The canyon walls around Sedona show 300 million years of Earth stacked in plain sight

It’s More Than Just the Views

Sedona sits at 4,500 feet in northern Arizona, right in the middle of the Coconino National Forest, and the red sandstone towers around it look like they belong on another planet.

Iron oxide in the stone gives everything that deep red color, part of a geological layer called the Schnebly Hill Formation.

The canyon walls here show hundreds of millions of years of Earth’s history stacked in visible bands. You can see it all from the road, but the trails take you inside it.

The elevation keeps things cooler than the desert below, though summer still pushes into the 90s.

A Town Named After a Postmaster’s Wife

The Sinagua people lived here more than 1,000 years ago, building cliff dwellings and farming the land. Their traces survive at Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot, both national monuments a short drive away.

The Yavapai and Apache peoples later settled along Oak Creek Canyon. J.J. Thompson became the first documented white settler in the canyon in 1876.

By 1902, T.C. Schnebly opened a post office and named the place after his wife, Sedona Arabella Miller Schnebly, because the Postmaster General rejected longer names.

Scramble 670 Feet Up Cathedral Rock

Cathedral Rock rises to about 4,967 feet and ranks among the most photographed landmarks in Arizona.

The trail to the saddle between the spires runs just 1.1 miles round trip, but the Forest Service rates it strenuous for good reason.

You gain roughly 670 feet, and much of the route involves rock scrambling with almost no shade. Many visitors consider this one of Sedona’s four energy vortex sites.

Down below, Crescent Moon Picnic Site gives you that famous reflection shot of Cathedral Rock mirrored in Oak Creek.

Walk Across a 54-Foot Natural Arch

Devil’s Bridge spans about 54 feet across and holds the title of the largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area. The hike runs roughly four miles round trip with 400 to 500 feet of elevation gain.

The first half follows a mostly flat old jeep road, and then the final push sends you up a short, steep scramble over natural stone steps.

What draws the crowds is that you can walk right across the top of the arch, with red rock country spread out in every direction. Get there early on weekends, because this trail fills up fast.

A Chapel With a 90-Foot Cross in the Cliff

Sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude first dreamed up a church built around a cross after she saw the steel framework of the Empire State Building in 1932.

That vision became the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a Roman Catholic chapel built into red rock buttes between 1954 and 1956. A 90-foot iron cross anchors the southwestern wall and does double duty as a structural support.

The American Institute of Architects gave it an Award of Honor in 1957.

You can visit for free, and the views from the grounds take in Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte.

Hike the Canyon That Inspired Zane Grey

Oak Creek Canyon runs about 15 miles along Route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff, and the road through it cuts between towering red rock walls.

Halfway through the canyon, the West Fork Trail starts at the Call of the Canyon day-use area.

The trail stretches 6.7 miles round trip, mostly flat, shaded by giant sycamores and conifers, with multiple creek crossings along the way. Fall turns this canyon into a wall of gold and orange against the red rock.

The scenery here moved Zane Grey to write “The Call of the Canyon.”

Bell Rock and a Sacred Box Canyon

You can spot Bell Rock from Highway 179 before you even reach town. Its bell-like shape makes it one of the most recognizable formations in Sedona.

The Bell Rock Pathway loops about 1.8 miles around its base, with options to climb higher if you want more.

On the west side of town, Boynton Canyon sends you on a six-mile round trip through a box canyon that holds deep cultural meaning for the Yavapai-Apache people.

A spur trail leads to a sandstone cave formation called Subway Cave, but the turnoff is unmarked, so bring an offline trail map.

Where the Cowboy Artists of America Got Started

Sedona has pulled in artists for decades. The Sedona Arts Center opened in 1958 and still stands as the oldest arts center in northern Arizona.

In 1965, the Cowboy Artists of America formed at the Oak Creek Tavern, now called the Cowboy Club in Uptown Sedona.

Today, more than 25 galleries line the streets, showing everything from bronze sculpture to blown glass to fine art painting. Gallery Row and Uptown give you a walkable stretch of studios and shops.

The landscape started drawing creative people here in the 1960s and never stopped.

Cobblestone Paths Under Giant Sycamores

Tlaquepaque, pronounced “T-la-keh-pah-keh,” has anchored Sedona’s arts scene since the 1970s.

Nevada businessman Abe Miller built it after falling for both Sedona and Mexico, and he wanted an arts village that felt like a traditional Mexican town.

Construction started in 1971 with Spanish Colonial design, handmade building techniques and ironwork, carved doors and lanterns imported from Mexico.

Today, more than 50 shops and galleries sit beneath giant sycamore trees along Oak Creek.

Cobblestone walkways wind past vine-covered stucco walls, a small wedding chapel and stages for live music and festivals throughout the year.

286 Acres Along Oak Creek, No Scrambling Required

Red Rock State Park covers 286 acres along Oak Creek just outside town, and it takes a different approach than the bigger trails.

Five miles of interconnecting loops range from flat creek-side walks to moderate paths with panoramic red rock views.

The Eagle’s Nest Trail climbs about 300 feet to the highest point in the park, where Cathedral Rock fills the horizon.

Volunteers lead daily guided nature walks, and the visitor center covers local geology, plants and wildlife. Herons, hummingbirds, quail and javelina roam the riparian habitat.

Leave the pets at home, and skip the swimsuit.

The Only McDonald’s in the World With Teal Arches

Sedona became an International Dark Sky Community in August 2014, just the eighth community in the world and the sixth in the United States to earn the designation.

Strict outdoor lighting ordinances require shielded fixtures and low-wattage bulbs across town.

Even the local McDonald’s swapped its gold arches for teal, the only location on the planet to do so, to comply with Sedona’s sign code. On clear nights, you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye.

Keep Sedona Beautiful, a local advocacy group founded in 1972, started the push to protect these skies more than 40 years ago.

Ride Heritage Rails Through a Wilderness Canyon

The Verde Canyon Railroad leaves from the historic depot in Clarkdale, about 25 miles southwest of Sedona. The train runs 20 miles each way along the Verde River on rails built in 1912 for the copper mining industry.

The four-hour round trip takes you through a wilderness canyon with towering red rock walls, past ancient Sinagua cliff dwellings, across bridges and trestles, and through a tunnel carved from solid rock.

You ride in vintage railcars with panoramic windows, climate control and open-air viewing platforms. The railroad has carried more than a million passengers and is wheelchair accessible with advance notice.

Explore Red Rock Country in Sedona, Arizona

You can reach Sedona in about two hours from Phoenix or 45 minutes from Flagstaff.

Most trailheads require a Red Rock Pass for parking, and you can pick up day passes, weekly passes or use an annual National Park pass.

The Sedona Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center at 331 Forest Road in Uptown Sedona sells passes and hands out maps and trail info daily.

A free Sedona Shuttle runs to popular trailheads, typically Thursday through Sunday and daily during peak spring season. Bring plenty of water in every season and pick trails that match your fitness level.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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