Sedona, Arizona
My favorite spots, after living here
since 2011. The real ones.
For fifteen years now, friends and clients have come through Sedona and asked me the same thing. Where should we go? What's worth it? What do the locals actually do?
I used to answer in long emails, written fresh each time. This is me finally putting it all in one place. These are the spots I send people to. The hikes I love. The places Mike and I actually eat. The views that still stop me after all these years.
This isn't a tourism site. Nobody paid to be on this list. If something's here, it's because I'd tell a friend to go.
A few honest notes before you go. We sit at about 4,500 feet here, and the air is dry. Drink more water than you think you need. The weather swings more than people expect, warm afternoons, cool mornings, real snow in winter. And the most beautiful moments usually happen early or late, when the buses haven't arrived yet or have already gone home.
Now, let me show you around.
People ask about the vortexes more than anything else. Here's the simple version. A vortex is a spot where the energy feels concentrated. Some are said to be electric, the energy moving up out of the earth, which feels more active. Some are magnetic, pulling down into the earth, which feels more gentle and inward. You don't have to believe a word of it for these to be some of the most beautiful places you'll ever stand. Go, get quiet, and see what you notice.
The easiest vortex to reach and a great first stop. Head up Airport Road off 89A in West Sedona. Park where you see all the cars pulled over at the bend in the road. The rocks right in front of you are the vortex. It's a five minute scramble up, and you get a full 360 degree view of Sedona. This one is electric, the active kind. Keep driving to the top of the mesa afterward for the lookout where people gather at sunset.
The most photographed spot in Sedona, and for good reason. Cathedral Rock rises right across Oak Creek, and the water comes toward you over the rocks. This is a magnetic vortex, the gentle kind. It's an easy, flat walk and a perfect place for a picnic. You'll find it inside Crescent Moon Park, off Lower Red Rock Loop Road. Park in the last lot and follow the trail along the creek until it opens up in front of you.
This is the strong one. Boynton combines both the electric and magnetic energy, which is why a lot of people call it the most powerful site in Sedona. Enchantment Resort sits right in the middle of the canyon. Take the Boynton Canyon Trail to the Vista Trail, about a twenty minute walk, and climb up to the view. If you want lunch with it, Enchantment's restaurant is excellent. Tell the gate you're going to the restaurant and they'll point you in.
Another electric site, just south of the Village of Oak Creek on 179. The climb is gentle at the base and the trails all around it are gorgeous. Climb as high as feels comfortable and no higher. If it starts to feel sketchy, stop. The view doesn't get better by taking risks. I like parking at the Courthouse Butte lot on the north side, the access is easier from there. About an hour before sunset the whole formation lights up.
Sedona has hundreds of trails. These are the ones I keep coming back to, sorted easy to hard. Important note before you go: the city now runs a free shuttle to several of the most popular trailheads, and on busy days you can't park at those trailheads at all. More on that in the Good To Know section at the bottom. Check it before you drive out.
An easy, shaded hike that's wonderful on a hot day. Beautiful canyon, great rock formations, and the trees keep you cool. It's out Dry Creek Road, near Boynton. A good choice when the sun is strong and you still want to be out in it.
A little local favorite in West Sedona, off Little Elf and Buena Vista. Short climb, big reward. You get a lovely wide view without a hard effort, and far fewer people than the famous spots. This is one of mine.
One of my favorite hikes anywhere. About thirty minutes up to the mesa top, and then maybe an hour to walk the whole rim. The views from up there are worth every step. It's out Dry Creek Road, a little past the Boynton turn. If you only do one moderate hike, make it this one.
A spectacular day hike up in Oak Creek Canyon that follows the West Fork of the creek, crossing the water again and again. Fall is the best time, when the leaves turn, but it's beautiful all year. Bring shoes you don't mind getting wet. This one is a journey, give it half a day.
The trail goes straight up the rock. It's a real climb, hands and feet in places, but plenty of people do it, and the view from the saddle is among the best in Sedona. Give yourself about three hours round trip. Near the top, looking west, there's a small trail out onto a ledge. It looks crazy from a distance and feels fine once you're on it. An intense, beautiful spot to just sit. Note: this trailhead is on the shuttle system, so check parking before you go.
