Sedona Red Rocks

Sedona offers superb outdoor recreation amid the red rocks — hiking and mountain biking the many trails among the formations (to Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Devil’s Bridge, the Birthing Cave and more), scenic driving (the Red Rock Scenic Byway and up Oak Creek Canyon), off-road Jeep touring, exploring Oak Creek Canyon with its swimming holes like Slide Rock, visiting vortex sites, rock climbing, hot-air ballooning, and stargazing under dark skies. Hiking the red-rock trails and taking in the formations are the signature draws. The combination of the spectacular red rocks, the trails, Oak Creek and the spiritual allure makes Sedona a premier and beloved destination.

Spring and fall are ideal, with mild, comfortable weather for hiking the red-rock trails, while summer is hot (though cooler than the low desert, and Oak Creek offers relief) and winter mild and beautiful, with occasional snow dusting the red rocks in a stunning contrast. Sunrise and sunset set the red rocks glowing most brilliantly, the best times for photography. A Red Rock Pass is required for parking at many trailheads. Spring and fall offer the best hiking weather; come early to popular trailheads (which fill), carry water for the desert sun, and savor the sunset glow.

The Sedona area was home to Native peoples for thousands of years, including the ancestral Sinagua, who built cliff dwellings nearby (like those at Montezuma Castle and Honanki), and later the Yavapai and Apache. The town, settled by pioneers, is named for Sedona Schnebly, an early settler. Sedona’s spectacular red rocks drew Hollywood Westerns, then artists and tourists, and from the late 20th century a reputation as a New Age spiritual center for its ‘vortexes.’ Surrounded by the protected Coconino National Forest, Sedona’s red-rock country preserves both natural grandeur and deep heritage, a treasured Arizona landmark.

Sedona’s vivid red formations are carved primarily from the Schnebly Hill Formation and other sandstones, deposited as ancient dunes and coastal sediments some 270 to 300 million years ago and stained brilliant red by iron oxide, then uplifted with the Colorado Plateau and eroded over millions of years into the towering buttes, spires, mesas and canyon walls seen today. Oak Creek and other streams cut the red-walled canyons. The layered red sandstone, the iron that colors it, and the long erosion at the edge of the plateau created Sedona’s spectacular and colorful red-rock landscape, glowing against the high-desert sky.

The red rocks, high desert, pine country and Oak Creek of the Sedona area host mule deer, javelinas, coyotes, foxes, and a rich community of birds, including the brilliant vermilion flycatcher, hawks, ravens and the occasional eagle, while Oak Creek supports fish and lusher riparian life, and the desert shelters lizards, snakes and varied creatures. The range from desert to creek to pine forest supports diverse wildlife. The Sedona area offers wildlife watching and birding amid its spectacular red rocks, with the riparian wildlife of Oak Creek and the desert birds among the highlights of this scenic country.

The Sedona area, in the Coconino National Forest, protects a transitional ecosystem where the high Colorado Plateau meets the Verde Valley, blending high-desert chaparral and scrub, pinyon-juniper and ponderosa pine forest, and the lush riparian corridor of Oak Creek with its sycamores, cottonwoods and rushing water. This range of habitats, and the precious creek, support diverse plant and animal life. The red-rock formations and the creek canyons add scenic and ecological variety. Protecting the forest, Oak Creek’s water quality, the riparian corridor and the wildlife sustains both the ecology and the spectacular scenery of the Sedona red-rock country.

Sedona, with its spectacular glowing red rocks, holds a beloved and almost mystical place among the destinations of the American Southwest, renowned both for its breathtaking natural beauty and for its reputation as a spiritual center, drawing seekers to its energy ‘vortexes.’ From the ancient Sinagua and the Native peoples of the region to the artists, filmmakers and millions of visitors it has inspired, Sedona embodies the scenic grandeur and the spiritual allure of the red-rock country. The Sedona red rocks are a cherished and iconic landscape of Arizona, treasured for both their beauty and their sense of wonder.

Sedona is in central Arizona at the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau, off State Route 89A and State Route 179, about two hours north of Phoenix and 45 minutes south of Flagstaff, surrounded by the Coconino National Forest. The red-rock country is free to enter, but a Red Rock Pass (or federal pass) is required for parking at many forest trailheads. The town offers shops, galleries and dining, with trailheads, scenic drives (the Red Rock Scenic Byway, Oak Creek Canyon), and overlooks all around. Popular trailheads fill early. Check the U.S. Forest Service (Coconino National Forest) for the Red Rock Pass and conditions before visiting.

The U.S. Forest Service protects the red-rock formations, the forests, Oak Creek and the wildlife of the Sedona area within the Coconino National Forest, managing the heavily visited red-rock country to balance access with preservation. Visitors help by staying on designated trails (off-trail travel erodes the soil and damages vegetation around the formations), not building rock cairns or stacks, protecting Oak Creek’s water quality, packing out everything, respecting wildlife and the sacred Native sites, displaying a Red Rock Pass, and following Leave No Trace. Protecting the red rocks, the forest, the creek and the wildlife sustains both the ecology and the beauty of Sedona.

In Sedona’s red-rock country, carry plenty of water and sun protection (the high-desert sun is strong, and trails are often exposed), and hike in the cooler hours in summer. Watch footing on slickrock and steep, rocky trails, and keep back from cliff edges at the formations and overlooks. Beware of flash floods in canyons and Oak Creek after rain, and afternoon thunderstorms with lightning. At Oak Creek swimming holes like Slide Rock, watch for slippery rock and currents. Wear sturdy footwear, supervise children, and respect the desert heat, the drop-offs and the flash-flood risk.

The red-rock country is free, but a Red Rock Pass (or federal pass) is required for parking at many forest trailheads. Stay on designated trails; do not build rock cairns or stacks, or shortcut trails. Protect Oak Creek’s water quality; pack out all trash. Respect wildlife and sacred Native sites. Camp only in designated areas; campfires may be restricted (wildfire risk). Drones may be restricted. Collecting is prohibited. Off-road vehicles must stay on designated routes. Check the U.S. Forest Service (Coconino National Forest) for the Red Rock Pass and current rules before visiting.

The city of Flagstaff (with its mountains and cooler climate) lies 45 minutes north up scenic Oak Creek Canyon, with the Verde Valley, Jerome, Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments, the Grand Canyon (about two hours north), and the red-rock and pine country of central Arizona in the region, and Phoenix about two hours south. The Colorado Plateau and the Verde Valley define the region. Sedona anchors a spectacular red-rock region of central Arizona, a centerpiece of a scenic, hiking and spiritual getaway, and a natural stop between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon.

Hike the red-rock trails to iconic formations like Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock or Devil’s Bridge — coming early to the popular trailheads (which fill) and displaying a Red Rock Pass — and drive the Red Rock Scenic Byway and up lush Oak Creek Canyon (with the Slide Rock swimming hole). Come at sunset for the red rocks glowing most brilliantly, carry plenty of water and sun protection, stay on trails (and don’t build rock stacks), visit a vortex site for the spiritual allure, and pair Sedona with nearby Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon.