The North Willson Trail begins at the Encinoso Picnic Area and climbs a shady side canyon of Wilson Mountain in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness. J.J. Thompson, a homesteader in Oak Creek Canyon, established the trail for grazing his cattle and horses on the grassy mountaintop. The trail zigzags up to the First Bench of Wilson Mountain, a large, sloping plateau formed by the down-fault of a huge block of the mountain. The bench is covered with black basalt lava and stretches across the east side of the mountain, offering great views of the San Francisco Peaks, the Mogollon Rim and the mouth of Munds Canyon. At the south endof the First Bench, the trail meets the Wilson Mountain Trail coming up from Midgley Bridge. To hike further, the trail continues to the top of Wilson Mountain.
The Hike House Sedona Trail Rating System provides actual hiker feedback and ratings of each of the Sedona hiking trails. The cumulative trail ratings for the Wilson (North) to First Bench submitted by fellow hikers is located above with the Trail Data. Your trail feedback and ratings are an important resource for fellow hikers and provide a personal account of your trail experience from which others may learn. So please hike Sedona, help others, and rate a trail today!
You have a great site. Thank you for sharing your expertise. The north Wilson trail was challenging but extremely rewarding. While we stopped frequently to admirer the constantly changing views and flowers we think your two hour estimate of time would have hikers sprinting up and (more dangerously) down the trail. We recommend you lengthen the estimated time to complete the trail. That’s my two cents. Thanks again.