Rebecca Engel
Sedona hits you before you’ve even parked. The red rock walls rise up on both sides of the highway, and the town sits down in the middle of them like it got dropped there by accident. It’s a small place with a very long list of things to do, which is exactly the problem on a first visit.
This guide covers the best things to do in Sedona Arizona for someone who has never been, sorted by what actually earns a spot on a short trip. There are famous hikes, a few easy wins that take an hour, and a couple of day trips worth the drive. Pick a handful and leave time to just look at the rocks.
1. Hike Or Photograph Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock is the one on all the postcards, and it earns the attention. The formation looks like a row of stone spires standing shoulder to shoulder, and it turns deep red in the last hour of daylight.
The hike to the saddle is short at roughly a mile round trip, but it’s steep and involves scrambling up bare rock using your hands. People in regular sneakers tend to turn around partway.
If the climb isn’t for you, the view from down at Red Rock Crossing is arguably better anyway. That’s where the classic reflection shot comes from.
2. Walk Out To Devil’s Bridge
Devil’s Bridge is the largest natural sandstone arch in the area, and the photo of someone standing on top of it is what put Sedona on a lot of people’s lists.
Be ready for the line. There’s usually a queue waiting their turn for that picture, and on a busy morning it can run twenty or thirty people deep.
The full hike from the paved lot is about four miles round trip. High clearance vehicles can drive part of the way in, which cuts it roughly in half.
3. Climb As Far Up Bell Rock As You Like
Bell Rock sits right off Highway 179 and it’s the easiest of the famous formations to reach. You can park, walk ten minutes, and already be somewhere worth photographing.
The trail loops around the base and climbs as far as you feel like going. There’s no summit to reach, so you set your own turnaround point.
It’s also one of the vortex sites, which some people come specifically for. Either way it’s one of the easiest things to do in Sedona Arizona on the day you arrive, when you’ve been in the car and just want to stretch your legs.
4. Watch The Sunset From Airport Mesa
Airport Mesa is where half the town ends up at sunset. It sits on a ridge above Sedona with a view that takes in most of the major formations at once.
There’s a small paid lot at the top and a free pullout partway up that fills early. Arriving thirty minutes before sunset is not too early.
The short vortex trail near the parking area is an easy walk with big views. Sunrise is much quieter if crowds put you off.
5. Step Inside The Chapel Of The Holy Cross
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is built directly into the red rocks, with a concrete cross rising up the front of it. It was finished in 1956 and it still looks modern.
Inside it’s small, quiet, and open to anyone. The window behind the altar frames the rocks outside, which is the entire point of the design.
Parking is tight and the road up is narrow. It’s free to enter and thirty minutes is plenty.
6. Take A Jeep Tour Up The Slickrock
The jeep tours are a Sedona cliche for a reason. They take you up rock ledges no rental car should attempt, and the drivers know where the good views hide.
Broken Arrow is the classic route, all steep slickrock and drop offs. Gentler options exist if that sounds like too much.
They book up, especially in spring and fall. Reserving a few days ahead is usually enough.
7. Drive Up Oak Creek Canyon
Oak Creek Canyon is the drive north out of town on Highway 89A toward Flagstaff. The road follows the creek up through a canyon that gets greener the higher it climbs.
The switchbacks near the top finish at a viewpoint looking back down the whole canyon. There’s usually a small market selling fruit and jewelry at the pullout.
It’s about thirty minutes each way without stopping, and nobody manages it without stopping.
8. Cool Off At Slide Rock State Park
Slide Rock is a natural water slide in the creek, where the current has worn the sandstone smooth over time. Kids go down it all day long in summer.
The water is cold, the rock is slippery in the way it’s meant to be, and old apple orchards sit alongside the parking area.
It gets busy enough that the park closes the gates once the lot fills. Morning is the move.
9. Follow The Creek On West Fork Trail
West Fork is the best hike in the area and it looks nothing like the rest of Sedona. The trail follows a creek into a narrow canyon with high walls and a lot of shade.
You cross the water more than a dozen times on stepping stones. Feet get wet, and that’s part of the deal.
