A couple years ago while visiting the Phoenix area, we made a day trip to Sedona. I absolutely loved this town and knew we had to go back and spend more time. On this trip we spent 3 nights there in order to explore it more. Below is my list of things we did (or almost did) on this trip that I recommend.
Before I begin, we did not redo any of the things from the previous trip day trip. If you have never been I do highly recommend doing those things as well. That includes visiting the Chapel of the Holy Cross, and also visiting Montezuma Castle National Monument. You can find that blog post here.
Hiking
The number one thing you have to do when visiting this lovely town is do some hikes and take in the gorgeous scenery. There are numerous options in this area and no such thing as a bad hike here. Last trip we did the Devil's Bridge hike and it is awesome. On this trip we did three; we wanted to do a fourth but a stomach bug took me out of doing the hike to the birthing cave. Here are the hikes we did accomplish though:
Cathedral Rock This is a shorter hike, but its steep with quick elevation gain as you are climbing up a tall rock. However there is a path and its not straight up, meaning you don't need any special rock climbing gear. There is a little bit of a scramble to reach the final summit. I actually couldn't do that final part. It was narrow and I just didn't feel confident that day. I had gotten up pretty far though and the views were still awesome. This one may not be for those who have a fear of heights. However, the base of the rock is still worth visiting for the nearby views, even if you don't want to climb to the top.
Solider Pass This trails connects with others and offers a few options We did an option that was about 3 miles total (1.5 miles in and back) so that we could see the Solider Pass Cave. Cave is a loose term as its more like an arch cut out in the rock. Along the way to the cave we passed a sinkhole called the Devil's Kitchen, as well as the Seven Sacred Pools. These pools are just little gatherings of some water. The trail is pretty easy except to get up into the cave, you will be walking uphill over some rocks. Getting into the cave as well may require a boost depending on your height and upper body strength.
Airport View Trail On top of a mountain in the town is a small regional airport with a good size parking lot you can pay $5 to park in. Across from the parking lot is an amazing view of the city of Sedona (pic below). There is also a trail that takes you down the hill about a half a mile to some other great views points that is worth taking. That is what we did. There is also a several mile loop trail for those who want to do more. The good news is the $5 is good for that entire day. You can do what we did and go earlier in the day and then head back later for sunset. Be warned though it gets crowded at sunset, so try and arrive early.
For all hikes in Sedona, make sure to do some research ahead of time, especially on where to park. Some have very limited parking. Some of them you may have to park at another trailhead to connect. A lot of the popular trails you can only access via a free shuttle service in town if you are visiting Thursday-Sunday. We had to use the shuttle for Solider Pass as we did it on a Sunday. Also the key for most hikes in this town is to go early. We were heading out the door before the sun was up to go to Cathedral Rock Monday morning. There was no shuttle service that day, but the parking lot near the trail head as almost completely full when we arrived.
Tlaquepaque Village
Styled after a traditional Mexican village, this shopping plaza offers a variety of unique arts and crafts gift shops; as well as some dining options. Even though there are beautiful things to browse inside the stores; just strolling through this plaza offers some enjoyable scenery and places to just sit and chill. I highly recommend checking this place out.
Visit a Winery
Of course the wine lover has to recommend this. Not far from Sedona is a nice little wine region supported by a water supply of Oak Creek. The two we visited that I recommend are Oak Creek Vineyards and Page Springs Cellars. I heard good things about DA Ranch in that area as well, but we didn't have time to stop there. There are also wine tour companies in the area you can hire if you don't want to drive.
Jerome & Cottonwood
We actually didn't do this (again got a little sick and lost half a day) but I am putting it here, as I was told by many we should have done this. These are nearby towns that offer things to do and are worth checking out. Jerome is an old mining town and was on my list if we had time, but maybe next time.
Oak Creek Canyon
Basically bordering Sedona, is this canyon that offers a nice scenic drive. There are trails, restaurants, and place to stop along the way that make this drive something to do. We did it twice. The first we were heading north to Flagstaff area but it was early morning and still pretty dark, so hard to enjoy the scenery. To make up for it, we went through it the day we drove back to Phoenix for our red eye flight home. If we ever make it back, this is an area I want to explore more on foot.
Sedonuts
I wanted to put at least one food option on this list. Coffee Pot Restaurant offers 101 different omelet types if you want a traditional breakfast for a good price (great way to fill up before hitting a trail). We also enjoyed a nice lunch at Hideaway House. However, I wanted to give the donuts we found a shout out. If you like fun and flavorful donuts, I recommend stopping by Sedonuts and grabbing one. They also made a pretty decent latte.
That is a summary of what we did (or almost did) that I recommend. I also want to note there are other various parks, landmarks, and trails in the area. Also trails not just for hiking if biking or ATV-ing is more you thing! It really is an outdoor paradise for those love that, but I also think it offers something for those who just want to unwind in a beautiful setting.
*All pics but the one noted were taken by me.
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