Taking the Road Less Travelled-Exploring Miles of Trails Near Verde Santa Fe, Cornville AZ
One thing I definitely love about living in the Sedona Verde Valley area is the absolute ease with which one can find a trail with nobody in sight for miles and miles and just leave the everyday world behind. These photos were taken early in the morning. I had forgotten my camera but had my trusty BlackBerry.

The trail is easily accessed from the golf communities at Verde Santa Fe in Cornville AZ, and is just one of many in the area that offer access to literally hundreds of acres of National Forest Service Land surrounding this Master Planned community in Northern Arizona. The location is very convenient to all that Sedona and the Verde Valley have to offer: 15 minutes to West Sedona, 5 minutes to Cottonwood AZ, about an hour to Flagstaff and Prescott, and an hour and a half to North Scottsdale and the Phoenix Metro area.
In the scene above, we are looking northwest towards Verde Santa Fe and the golf course, with Cottonwood AZ in the background, and the historic mining town of Jerome AZ perched on Mingus Mountain in the distance (look just a little left of center, on the taller mountain). At night it's a gorgeous sight too, with the sparkling lights echoing the stars above.
The view below follows the road across miles of Coconino National Forest land (though this is located in Yavapai County-go figure), towards the Oak Creek greenbelt area of Cornville to the southeast.

Wildflowers along the path - this orange beauty is Globe Mallow.

Looking back towards the Red Rocks of Sedona. My friend Bella loves a good hike!

There's no doubt that this is a powerful and serene way to start your day in Yavapai County AZ in Northern Arizona!
For more information about the 7 neighborhoods of the Verde Santa Fe, visit www.VerdeSantaFe.info. There are gated and non-gated neighborhoods, and 55+ Active Adult Living as well.
To search for other areas in Sedona and the Verde Valley, visit www.Move2Sedona.com, or Contact Beth Larsen. You can also pick up the phone and reach me at 928-284-2501.
Happy Hiking!
please note: this was first published 5/1/11 on my Active Rain blog at: http://actvra.in/9bz