Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock rises to 1,500 m in Arizona. East Pocket Knob stands 2,190 m to the north, 11 miles off. The nearest named place is Cathedral Rock Vortex, a attraction 0.1 miles away. Red Rock Scenic Byway passes 0.9 miles off.
The story
Cathedral Rock is a natural sandstone butte near Sedona, Arizona, United States, and one of the most-photographed sights in the state. The rock formation is located in Coconino National Forest in Yavapai County, about 1 mile (1.6 km) west of State Route 179 (SR 179), and about 2.5 mi (4.0 km) south of the "Y" intersection of SR 179 and SR 89A in uptown Sedona. The summit elevation of Cathedral Rock is 4,967 ft (1,514 m). The Cathedral Rock trail (USFS Trail #170) is a popular short, steep ascent from the Back O' Beyond trailhead to the saddle points or "gaps" in Cathedral Rock. Geologically, Cathedral Rock is carved from the Permian Schnebly Hill formation, a redbed sandstone formed from coastal sand dunes near the shoreline of the ancient Pedregosa Sea. Ripple marks are prominent along the lower Cathedral Rock trail, and a black basalt dike may be seen in the first saddle. Cathedral Rock was called "Court House Rock" on some early maps, and Courthouse Butte was called "Church House Rock", which has caused endless confusion ever since.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q5052274, referenced by the OpenStreetMap record.
What the record says
- Elevation
- 1500 m
How to reach it
- 0.9 mi off the Red Rock Scenic Byway, National
- 2.9 mi off the Dry Creek Scenic Road
- 26.0 mi off the Historic Route 66, National
- 5.3 mi off the Sedona-Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Road
Overlooks nearby
- Yavapai Vista · 2 mi
- Courthouse Vista · 2 mi
- Sedona Airport Overlook · 2 mi
- Mt. Scheurmann vista · 2 mi
Named places within 25 miles
- West Twin Butte: 1.9 mi
- Baby Bell Rock: 1.9 mi
- Table Top Mountain: 2.1 mi
- Bell Rock: 2.1 mi
- Christianity Spire: 2.2 mi
- Bell Rock Spring: 2.2 mi
- Lee Mountain Spring: 4.5 mi
- Winter Cabin Spring: 9.4 mi
- Woods Spring: 10.2 mi
- Barney Spring: 12.0 mi
- Crescent Moon Ranch: 0.9 mi
- Red Rock State Park: 2.0 mi
- Sunset Park: 2.4 mi
- Northview Park: 2.7 mi
- Jack Jamesen Memorial Park: 3.0 mi
- Cathedral Rock Vortex: 0.1 mi
- White Line: 2.2 mi
- Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village: 3.4 mi
- Pink Jeep Tours, Inc.: 3.8 mi
- Seven Sacred Pools: 4.9 mi
- Planetarium: 1.7 mi
- Devils Dining Room: 2.6 mi
- Fun Ship: 4.4 mi
- Devil's Kitchen: 4.6 mi
- Beaverhead: 5.6 mi
- Sedona Heritage Museum: 4.4 mi
- Clemenceau Heritage Museum: 14.3 mi
- Arizona Copper Art Museum: 15.3 mi
- Arizona Copper Art Museum: 15.3 mi
- Clarkdale Historical Society and Museum: 15.4 mi
- Crescent Moon Picnic Site: 0.9 mi
- Midgley Bridge Picnic Area: 5.4 mi
- Grasshopper Point Picnic Area: 5.8 mi
- Encinoso Picnic Area: 8.0 mi
- Halfway Picnic Area: 9.7 mi
- Red Rock State Park: 2.0 mi
- Munds Mountain Wilderness: 5.3 mi
- Sedona Wetlands Preserve: 5.9 mi
- Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness: 10.7 mi
- Montezuma Castle National Monument: 13.2 mi
- 9/11 Memorial: 1.2 mi
- Sugarloaf Ruin: 10.9 mi
- Atkeson Pueblo: 12.7 mi
- Bridgeport Pueblo: 12.9 mi
- Hatalacva Pueblo: 14.7 mi
- Rotary Community Garden: 3.0 mi
- Arroyo Pinon Botanical Garden: 3.1 mi
- Cottonwood Community Garden: 13.9 mi
- The Arboretum at Flagstaff: 23.8 mi
- Burro: 3.4 mi
- Red Rocks and the Cowboy Artist: 4.0 mi
- Motion: 23.1 mi
- McGuireville Rest Area: 10.2 mi
- McGuireville Rest Area: 10.2 mi
- Devil's Bridge: 5.4 mi
- Cherry: 21.4 mi
Other summits around it
The highest named summits within 11.6 miles of Cathedral Rock. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Pocket Knob | N 7° | 2,190 m | 10.8 mi |
| Wilson Mountain | NNE 19° | 2,164 m | 7.2 mi |
| Wilson Mountain | NNE 21° | 2,137 m | 6.9 mi |
| Little Round Mountain | NNW 347° | 2,118 m | 10.6 mi |
| Munds Mountain | ENE 60° | 2,084 m | 5.3 mi |
| Lost Wilson Mountain | N 6° | 2,066 m | 7.6 mi |
| Maroon Mountain | NNW 342° | 2,030 m | 8.9 mi |
| Schnebly Hill | ENE 57° | 2,026 m | 7.9 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 06:32 | 18:06 | 18:39 |
| June solstice | 05:15 | 19:07 | 19:45 |
| September equinox | 06:16 | 17:52 | 18:25 |
| December solstice | 07:32 | 16:42 | 17:20 |
Local time (America/Phoenix).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: Mar–Jun, Sep–Nov.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 46 | 49 | 54 | 59 | 68 | 78 | 82 | 81 | 75 | 65 | 54 | 45 |
| Precip in | 2.0 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.5 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Sedona, 6 mi away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapWikipediaWikidataOpenStreetMap element node/359263691
Day trips start here
- Sedona · 4 mi
- Mormon Lake Village · 21 mi
- Flagstaff · 28 mi
Take the scenic way to Cathedral Rock.
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