If you do one thing in Sedona, watch the light change. Sunrise is quieter and the crowds aren't up yet. Sunset is busier but spectacular. Either way, get there early to settle in.
Cathedral Rock at sunrise is unforgettable if you're up for the climb in the dark, headlamp on, timed to reach the saddle as the sun comes. For something gentler, Sugarloaf in West Sedona gives you a beautiful wide sunrise without the effort. Both face the light beautifully.
Morning on the trail, before anyone else is up. This is why people get out of bed in the dark.
Airport Mesa is the classic. Drive up to the lookout near the top and you'll have plenty of company, all there for the same reason. The Bell Rock area is gorgeous too, about an hour before the sun drops, when the red rocks glow. And honestly, some of the best sunsets I've ever seen were just from my own neighborhood in West Sedona, looking toward Chimney Rock.
Sedona pulls people for reasons they can't always name. If you came here looking for something quieter than a hike and a view, these are the spots I'd point you toward. No dogma required. Just go, slow down, and let the place do its work.
This one is right around the corner from my house and it's a favorite. Fourteen acres of red rock quiet, tucked into a West Sedona neighborhood at 2650 Pueblo Drive. There's a 36 foot Buddhist stupa, a smaller Tara stupa, a beautiful wooden Buddha, an authentic Native American medicine wheel, and prayer flags strung through the junipers. People of every faith are welcome. It's free, open during daylight hours, and it asks one thing of you: quiet. Bring a small offering for the stupa if you feel moved to. Then just sit. The peace there is real, and you'll feel it.
Built right into the red rocks off 179, designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright. It sits on a vortex site and the views are stunning. Open seven days a week, with a quiet interior and an unusual gift shop. Whatever you believe, it's a moving piece of architecture in an extraordinary setting.
Mike is a chef, so food matters in our house. These are the places we go and the ones we send people to. A mix of splurge and casual, old Sedona and new.
Airport Mesa Grill is our pick. Great chef, great food, and a view to go with it. That same chef also owns Rascals at The Wilde, Creekside, and Renee's in Tlaquepaque, so you can trust any of those too.
The Pump House does a good breakfast with a wonderful creekside patio outdoors. Wildflower Bakery at the Hyatt Pinon Point is like a better Panera, excellent sandwiches and baked goods. El Portal in Tlaquepaque serves a lovely breakfast. And the Coffee Pot Restaurant is an old Sedona institution, the town's very first restaurant. The food is fine, nothing fancy, but the charm is the real thing.
Tres Amigos is inexpensive by Sedona standards and serves authentic Mexican, not fancy at all, just good. The Whole Foods deli is easy and reliably good when you don't want to think about it. And Wildflower works for lunch as well as breakfast.
Elote is the best Mexican food in Sedona, full stop. It's so popular that reservations book months out. Here's the local trick: they close at nine, and if you show up after eight, you can often grab their last seating, a table for two. It has worked for us more than once.
The Hudson is our go to for really good food with spectacular views. L'Auberge down on the creek is romantic and beautiful, especially in spring and fall when you can dine right at the water. Cowboy Club is the best steakhouse in town. And Enchantment out in Boynton Canyon pairs excellent food with unbeatable scenery.
Mike loves everything in the Dahl Restaurant Group, all from Chef Lisa Dahl: Pisa Lisa for wood fired pizza, Dahl & DiLuca for Italian, Cucina Rustica, Mariposa for Latin inspired grill with a stunning red rock view, and Butterfly Burger. You can't go wrong with any of them.
A note on drinks
Mike and I aren't drinkers, so I can't speak to the bar scene from experience. But the spots I hear consistently good things about, for a lively crowd, friendly people, and genuinely good food, are the bar at The Hudson and The Vault.
Freeform is the best coffee in town. You'll find it near Tlaquepaque, at the roundabout just past it on 179. There are also three Starbucks, all on 89A, a standalone store plus ones inside the Bashas and Safeway grocery stores. A new Black Rock Coffee is opening at Posse Grounds and 89A, and there's another new shop coming next to The Wilde.
