Rustlers Hike the Bell Trail to the Weir

February 14, 2025

My wife, Laurie, and I scouted the Bell Trail hike in late November for the Sedona Westerners Rustlers group. We took Highway 179 past I-17, where the road becomes FS 618/Beaver Creek Road. The road narrows as it winds down toward Wet Beaver Creek. We crossed two one lane bridges before we reached the parking lot, which is about 2.5 miles from 1-17. The purpose of the scout was to check out the parking situation (there is a nice size parking lot that holds about 44 cars as well as an overflow parking lot) and to hike the trail to familiarize ourselves with the path. The Bell Trail is very popular in the summer season as hikers brave the heat to hike up to the Crack, a natural swimming hole. The trail to the Crack is 7 miles with an elevation gain of nearly 600 feet. An ambitious hike on any day. Our hike would fall slightly short of that destination at a place called the Weir (5.38 miles, 249-foot elevation gain).

Our scout took us through a beautiful, wooded section with tall Sycamores and Hackberry that displayed spectacular fall colors. On the left side were thick stands of prickly pear that will be covered with beautiful yellow flowers in May.

We continued past the intersections with several social trails and past the turn off for the trail to Apache Maid trail – a challenging hike with an elevation gain of 2,411 feet in over 10 miles (one way).

Our trail began to degrade, so we were glad to have our hiking poles, something we would be sure to tell the Rustlers before their hike.

The trail narrowed and descended with a slight incline as we neared Wet Beaver Creek. Just around 2.5 from the trailhead, the well-marked Bell Trail cut off to the right taking us down the Weir Trail. As we approached the creek, we could see the trail’s namesake, the Weir, a small dam in the creek. Nearby there were objects that looked like a flow meter. This was a great place to stop and enjoy the cool water under a canopy of massive Sycamores.

Fast forward to early January. The Rustlers met in the dirt parking lot for their first hike of the new year and readied themselves for the hike. We broke into two groups. I led the first group, and Laurie led the second group. Several people took advantage of the FS pit toilets before we headed out. It was a cool morning in the upper 30s, and there was a slight breeze which made it feel cooler. Laurie and I were prepared, and the hikers were anxious to get going – hiking poles at the ready.

The hike went smoothly, and we reached the Weir about 90 minutes from the trailhead. Laurie and I were reminded how pretty the trees were on our scout hike when we saw the trail near the creek blanketed with fallen leaves. The scene was still picturesque, but different from our first time here. The Rustlers wandered beside the creek and enjoyed freshly baked cookies (and, yes, I baked them myself). The water of the perennial creek flowed steadily toward the weir, tumbling over large rocks in the creek bed and sliding down shallow depressions that transformed the clear water to white as it splashed and churned along the way.

The Bell Trail is not to be confused with the Bell Rock Trail, the iconic and popular trail in the Village of Oak Creek. Located in Wet Beaver Canyon, the Bell Trail is part of the Wet Beaver Wilderness. The Wilderness status means the area is undeveloped and remains in its natural state. Motorized vehicles and bicycles are not allowed, which help create a relaxing environment for our hike.

Though named for 1930s rancher, Charlie Bell, who built the trail to move cattle from the Verde Valley up to the Mogollon Rim, the area has been home to a variety of wildlife and the Sinagua Indians, who lived in the area between A.D. 1150 and 1400. Several well-known locations significant to the indigenous people such as the Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site and Sacred Mountain are within a mile and a half of the trailhead, and Montezuma Well is less than five miles away.

We walked along the cattle trail back to the parking lot. There were several new cars in the parking lot, though we had not seen many other hikers. Maybe they had hiked past the Weir Trail and on to the Crack. Though it was warmer than when we had started, it was still too cold to consider taking a dip in the swimming hole. That would have to wait for another day.

More hiking adventures lie ahead for the Sedona Westerners this week. The Rustlers and the Rough Riders will be hiking around Brins Mesa on Saturday - with varying degrees of difficulty. The Drovers and the Amblers will have moderate hikes near Big Park around Submarine and Baldwin Loop respectively. The Mustangs will explore Loy Canyon near Honaki while the Dogies will check out Mushroom Base near Boynton Canyon in West Sedona. As a special treat this week, Westerners will join the AZ Trailblazers for the Butcher Jones hike in Phoenix. We hosted a hike with the Phoenix group last year, and now they are returning the favor. Check out our website, www.SedonaWesterners.org for more information about these hikes, and Wednesday’s Marg’s Draw hike with our new group, The Drifters. Theirs will be an easy hike suitable for all hikers looking for a hike with a slower pace. Membership is only $30. Join online today.