Colorado Plateau Jeep Tour | Tourbase

The Old Bear Wallow route is where Sedona’s scenery turns dramatic fast. One moment you’re rolling past familiar formations; the next, you’re climbing toward the Colorado Plateau on a road only true 4x4s can handle. Every turn reveals a new angle, a new canyon, a new story.

This private 4x4 tour follows one of Sedona’s most historic routes: the old stagecoach road that once connected Sedona and Flagstaff. Today, it’s a rugged, narrow trail reserved for true off‑road vehicles, which means you’ll travel through terrain most visitors never see. The climb begins gently, with your guide pointing out familiar formations—Snoopy Rock, Cow Pie Rock, Coffee Pot Rock—before the road tilts upward and the red walls close in.

As the Jeep works its way higher, the landscape shifts. The air cools slightly, the views widen, and the rock layers reveal the story of the Colorado Plateau. Guides share the history of the route, the geology of the cliffs, and the plant life that survives in this high-desert environment. You’ll pass landmarks like Damnfino Canyon and the Dripping Cave, a filming location from the 1987 western The Quick & the Dead.

The final stretch brings you to the Mogollon Rim, where the elevation gain—roughly 2,000 feet—pays off instantly. Oak Creek Canyon and the surrounding buttes spread out below, and the valley looks almost carved by hand. This is your unhurried photo stop, with time to breathe in the quiet and take in the scale of the landscape.

The ride is undeniably bumpy, but guides adjust the pace based on your comfort. Some guests prefer a slow, steady climb; others enjoy the full off‑road bounce. Either way, you’ll return with a deeper sense of Sedona’s geology, history, and wild terrain—without ever needing to drive the trail yourself.