Prepare to be mesmerized by the awe-inspiring views of Sedona. Towering red rock formations, gracefully carved by time, provide a stunning backdrop that seems straight out of a painting. As the sun bathes the landscape in warm hues, the panoramic vistas unveil an enchanting tapestry of natural beauty.
Despite being a little town in northern Arizona, Sedona has become wildly popular for its beautiful red rock landscapes. Arizona has no shortage of amazing striated canyons and glowing orange rock formations (I mean, the Grand Canyon? The Wave?), but Sedona is a wonderful and easily accessible place to see it all.
When is the best time of year to visit Sedona?
We came to Sedona in the winter and it wasn’t crowded at all. The high season for Sedona is in the spring and fall when temperatures are a bit milder; summer is best for long days but the temperatures can get quite high and the sun may be unforgiving and bright. In the early winter, you’ll get a light dusting of snow and temperatures in the 30s-50s. The snow will get heavier as you get further into winter.
How expensive is Sedona?
Despite being in the middle of seemingly nowhere, Sedona is not a cheap place to visit. I recommend asking locals for restaurant recommendations or packing your own food to save on costs if you’re looking to travel on a tighter budget.
How long should you stay in Sedona?
3 days is perfect for a first-time Sedona starter; however, I’ve been told that if you want to tackle as many hikes as possible you could definitely extend to 5 or even 7 days!
Alas, we only had 3 days, so here’s a long weekend hiking guide to Sedona.
Where to stay in Sedona
Sedona has plenty of accommodation options. The area is fairly popular with visitors from around the country and Arizona locals looking for a getaway, so you won’t have any trouble finding a place to stay. Here are a few of my recommendations:
Budget
- Sedona Village Lodge: This budget-friendly lodge offers comfortable accommodations and is located within proximity to popular attractions like Bell Rock and Chapel of the Holy Cross.
- Baby Quail Inn: Situated in a serene location, Baby Quail Inn provides affordable rooms with cozy amenities, making it a great base for exploring Sedona’s natural beauty.
Mid-Range
- Sky Ranch Lodge: Enjoy stunning panoramic views of Sedona’s red rocks from this mid-range lodge. With well-appointed rooms and beautiful surroundings, it’s an ideal spot to unwind.
- Arabella Hotel Sedona: Nestled in the heart of Sedona, Arabella Hotel offers a blend of comfort and convenience, with easy access to shopping, dining, and attractions.
Luxury
- L’Auberge de Sedona: Offering a luxurious escape, L’Auberge de Sedona boasts elegant accommodations, a tranquil setting along Oak Creek, and upscale dining options.
- Enchantment Resort: Set against the backdrop of Boynton Canyon, Enchantment Resort provides a lavish retreat with top-notch amenities, including a renowned spa and outdoor activities.
Please note that availability and prices may vary, so it’s a good idea to check directly for the most up-to-date information and to read reviews from other travelers.
Enough logistics—it’s time to get into the Sedona itinerary you’ve been waiting for!
Day 1
Devil’s Bridge
Devil’s Bridge is the most popular hike in Sedona. I personally find it the most beautiful at sunrise, plus you’ll be able to avoid the inevitable hordes of people who will make this hike at other times of day.
The hike is 4.2 miles roundtrip, but you can cut this hike in half if you have a 4-wheel drive or ATV. At the initial parking lot, you’ll see a sign that says regular passenger vehicles are not allowed to drive any further (and for good reason, there are lots of rocks). However, if you have a vehicle equipped to handle the terrain, you can drive out to the halfway point where you’ll find another small parking area and hike from there.
Allow at least 2 hours for this hike round-trip. If you want to time it so you get to the bridge just at sunrise, start an hour prior (this is assuming you’re hiking from the first parking lot and don’t have a 4WD). You’ll want to have a light with you since it’s pitch-black and just after moonset, but you’ll be rewarded with beautiful stars! We stopped for a second to admire the sky and stargaze a little, and it just so happened that we were hiking in Sedona when the Geminids meteor shower was at its peak. We saw some amazing shooting stars!
