A small Arizona town ringed by red sandstone buttes, with hundreds of miles of trails, Oak Creek Canyon and a lively arts scene
Sedona lies at about 1,330 metres in a landscape of red and pink sandstone cliffs, buttes and spires, among them Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Capitol Butte and Wilson Mountain, the highest point. The rock glows especially strongly at sunrise and sunset. The town is surrounded by nearly two million acres of national forest and four wilderness areas, and more than 400 miles of trails lead out into the red rock country.
The town is also a centre for art and wellness. More than 80 galleries are spread around Sedona, with clusters at Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village and Hillside Sedona, and the area is widely promoted as a spiritual destination for its so-called vortexes. North of town, the road through Oak Creek Canyon is one of Arizona's designated scenic byways.
The town takes its name from Sedona Schnebly, wife of Theodore Carlton Schnebly, the first postmaster; the post office opened in 1902, when the settlement had 55 residents. The red rocks are largely sandstone of the Schnebly Hill Formation, laid down in the Permian Period.
From 1923 into the 1970s the scenery drew Hollywood, and more than sixty productions were filmed in the area, including Broken Arrow, Johnny Guitar and 3:10 to Yuma. The Chapel of the Holy Cross, built into a red rock cliff, was completed in 1956. Sedona was incorporated as a city in 1988 and had 9,684 residents at the 2020 census.
Sedona is a small town with a large visitor economy built around outdoor recreation, art and wellness. Its art community supports more than 80 galleries, and Tlaquepaque and Hillside Sedona are its main gallery and shopping centres. Spiritual tourism is part of local life, with outfitters offering vortex tours alongside guided hikes and 4x4 trips. The visitor centre in Uptown is the place for maps, advice and passes.
Most visitors come to be outdoors: hiking or mountain biking on the trail network, joining a guided Jeep, ATV or vortex tour, or driving the scenic routes of SR 179 and SR 89A through Oak Creek Canyon. Popular trailheads such as Cathedral Rock, Soldiers Pass and Dry Creek Road are served by the free Sedona Shuttle, which saves the hunt for parking. In autumn the trees along Oak Creek change colour, and the West Fork Trail follows a stream into a side canyon lined with maples. Back in town, many hotels are within walking distance of shops, galleries and restaurants.
Sedona has a high-desert climate with about 430 millimetres of rain a year. Average highs are around 15°C in January and 36°C in July, so spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons for hiking, and autumn also brings colourful foliage along Oak Creek. Start summer hikes early in the day.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Oak Creek Canyon and Slide Rock State Park lie just north of town on SR 89A, the Sedona-Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Road. Cottonwood, elsewhere in the Verde Valley, is linked to Sedona by the Verde Shuttle, and Flagstaff Pulliam Airport is about 42 kilometres away. The Grand Canyon is about two hours' drive away and Phoenix two hours to the south.
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United States · 9 nights4★ HotelUnited States · 8 nights3★ LodgeThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
