Visit Sedona

Red sandstone buttes that glow at sunset, a cool canyon where you can swim in the creek, trails that start almost at the hotel door: Sedona is best discovered on foot, early in the morning. Allow three days, on the way to the Grand Canyon.

Why visit Sedona?

Sedona is surrounded by Coconino National Forest and its red sandstone formations, crossed by more than 200 km of hiking trails. About two hours from both Phoenix and the Grand Canyon, it makes an easy nature stop, with one of the best-protected night skies in Arizona.

Sedona's must-sees

Buttes, arches and viewpoints, nearly all within a twenty-minute drive of Uptown.

Cathedral Rock

Sedona's most photographed butte. The trail is only two kilometres round trip, but its upper part requires scrambling up steep slabs using your hands.

Devils Bridge

The largest sandstone arch in the area, which you can walk across. Allow about three hours round trip and a long queue for photos by mid-morning.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

A 1956 Catholic chapel built into the red rock beside Route 179. Free entry and views of the surrounding buttes from the access ramp.

Bell Rock

A bell-shaped butte visible from Route 179. An easy trail loops around it and lets you scramble freely up its lower sandstone ledges.

Slide Rock State Park

A former fruit farm in Oak Creek Canyon, famous for its natural slide of polished rock. Cool water even in July, but very crowded in summer.

Tlaquepaque

An artisans' village built in the 1970s on the model of a Mexican town, with patios, fountains and art galleries, beside Oak Creek.

Airport Mesa

A plateau above town, popular at sunset for its 360-degree view. The small car park fills quickly: walk up via the trail that loops around it.

What to see in Sedona, area by area?

Uptown and Oak Creek Canyon

Uptown, the small tourist centre along Route 89A, gathers galleries, shops and the departure points for jeep tours. To the north, the road drops into Oak Creek Canyon, a wooded gorge with swimming spots and shady trails such as West Fork, one of the most popular in autumn. The road continues for about 45 km to Flagstaff, with spectacular switchbacks and a viewpoint at the top of the plateau. In summer the canyon car parks fill up by 9 am: set off early or go on a weekday.

West Sedona and the Boynton and Soldier Pass canyons

The western part of town, more residential, holds most of the affordable hotels, supermarkets and everyday restaurants. It gives access to the Boynton, Fay and Soldier Pass canyons, as well as the Dry Creek Road track leading towards Devils Bridge. Several of these trailheads are served by the free Sedona Shuttle on certain days of the week, which spares you the hunt for parking. Plan on hikes of two to four hours, with at least two litres of water per person even in spring.

Village of Oak Creek and Route 179

To the south, Route 179 links Sedona to the Village of Oak Creek over about fifteen kilometres designated a national scenic byway, with Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte right by the roadside. The Village is a calmer and often slightly cheaper base than Uptown, ten to fifteen minutes away by car. The trails around Bell Rock are among the easiest in the area, suitable for families. Avoid Route 179 on Saturday late mornings, when traffic jams can double the drive time to Uptown.

The Verde Valley, mining towns and vineyards

Thirty to forty-five minutes south-west, the Verde Valley rounds off a stay in Sedona nicely. Jerome, a former copper-mining town clinging to a mountainside, has been reborn as an artists' village. Cottonwood and Cornville are home to wineries and tasting rooms, and Montezuma Castle, a cliff dwelling built by the Sinagua around eight centuries ago, takes an hour to visit. One day is enough to combine all three, on a road trip through the West of the United States.

Frequently asked questions about Sedona

Where are the Sedona vortexes?
Four sites are traditionally named as vortexes, said to concentrate a special energy: Airport Mesa, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon. No scientific measurement supports this, but they are very fine viewpoints anyway, reached by short trails.
Do you need a Red Rock Pass to hike in Sedona?
It is required to park at many Coconino National Forest trailheads, not to walk. If you arrive on the Sedona Shuttle or on foot, you do not need one. The America the Beautiful annual pass replaces it for vehicles displaying it.
Can you do the Grand Canyon as a day trip from Sedona?
Yes: the South Rim is about two hours by road via Flagstaff. Leave at dawn to enjoy the viewpoints before the crowds and return through Oak Creek Canyon. A night there is still better if you want to see sunrise or sunset over the canyon.
Is the Cathedral Rock trail dangerous?
It is short but steep: the upper part climbs tilted sandstone slabs, using your hands. It is not technical climbing, but you need good shoes, should avoid wet rock and turn back if you suffer from vertigo. Rescues are frequent there in summer.
Jeep excursion: is it better to book an organised tour?
For difficult tracks such as Broken Arrow, yes: they require a real 4x4 and experience, and standard rental insurance does not cover off-road driving. Guided tours last from an hour and a half to three hours and leave from Uptown.
When can you see autumn colours in Oak Creek Canyon?
Usually from late October to mid-November, when the canyon's maples, oaks and sycamores turn yellow and red. The West Fork trail is then the most sought after: arrive when the car park opens, as it is often full by late morning at weekends.
Stay in Sedona or in Flagstaff?
Sedona offers the setting and immediate access to the trails, but its accommodation is expensive. Flagstaff, 45 minutes away, is more affordable, cooler in summer and closer to the Grand Canyon. A common solution is to combine one night in each town.
Where to stargaze around Sedona?
Get away from lit roads: the Bell Rock car parks, the road towards Dry Creek or the surroundings of Cathedral Rock offer very dark skies. Several operators run telescope evenings. Aim for a night close to the new moon.

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