There are a couple steep portions where you might want to use your hands, but overall the hike is quite mild. The bridge is hard to see until the very last point, so don’t worry if you can’t seem to see it from afar. At sunrise, you’ll probably only be sharing this iconic spot with other dedicated photographers and hardcore hikers.
Note that the sun rises technically behind you when you’re at the bridge spot, so you’ll want to time this hike correctly. Otherwise, you’ll be heavily backlit since the mountains behind you will be all lit up while the bridge is still in deep shadows.
Also, the bridge is not nearly as narrow as it looks from afar. It’s not a scary hike at all!
Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock is a famous vortex hike in Sedona. The vortexes are said to be areas where you feel the flow of energy, and people may sit here and meditate or have strong feelings. I didn’t really feel anything special while here, but it was incredibly beautiful and I recommend it as my favorite hike in Sedona!
Cathedral Rock is absolutely perfect for sunset and I wouldn’t choose to hike it at any other time. It’s only 1.4 miles round trip, but extremely steep (read: 60-degree angled slopes). Many of the inclines you’ll want to have your hands free because you may have to climb on your hands and knees! Because of this, I recommend starting about 1.5 hours before sunset, and definitely having a small pack or zippered pockets to make sure you don’t need to hold anything in your hand.
Also, if you’re planning on staying on top of the rock until past sunset, you’ll want to have some way to have a light source when you’re climbing back down as some of the slopes can be decently treacherous. We hiked Cathedral Rock in the winter, and I recommend having gloves so you don’t freeze your hands off while climbing!
Hands-down, Cathedral Rock is my favorite hike in Sedona. I can’t get over the views here. Be prepared to share the end of the trail with many other people, but it’s large enough that it doesn’t feel too crowded. The only part that may be congested at the top is the walk out to the lookout ledge, since it’s narrow enough that only one party should go out at a time.
But seriously, look at the views here. What an unreal first sunset in Sedona!
We climbed back down as pink hour started to set in and had a well-deserved dinner before going to sleep.
Day 2
Soldier Pass/Seven Sacred Pools
Soldier Pass is a short and beautiful trail through relatively flat, red and green landscapes. The trail totals 4.5 miles round trip, but you can stop at pretty much any time. We only walked out to the Seven Sacred Pools, a wonderful photo spot located a short 0.9 mile hike out, but you can easily do the entire trail without much strain. There’s almost no elevation gain to speak of.
Before you reach the Seven Sacred Pools, you’ll come across the Devil’s Kitchen, a massive sinkhole that collapsed back in 1995. You’ll find it right after taking the first fork, immediately on the right-hand side. Be careful since it’s obviously a steep drop!
The Seven Sacred Pools have a sign that marks them, but can be easy to miss if you’re hiking fast and not looking for them. I heard mixed reviews about these as they can look very underwhelming when dried up or mucky, but I thought they were beautiful! I read many recommendations to come see them at either sunrise or sunset for the best lighting.
It’s worth noting that you cannot really hike the trail at sunrise. If you want to access the parking lot, you have to wait until the gate to them opens at 8AM. We were surprised to find a gate blocking our way, but the trailhead is located in a somewhat residential area so it makes some sense. If you’re really set on hiking at sunrise, you can park out further on the road and walk past the gate, but you’ll have to park significantly further back as it’s otherwise not allowed in the neighborhoods.
Personally, I think the pools might be better at sunset, because the sun will set behind the mountains and the shadows are perhaps less difficult to work with.
Boynton Canyon
The Boynton Canyon Trail is quite long and has many turn-off points, so it can be difficult to take the trails that you want. There are plenty of signs along the trail but somehow it’s still troublesome to find your way around! It can be a bit difficult to find the right trail as there are so many forks, but ask other hikers if you need any pointers.
The Boynton Canyon Trail has 2 vortexes, one of that forks off on the right on the subway cave side trail and one at the end of the trail. The trail is about 3 miles one way and 7.1 miles in total, taking around 4-6 hours to entirely finish.
