Sedona is a small city in northern Arizona, ringed by red sandstone buttes, canyons and mesas inside the Coconino National Forest. It lies at about 4,360 feet (1,330 metres) in the northern Verde Valley, straddles the line between Coconino and Yavapai counties, and counted 9,684 residents at the 2020 census.
Visitors come to hike and mountain bike among formations such as Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, to cool off in the creek and shady trails of Oak Creek Canyon, and for galleries, spiritual retreats and dark night skies. The rocks glow orange and pink at sunrise and sunset, so many days here are planned around those hours. Vacation rentals range from condos and casitas in West Sedona to houses with red rock views in the Village of Oak Creek and cabins beside the creek in the canyon. Spring and fall are the busiest seasons, while summer brings heat and afternoon monsoon storms.
Uptown Sedona, at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon near the junction of State Routes 89A and 179, is the walkable visitor centre, with shops, restaurants and viewpoints. It suits first-time visitors and short stays without much driving. Just south along State Route 179, the Gallery District and the Chapel area mix art galleries with quiet residential streets and easy access to the Chapel of the Holy Cross.
West Sedona, the larger part of the city along 89A, is where most residents live and shop. Condos, houses and casitas here are handy for groceries and for trailheads around Soldier Pass, Thunder Mountain and Boynton Canyon, and suit families and longer stays.
The Village of Oak Creek, an unincorporated community about 7 miles (11 kilometres) south of the city, sits beside Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte, with many homes that look straight at the rocks and a shorter drive to Interstate 17. North of Uptown, cabins in Oak Creek Canyon trade convenience for pines, shade and the sound of the creek.
Sedona's colour comes from the Schnebly Hill Formation, a red sandstone laid down in the Permian period and found only in the Sedona area. Erosion has carved it into buttes, spires and mesas whose names describe their shapes: Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Courthouse Butte, Capitol Butte and the Two Nuns. Wilson Mountain, north of town, is the highest of the local landforms.
Hundreds of hiking and mountain-biking trails cross the surrounding national forest, from short walks to long canyon routes. Since the late 1980s Sedona has also drawn visitors interested in New Age spirituality; some believe that energy vortices are concentrated at Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon, which are also popular viewpoints whatever your beliefs.
The City of Sedona runs a free public shuttle to several busy trailheads, including Cathedral Rock and Soldier Pass, where parking has been closed to private cars while it operates; check the current service before you go. Carry plenty of water on every hike.
Oak Creek Canyon runs about 12 miles (19 kilometres) north from Uptown toward Flagstaff. State Route 89A follows the creek along the canyon floor before climbing out through a series of hairpin bends. The canyon is 800 to 2,000 feet deep, and its walls show red Schnebly Hill sandstone below pale Coconino sandstone and dark basalt at the rim. Oak Creek is one of the few streams in northern Arizona's high desert that flows all year.
Slide Rock State Park, about 7 miles (11 kilometres) north of Sedona, is named for a natural water slide in the slippery creek bed and preserves a historic homestead apple farm. The West Fork Trail, which follows a narrow side canyon, is one of the most popular trails in the Coconino National Forest.
Farther afield, the Palatki Heritage Site shows Sinagua cliff dwellings and rock art, and Montezuma Castle National Monument in Camp Verde protects a well-preserved cliff dwelling.
The Sinagua people farmed this country and built cliff dwellings in the red sandstone between about 1100 and 1400 CE, and some rock art at sites such as Palatki is thousands of years older. The first European-American settler, John J. Thompson, moved into Oak Creek Canyon in 1876, and early families grew peaches and apples and raised livestock. When a post office opened in 1902, the settlement of 55 people took the name of Sedona Schnebly, the postmaster's wife.
From 1923 into the 1970s, more than sixty Hollywood productions, many of them westerns, used the red rocks as a backdrop. Artists followed, such as Max Ernst. The Chapel of the Holy Cross, built into a red rock butte between 1954 and 1956, became a local landmark. Sedona grew as a tourist, retirement and vacation-home town from the 1950s but was only incorporated as a city in 1988. In 2014 it was designated an International Dark Sky Community for its work to limit light pollution.
Most visitors fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), about 120 miles (190 kilometres) to the south, a drive of roughly two hours via Interstate 17 and State Route 179. Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG), about 26 miles (42 kilometres) away, is closer but has far fewer flights; the road from Flagstaff descends through Oak Creek Canyon on State Route 89A.
A car is the practical way to explore, because trailheads, viewpoints and the Village of Oak Creek are spread out. Traffic on 179 and 89A can be slow on spring and fall weekends, so start early for popular hikes or use the city's trailhead shuttle.
Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year and does not observe daylight saving time, so in summer Sedona's clocks match California's. The currency is the US dollar. Grand Canyon National Park's South Rim is within day-trip reach by way of Flagstaff.
Sedona has a semi-arid high-desert climate, cooler than Phoenix in summer and milder than Flagstaff in winter. January days average about 58°F (15°C), nights drop close to freezing, and snow falls occasionally. In July, average highs reach the mid-90s Fahrenheit (about 35 to 36°C). Annual precipitation is a little over 17 inches (430 millimetres).
Spring, from March to May, and fall, from September to November, are the busiest seasons, with mild days for hiking, so book rentals early for those months and for holiday weekends. Summer is hot: walk early in the morning and carry more water than you expect to need. From about July to September, the North American monsoon brings afternoon thunderstorms that can send flash floods through washes and canyons, so stay out of narrow canyons when storms threaten. Winter is quieter, with crisp, clear days. In dry periods, fire restrictions may apply in the national forest.
Uptown suits visitors who want to walk to shops, restaurants and viewpoints. West Sedona is convenient for groceries and many trailheads and suits longer stays. The Village of Oak Creek, about 7 miles south, has homes facing Bell Rock, while cabins in Oak Creek Canyon offer shade and quiet.
Spring (March to May) and fall (September to November) bring mild days for hiking and are the busiest seasons. Summer is hot, with monsoon thunderstorms from about July to September, and winter is quiet and cool, with occasional snow.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is about 120 miles (190 kilometres) south of Sedona, roughly a two-hour drive via Interstate 17. Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG) is about 26 miles away but has far fewer flights.
Yes, for most trips. Trailheads, viewpoints, the Village of Oak Creek and Oak Creek Canyon are spread out, and public transport is limited. Uptown is walkable, and the city's free trailhead shuttle serves several busy hikes where parking is restricted.
Two or three days allow a few hikes, a drive through Oak Creek Canyon and a visit to the Chapel of the Holy Cross. With four or five days you can add Slide Rock State Park, cliff dwellings at Palatki or Montezuma Castle, and a day trip to the Grand Canyon.
They are places where some New Age followers believe spiritual energy is concentrated, an idea that grew popular after the 1987 Harmonic Convergence gathering. The sites most often named are Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon, all of which are also scenic red rock viewpoints.
Yes. Sedona was designated an International Dark Sky Community in 2014, and the city limits outdoor lighting to protect the night sky. Clear desert air makes stargazing rewarding on most nights, especially away from the main roads and outside the summer monsoon.
Within city limits, yes. Since 2023 the City of Sedona has required an annual city permit for each short-term rental unit, and the permit number must appear on listings. Rentals of 30 days or more do not need one. Rules can change, so check the city's current short-term rental pages before booking or listing a home.
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