Backway to Broken Arrow

This infamous Sedona trail earned its name from a movie filmed here in the 1950s, but the real drama happens when your bumper meets unforgiving Coconino Sandstone. The route winds through narrow passages between towering red rock fins, demanding inch-perfect wheel placement through off-camber sections and over sandstone ledges that’ll test your clearance and approach angles. Key obstacles include the Devil’s Dining Room sinkhole and several mandatory climbs over slickrock shelves that separate stock SUVs from properly built rigs.

This is expert-level technical driving requiring lockers, skid plates, and aggressive tires with proven grip on smooth rock. Spotters are essential for the blind climbs and narrow squeezes. Summer heat makes this miserable, while winter ice turns slickrock into skating rinks. Spring and fall provide ideal conditions for this bucket-list challenge. The trail sees heavy traffic from Jeep tours, so expect crowds and be prepared to yield. Success here earns you legitimate red rock bragging rights and some of Arizona’s most iconic 4×4 photography.