At the base of this cave which is near but off the trail, there are two ways to get up. The right side is steeper and essentially a climb up the rocks, while the left side is significantly longer but less treacherous. However, the only difficult portion is crossing between the left and right sides of the “subway tracks.” One side is much more sheer than the other and can be scary to attempt if you have shoes without much grip.
I recommend doing this trail earlier in the morning so that light can reach the cave. We weren’t able to do it as early as I liked and by the time we got out to the cave itself, the shadows had already mostly set in. Also, this goes without saying, but be careful if you’re going to venture out towards the cave mouth!
Blue McDonald’s
Obviously, this isn’t a hike, but it’s a cute Easter egg to visit while you’re in Sedona! Sedona features the only blue McDonald’s in the entire world. The city was worried that the original yellow color would clash with the red rock landscape, so they got special permission to paint it a pastel blue instead. I’d only seen it in pictures, so it was kind of fun to visit!
(The McDonald’s is no different from a regular McDonald’s, except for perhaps being a bit small. But it’s still fun!)
Stargazing at Yavapai College Park
Here’s a local tip: if you want to go stargazing but don’t want to drive all the way out to the red rock country, you can try driving just a few miles down the road to Yavapai College Park! A local told us about this spot. It is basically just an abandoned parking lot for a college that never got finished. While there’s still some light pollution around, it’s actually extremely dark. We came out around midnight to see some stars! Just be aware of the weather and how full the moon is when you’re stargazing; a full moon or clouds (obviously) make it much harder to see the beautiful night sky.
I love stargazing, and recommend coming out around 2-3AM to see stars! If you’re dealing with a bright moon, the best time is to come after moonset (aka 1-2 hours before sunrise).
Day 3
Birthing Cave
The trail to the Birthing Cave is technically an off-trail hike that extends 2 miles round-trip, out-and-back. Luckily, it’s not too strenuous and also popular enough that you probably won’t get lost on the trail. And at the end, you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful diamond-shaped cave with high sloping walls and great views!
To reach the Birthing Cave, start from the Long Canyon trailhead and turn off after 0.6 miles onto the small-use trail on the left side. There’s no signage that marks the right direction, but the trail is very obviously well-trekked. To double check, the trail that goes forward instead will have a large wooden gate-like structure in front of it. This way, you’ll know that you need to turn left at that point.
After turning onto the trail, it’s a straightfoward hike about another half mile, with a sharp incline at the end to reach the mouth of the cave. I was a huge fan of this hike, it’s easy enough to do with friends who aren’t big into hiking and rewarding and fun enough that everyone will enjoy it.
I recommend doing this trail around late morning or midday so the sunlight will be pouring into the cave and you get great lighting as well as great views.
After this, we had to drive back down to Phoenix because a member of our party had an afternoon event to attend, so we grabbed some crepes at the uber-tasty Sedona Crepes and headed home!
Extras
We were running on a very relaxed schedule since I had to work on the trip and I was with people who weren’t hardcore hikers, so feel free to slip in a couple extra hikes if you have the time to spare! Here are a couple ones on my itinerary that we didn’t get through:
Fay Canyon is similar to the Birthing Cave hike, clocking in at 2.5 miles round trip. It’s a great short hike with a super-varied landscape, from a box canyon to a red rock ravine to a pretty arch! This one you can definitely do in the middle of the day, plus it’s much less popular.
- Airport Mesa
Airport Mesa is more of an overlook than a hike. You can drive right up to the viewpoint and see the city of Sedona as well as the massive mesa in the background! This one is perfect for sunrise. If you’re willing to wake up early on the last day, maybe tuck this one in for before breakfast.
The Bell Rock trail is a popular loop trail that ranges between 1-1.5 miles. There is a steep ascent at the very end but otherwise the trail is very doable, plus you get awesome views of the red rocks! I also got recommendations to hike this one at sunset, but make sure you have a light source if you’re hiking back down in the dark.
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