Sedona: red rocks, trails and vortexes

Sedona is a small town in Arizona, between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon. It’s surrounded by buttes and cliffs of bright red sandstone, which begin at the end of the streets. People come to walk, for the sunsets and, for some, for its “vortexes”: places where the earth’s energy is said to be stronger than elsewhere.

History and origins

The red of the rocks comes from the iron in the sandstone: it’s rust, quite simply. The Sinagua people lived here between about 650 and 1400. They left dwellings under the cliffs and paintings on the rock, which can be seen at Palatki and Honanki.

The modern town dates from 1902. It bears the first name of Sedona Schnebly, the wife of the first postmaster. From the 1920s, Hollywood came to shoot dozens of westerns here. Painters and sculptors followed in the 1950s.

The vortexes are more recent. The idea appeared in the 1980s, with the New Age movement. There’s nothing scientific about it, but it has become a pillar of local tourism.

What to do there

• Cathedral Rock: the most photographed outline in Sedona. The trail is short but very steep, with sections where you use your hands, up to a saddle between the rock towers.
• Bell Rock: a bell-shaped butte, south of town. An easy path goes round it, and you can scramble up its flanks as high as you dare.
• Devil’s Bridge: the largest natural arch in the area. You can walk across it, and there’s often a queue for the photo.
• Airport Mesa: a plateau above the town, with a very popular viewpoint at sunset.
• The Chapel of the Holy Cross: a concrete chapel set into the red rock, with a great cross on the front. Admission is free.
• Oak Creek Canyon: Highway 89A to Flagstaff climbs a wooded gorge along a river. It’s superb in autumn.
• Slide Rock: a state park where the river has carved a natural slide in the sandstone. People swim there in summer.
• Palatki and Honanki: the cliff dwellings and paintings of the Sinagua, at the end of dirt tracks.
• 4x4 outings: several companies take visitors along rock tracks that can’t be reached in a normal car.
• Tlaquepaque: an arts and crafts village built like a Mexican town, with courtyards, fountains and galleries.

Stories and good to know

• The four best-known vortexes are Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Boynton Canyon. Whether you believe in them or not, they are beautiful places.
• The town limits the height of buildings and requires colours close to those of the rock. Even McDonald’s had to comply: its arches are turquoise, not yellow.
• Slide Rock isn’t covered by the Red Rock Pass: it’s a state park, at $20 or $30 per car depending on the season.
• Sedona’s sky is protected from light pollution. On a clear night, the stars are very easy to see.

Practical information for your road trip

• Getting there: Sedona is about 2 hrs from Phoenix, less than an hour from Flagstaff and a little over 2 hrs from the Grand Canyon.
• Parking: the car parks for the best-known trails are full early in the morning. Arrive before 8am, or take the shuttle.
• Heat: in summer it’s often over 35°C. Walk early, with plenty of water.
• Traffic jams: the town has only two main roads, which soon clog up at weekends and during the holidays.
• Budget: it’s one of the most expensive stops in Arizona for sleeping and eating. The Village of Oak Creek, to the south, is a little more affordable.
• Combine it with: the Grand Canyon to the north, or Route 66 via Flagstaff and Williams.

Our experience in Sedona

We went there on our road trip 3, and we’ll be telling you all about it soon. Until then, if you’d like more details, feel free to write to us by message or on Instagram.

⏳ The day-by-day account will be available soon.