Sedona Things to Do
Being from Utah I have seen tons of red rock, but something about the green trees added in and the sheer amount of canyons and viewpoints makes Sedona so unique.
Flights
There is an airport in Flagstaff (FLG) but flights are pretty pricey, $500 from Salt Lake City, then you still need to drive an hour. You can fly into Phoenix PHX for pretty cheap ($100 on Allegiant or Spirit from SLC) but then you have a 2 1/2 hour drive to Sedona. We opted to just drive. Usually my threshold is anything more than 6 hours I try to fly but by the time you rented a car and drove from Phoenix its about the same. It took a little over 8 hours to drive from SLC. You definitely need a car in Sedona.
For places to cool off in the water click here.
Hungry? The Best Sedona Restaurants
Where to stay in Sedona.
Hikes
Here are my favorite hikes in order:
Soldiers Pass Trail - See Devil’s Kitchen, a 150 ft wide and 50 ft deep sinkhole and the Seven Sacred Pools along the way to the Soldiers Pass Arch and Caves. Not too long, lots to see and a fun climb up out of the cave onto a vista overlooking the canyon. 2.8 miles out-and-back.
Subway Cave
The shape of this cave is so unique. Not actually a cave, but more a big shelf and outcropping in the rock. This trail took about 2 hours and the cave was 4.6 miles up the Boynton Canyon trail.
Birthing Cave - This is a super easy hike, only 2 miles on the Long Canyon Trail. Perfect little hike for after dinner to hang out and enjoy the view.
Devil’s Bridge
2.2 miles round trip from the trailhead. However, if you don’t have high-profile vehicle or an ATV then you will have to walk the extra 30+minutes and another 2+ miles from the parking lot.
Cathedral Rock
Perfect spot to watch the sunset! Don’t let the 1.2-miles fool you, this hike is hard and straight up with an elevation gain of 744 feet. Start from the trailhead on Back O Beyond Road. You can also access from Red Rock Crossing or take the shuttle.
Other Hikes we Didn’t have time for:
Broken Arrow Trail – 2.8 miles, views of the valley
Bell Rock Trail - The Bell Rock area is great for running and biking, but you can also climb to the top of a rock formation named Bell Rock. We mountain biked around Bell Rock on the loop trail, but didn’t climb it, looked fun though.
Keyhole Cave - 2.5 miles round-trip from the Sugarloaf Trailhead, which starts with the Teacup Trail. You would need a rope because of a 30 foot Class III climb to get onto the ledge. You can also do a big loop from the Solider’s Pass Cave to Keyhole Cave.
Bear Mountain Trail great views at the top, but a harder hike with 2,000 ft elevation and 4.9 miles out-and-back.
Hideout Cave - Hideout Cave, otherwise known as Shaman's Cave, is farther outside of town and less busy. It’s accessed by hiking Robbers Roost Trail in the far northwest of Sedona.
Getting Around:
Some parking lots require you to buy a Red Rock day pass for $5. You can pay at a kiosk in the lot and they take credit cards.
The Sedona Shuttle is free and great to use. Get to a lot early and get a spot then it can take you between hikes. We parked at 7am at the Posse Grounds lot then hiked Solider’s Pass, then had the shuttle take us straight to Devil’s Bridge after. Both can get crowded, Devil’s Bridge is really crowded, but I would rather have a bridge crowded than a cave.
West Sedona - Soldier Pass Trail, Devil’s Bridge Trail, Boynton Canyon Trail + Subway Cave
Birthing Cave, Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park, Red Rock Loop Road
Village of Oak Creek – Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Chapel Holy Cross
Oak Creek – Slide Rock, West Fork Trail
Sunset Spots
Airport Mesa – drive there
Top of Cathedral Rock
Red Rock Crossing near Oak Creek
Devil’s Bridge
Bell Rock - .75 miles
Schnebly Hill Vista
Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout
Lover’s Knoll Scenic Viewpoint
For places to cool off in the water click here.
Hungry? The Best Sedona Restaurants
Where to stay in Sedona.