The first three miles are the good part and most people turn around there. In late October the trees along the creek go gold.
10. Find The Cave On Soldier Pass
Soldier Pass packs three separate things into one short trail. There’s a sinkhole, a set of pools stepped down the rock, and a cave partway up the slope.
The Seven Sacred Pools fill after rain and can be dry the rest of the time. The cave sits off the main path and is easy to walk straight past.
The trailhead lot is tiny and closes at six. Most people park at Jim Thompson and walk in from there.
11. Walk Back Into Boynton Canyon
Boynton Canyon runs back between two high red walls and ends in a forest that feels like a different state entirely. It’s about six miles round trip and mostly flat.
The Subway Cave is off this trail and it’s the reason plenty of people come. Finding it takes some looking, and the last stretch is a scramble.
A resort sits at the mouth of the canyon, so the first half mile is tamer than the rest. Keep going.
12. Slow Down At Red Rock State Park
Red Rock State Park is the calm option. It’s a preserve along Oak Creek with easy loop trails, shade, and far fewer people than the famous trailheads.
Rangers run guided walks most mornings, including bird walks. The visitor center explains how the rocks got their color, which is worth ten minutes of anyone’s time.
There’s an entry fee per person. It makes a good afternoon once your legs are done with slickrock.
13. Wander Through Tlaquepaque
Tlaquepaque is an arts village built to look like a Mexican colonial town, with stucco arches, fountains, and sycamores growing up through the courtyards.
It’s shops and galleries, so for most people it’s browsing rather than buying. The buildings themselves are the draw.
It sits right by the creek in the middle of town, which makes it easy to combine with lunch.
14. See The Cliff Dwelling At Montezuma Castle
Montezuma Castle is a cliff dwelling about forty five minutes south, built into a limestone alcove roughly seventy feet up. The Sinagua people lived there around seven hundred years ago.
You can’t go inside, and the viewing path is a short paved loop. It’s the kind of stop that takes forty minutes and stays with you a lot longer than that.
Montezuma Well is a few miles further and covered by the same visit. Far fewer people bother.
15. Spend Half A Day In Jerome
Jerome is a former copper mining town clinging to a mountainside about an hour west. It nearly emptied out completely, then filled back up with artists.
The streets stack on top of each other on the slope, and the views run across the whole Verde Valley. There are galleries, a few good bars, and a lot of stories about ghosts.
Give it half a day. The drive over is worth the trip on its own.
16. Go Up In A Hot Air Balloon At Sunrise
A balloon at sunrise puts you above the formations while they’re still catching the first light. Flights lift off early and last about an hour.
It isn’t cheap and it’s weather dependent, so build in a spare morning if you want decent odds. Most operators include a light breakfast after landing.
It’s the one splurge on this list that people rarely regret.
17. Stay Out For The Dark Skies
Sedona is a certified dark sky community, which means the outdoor lighting is deliberately kept low. On a clear night with no moon the difference is obvious.
You don’t need a tour for this. Driving a few minutes out of town, pulling over somewhere safe, and letting your eyes adjust for twenty minutes does most of the work.
Guided stargazing with telescopes runs most nights if you want the full version. Winter skies are the clearest.
What To Know Before Visiting Sedona Arizona
Most trailheads need a Red Rock Pass, and the popular lots fill by eight in the morning. A free shuttle runs to several of the busiest trails, which beats circling for parking.
Spring and fall are the best seasons by a wide margin. Summer afternoons run well over a hundred degrees, so hiking happens early or not at all.
Bring more water than feels reasonable, real shoes with grip, and sun protection. The rock throws heat back at you and the elevation sits around 4,500 feet, which catches people out.
Two full days covers most of the best things to do in Sedona without rushing. Three lets you add Jerome or Montezuma Castle and still keep a slow morning in there somewhere.
Final Thoughts
There’s no version of a first trip that fits all seventeen of these in. Pick two big hikes, one easy landmark, and one thing that isn’t a trail at all, and Sedona handles the rest.
The best things to do in Sedona Arizona mostly come down to being outside at the right hour. Get up for one sunrise, stay out for one sunset, and the trip works.
