Sedona, arizona
Attractions Guide

This beautiful city in Northern Arizona is surrounded by striking red rock scenery and formations in every direction with countless opportunities for hiking and outdoor activities.

North from Sedona along Highway 89 is the city of Flagstaff, and the route between the two cities is incredibly scenic and highly recommended to drive. This route winds through forest-covered red canyons before reaching the high-altitude pine forests that surround Flagstaff.

The city of Sedona is very lovely and features many great restaurants, resorts, and art galleries, as well as many interesting shops selling unique decorations, art, crystals, and new age/metaphysical items. Most of these places you'll find spread out along the town's main road from Highway 89 to Highway 179, near Sinagua Plaza.

Along Highway 179 you'll find many more unique stores and art galleries to explore, including the charming Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village, as well as the Son-Silver-West Galleries Inc featuring an expansive collection of one-of-a-kind decor.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

One of the most incredible man-made structures you'll find in Sedona is the must-see Chapel of the Holy Cross, which is aesthetically built into the red rock cliffs and offers gorgeous panoramic views over this picturesque landscape.

Amitabha Stupa

Another impressive sight in town is the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park, a beautiful Buddhist shrine located in West Sedona.

Around the city there are several spots that are said to be energy vortexes which also offer stunning views, the most popular being the Airport Mesa Vortex. This vortex which sits atop a rocky mesa hill near the airport and offers breathtaking panoramic views over Southern Sedona and many surrounding natural features. The vortex is accessible via a very short hike from the parking area.

Also near the airport is the Sedona Airport Overlook, which looks out over Western Sedona with towering gorgeous red rock cliffs and mountains behind the city.

Just south of Sedona near the Chapel of the Holy Cross are two of Sedona's most beautiful red rock formations, Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock.

Bell Rock is said to be another energy vortex and can be very fun to hike on, as the red rock trail is very scenic. You can simply hike up to and on top of Bell Rock and take in amazing views, with a round-trip hiking distance of approximately 1 mile (1.6 km), or take the 1.8 mile (2.9 km) round-trip Bell Rock Loop Trail around the entire rock.

There's even the option of walking the longer 3.6 mile (5.8 km) round-trip Courthouse Butte Loop Trail which loops around Bell Rock and the impressive Courthouse Rock.

Not far from Bell Rock is the massive Cathedral Rock formation, which you can hike to the top of and take in majestic views from, with a round-trip hiking distance of about 1.2 miles (1.9 km).

Broken Arrow Trail

Another notable trail in town is the easy 3.2 mile (5.1 km) round-trip Broken Arrow Trail which ventures out amongst some of the marvelous buttes and mesas.

Northwest of Sedona is another incredibly popular and highly recommended hike, the 4.2 mile (6.8 km) round-trip Devil's Bridge Trail, which offers fantastic vistas and scenery along the way to this stunning natural bridge formation.

Soldier Pass Trail

Another gorgeous hike nearby the Devil's Bridge Trail is the 4.1 mile (6.6 km) round-trip Soldier Pass Trail, which offers astounding views over the many red rock buttes, mesas, and cliffs, as well as smaller formations such as the Seven Sacred Pools.

Either of these trails can be extended if you'd like to explore further amongst this scenic forested red rock landscape, or you can even combine Soldier Pass and Devil's Bridge with a round-trip hiking distance of about 11.2 miles/18 km (or 7.5 miles/12.1 km with a taxi/Uber ride between the trailheads).

Boynton Pass Vortex & Boynton Canyon Trail

To the west of Devil's Bridge is another mystical vortex, the Boynton Pass Vortex, which you can reach via a 1.2 mile (1.9 km) round-trip hike. From atop this vortex you can enjoy excellent views, with the option of extending the hike to an easy hike 6.6 mile (10.6 km) round-trip hike along the beautiful Boynton Canyon Trail deep into the wilderness.

Fay Canyon Trail

A shorter canyon hike in the area near Boynton Pass is the popular 2.2 mile (3.5 km) round-trip Fay Canyon Trail, which doesn't include the vortex.

Bear Mountain Trail

Further west from Boynton Pass you might consider the challenging 4.3 mile (6.9 km) round-trip hike up Bear Mountain Trail that offers breathtaking views over the vast forested red rock landscape below.

Palatiki Cliff Dwellings

Slide Rock State Park

North of Sedona along Highway 89 is another great attraction, Slide Rock State Park, where Oak Creek forms long smooth natural water slides that you can slide down. This area is very beautiful and a popular place for lounging along the red rock as well as cliff jumping into the deeper parts of the creek.

West Fork Trail

Just north of Slide Rock State Park is the extremely popular West Fork Trail, which ventures into a heavily wooded red rock canyon alongside the serene west fork of Oak Creek. The total in and back length of this trail is about 7.2 miles, however you can make this hike shorter by turning around whenever you please. Overall the trail is relatively flat and easy-going.

Approximately 40 minutes south of Sedona is a stunning pre-Colombian Native American cliff dwelling, called Montezuma Castle National Monument. The impressive structure only requires a short walk to admire and is highly recommended.

Montezuma Well

Nearby Montezuma Castle is Montezuma Well National Monument, a unique round lake surrounded by cliff dwellings built into the walls above the lake. The Montezuma Castle and Well are located along the route between Phoenix and Sedona.