Seven Sacred Pools is a series of natural rock basins carved into a sandstone formation in the Soldier Pass area north of central Sedona, accessible via the Soldier Pass Trail. After rainfall the pools fill with water, creating a series of linked basins in the red rock; in dry periods they are empty but no less atmospheric. The geological process that formed them — differential erosion in a particularly soft layer of sandstone — is the same one responsible for many of Sedona's striking formations.
The Soldier Pass Trail (about 4 miles round trip) also passes Devil's Kitchen Sinkhole and offers fine red-rock views without the crowds of the Cathedral Rock or Bell Rock areas. The trail is moderate, with some rocky sections, and can be accessed from a parking area off Jordan Road in west Sedona.