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Field Notes / Sedona
Things to Do in Sedona: A Flagstaff Guide’s Short List
The short version
- Sedona is small. One full day covers the headline sights; two lets you hike properly and swim.
- Must-do: the Red Rock Scenic Byway at sunrise, one short hike (Doe Mountain or Fay Canyon), Oak Creek at Slide Rock or Grasshopper Point, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, sunset from Airport Mesa.
- Skip or shorten: midday on Main Street in spring break, the pay-to-park viewpoints you can see from a trail, anything you have to queue for.
- Sedona and Flagstaff are 45 minutes apart through Oak Creek Canyon, so it is easy to base in one and visit the other.
The red rocks
- Red Rock Scenic Byway (SR-179). Enter from the south at dawn with the sun behind you: Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, then the town. Pull-outs are free.
- Airport Mesa. The 360° view over town; the classic sunset spot. Park in the lower lot and walk up when the upper one is full (always, at sunset).
- Cathedral Rock from Red Rock Crossing (Crescent Moon Picnic Site, day-use fee): the reflection photo, best in the late afternoon.
- A short hike. Doe Mountain for the view, Fay Canyon for families, Bell Rock Pathway for an easy walk among the giants.
The water
- Slide Rock State Park (7 miles up Oak Creek Canyon): the natural waterslide, packed on summer weekends; go on a weekday morning or in September.
- Grasshopper Point: swimming holes and cliffs, day-use fee, quieter than Slide Rock.
- West Fork of Oak Creek: not swimming so much as wading, through a shaded canyon that is one of the best walks in the state. See also our guide to Arizona's water hikes.
The town
- Chapel of the Holy Cross: a 1956 chapel built into the rock; free, short, worth it. Go early.
- Tlaquepaque: an arts-and-crafts village under sycamores by the creek. Galleries, courtyards, a couple of good restaurants.
- Uptown: souvenir shops and crystal stores on SR-89A. One pass is enough.
- Stargazing: Sedona is an International Dark Sky Community. Drive 10 minutes out of town on any clear night.
Nearby, and often better
- Oak Creek Canyon drive to the Vista at the top: the way to Flagstaff and the best 14 miles of road in Arizona. Continue to the Grand Canyon from there.
- Jerome: a copper-mining ghost town on a hillside 40 minutes away.
- Montezuma Castle and Camp Verde: cliff dwellings and a quieter valley, 30 minutes south.
- Sycamore Canyon: Sedona's red rock with none of Sedona's people.
Tours in Sedona
The famous ones are Jeep rides, which are fun and short; we have an honest take on when they are worth it. For a full day on foot with a guide, or to combine Sedona with the Grand Canyon from a Flagstaff base, this is what we offer.
@trekwesttours
Dozens of reels from the trail
Quick tips, hidden overlooks, road-trip tricks and the places we love around the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff and Sedona. New ones every week, straight from our guides.
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Want to see it with a local guide?
Small groups, no more than 10 guests, park fees and lunch included on our day tours. Book online or ask us anything.
