was taken early in the process just as the sun was starting to cast its golden glow upon the formations.
Don Graham from Redlands, CA, USA - God bless it! · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
500px provided description: Capitol Butte aka Thunder Mountain is a 6350 foot / 1940 meter peak in Sedona, Arizona. This photo was taken from the Munds Wagon Trail across the valley. [#red ,#blue ,#clouds ,#orange ,#green ,#arizona ,#desert ,#sandstone ,#butte ,#az ,#sedona ,#red rock ,#rock formati
Eric Johnson · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Beautiful hike across Sedona's Mitten Ridge. Starting from Cow Pies Trailhead, the trail crosses cowpie shaped rock formations, and joins up with what the Forest Service adopted and "improved" as "Hangover Trail" (but was known to hikers as Mitten Ridge Trail). Hangover Trail skirts along the base o
deborah.soltesz · CC0 · source
Beautiful hike across Sedona's Mitten Ridge. Starting from Cow Pies Trailhead, the trail crosses cowpie shaped rock formations, and joins up with what the Forest Service adopted and "improved" as "Hangover Trail" (but was known to hikers as Mitten Ridge Trail). Hangover Trail skirts along the base o
deborah.soltesz · CC0 · source
Expansive view including Steamboat Rock, Sail Rock, Wilson Mountain, Cibola Mitten, Capitol Butte, Brins Mesa, and much more from Hangover Trail.Beautiful hike across Sedona's Mitten Ridge. Starting from Cow Pies Trailhead, the trail crosses cowpie shaped rock formations, and joins up with what the
deborah.soltesz · CC0 · source
Beautiful hike across Sedona's Mitten Ridge. Starting from Cow Pies Trailhead, the trail crosses cowpie shaped rock formations, and joins up with what the Forest Service adopted and "improved" as "Hangover Trail" (but was known to hikers as Mitten Ridge Trail). Hangover Trail skirts along the base o
deborah.soltesz · CC0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Pink Jeep Tours, Inc.4,350 ftwest · 0.8 mi
  • Posse Grounds Park4,558 ftwest · 2.2 mi
  • Bike Skills Park4,534 ftwest · 2.2 mi
  • Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park4,531 ftwest · 2.2 mi
  • Posse Grounds Vista4,583 ftwest · 2.2 mi
  • Cibola Mitten5,182 ftnorthwest · 2.4 mi
  • Morning Glory Spire5,192 ftnorthwest · 2.5 mi
  • Table Top Mountain4,826 ftwest-southwest · 2.5 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunset — 0° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox06:3118:3918:06
June solstice05:1519:4519:07
September equinox06:1618:2517:52
December solstice07:3217:2016:41

Local time (America/Phoenix). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Cottonwood18.0 mi west-southwest
  • Flagstaff23.5 mi north-northeast
  • Prescott Valley38.3 mi west-southwest
← Before it: Airport Mesa Viewpoint
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From the source · Verbatim

Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site · U.S. Forest Service

There are typicaly seasonal road closures to the vista (Merry-Go-Round and above) as well as the occasional closure of the entire lower road from Huckaby on up. The Schnebly Hill Trail begins below the gate usually closed in winter so it is often accessible whereas the vista is not always, at least by vehicle. Also there is no camping or fires permitted at the vista point. And finally, of course, high clearance vehicles are needed to get there from Sedona due to road conditions, no fee required, no trash service or toilets (pack it in/pack it out).

See Schnebly Hill Trail #158 for more information.

Read it at U.S. Forest Service →
Common questions

How high is Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site?

Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site sits at about 4,484 feet (1,367 m).

What can you see from Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site?

From Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site: Pink Jeep Tours, Inc. (W, 0.8 mi); Posse Grounds Park (W, 2.2 mi); Bike Skills Park (W, 2.2 mi); Barbara Antonsen Memorial Park (W, 2.2 mi).

Is Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. The land falls away from Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.

What is the nearest town to Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site?

Cottonwood, 18 miles WSW of Schnebly Hill Vista Observation Site.

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