A replica of an old Mexican village, with cobblestone streets, art galleries, little shops, and good restaurants tucked into shaded courtyards. It's just down 179 before the creek and it's worth an unhurried hour or two. The time share next door, Los Abrigados, has a pretty little creekside park worth a short walk.
This place has been in Sedona forever. It used to be mostly books and now it's mostly crystals, with some books, cards, and interesting art mixed in. There are usually a few psychics on hand if that's your thing. Even if it isn't, it's a fun browse and a piece of old Sedona.
Up in Oak Creek Canyon, Garland's has the best Native American jewelry in the area. Worth the stop if you're heading up that way toward West Fork or Flagstaff.
Sedona sits in a great spot for day trips. Here's where I'd send you, and how to do each one right.
You don't even have to leave the area for this one. Head east on 89A through the canyon and the whole drive is beautiful. Grasshopper Point is a great swimming hole in summer. Slide Rock is nature's water park when it's warm. Indian Gardens is a nice stop with good food. And the West Fork trail is up here too. At the top, switchbacks climb to a scenic overlook where tribes from the northern reservations sell their crafts.
A funky old mining town turned ghost town turned artist haven, clinging to the side of a mountain about an hour away. Great galleries, interesting restaurants, and yes, it's famously haunted, so there are fun ghost tours. We like the Haunted Hamburger, a funky spot with good burgers and a view. There's also The Clinkscale, a boutique hotel with a bar and grill in a restored 1899 building, run by the same folks behind the Haunted Hamburger. Worth the trip just to wander.
Drive up through Oak Creek Canyon and twenty minutes past the top you're in Flagstaff, a fun little college town a good deal cooler than Sedona in summer. Old town is full of cafes and shops worth an afternoon. At night, the Lowell Observatory opens its big telescope to the public. Northern Arizona is a dark sky region, very little light pollution, so the stars are unreal.
A full day, and worth it. Leave early. Drive up through Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff, then north on 89. On the way you can stop at Sunset Crater and Wupatki National Monument, ancient ruins that are genuinely cool. Enter the park at the east entrance, stop at Desert View to climb the watchtower, then work your way west along the rim to Mather Point and the main visitor center. Have lunch at the historic El Tovar Hotel. Come home through Williams and back down the canyon. It's a long, full, unforgettable day.
If you'd rather not drive
Pink Jeep Tours runs a trip to the Grand Canyon and back, lunch included, so you can just relax and look out the window. They also run the Schnebly Hill Road jeep tour, which climbs to a stunning overlook on a road that's too rough for a rental car. Both are easy to book in town.
This is the big one that surprises people. To cut down on traffic and protect the land, Sedona now runs a free shuttle to several popular trailheads, including Cathedral Rock, Soldier Pass, Dry Creek, Little Horse, and Mescal. On the days the shuttle runs, usually Thursday through Sunday during the busy seasons, you cannot park at those trailheads at all. You park at a free park and ride lot and ride in. No reservation, no fee, no Red Rock Pass needed for the shuttle. There are park and ride lots off 179 and on 89A. Check the current schedule and routes at sedonashuttle.com before you head out, it changes by season.
Beyond the trailhead lots, there's shuttle parking at the high school Performing Arts Center and at Posse Grounds Park. A new road and a big new parking lot for Uptown are opening off Forest Road, which should make the busiest part of town a lot easier to deal with.
Sedona sits at about 4,500 feet and the air is very dry. People underestimate this constantly. You'll get dehydrated faster than you expect, and the altitude can leave you tired or headachy the first day. Drink far more water than feels necessary, go easy your first day, and you'll feel great.
Layers. Mornings are cool, afternoons warm, and it swings fast. Good shoes if you're hiking, even the easy trails are rocky. Spring and fall are the most comfortable seasons. Summer is hot but the canyon and the swimming holes help. And yes, it snows here in winter, which turns the red rocks into something out of a dream.
Nobody expects snow in the desert. When it comes, it's magic.
People ask me for spa recommendations and I usually duck the question, because the places come and go and the quality shifts too fast for me to vouch for a list. What I'll say honestly: Mii amo at Enchantment is the most beautiful facility in the area. The Sedona School of Massage is the best value, and I know the owner. Beyond that, ask a local when you arrive, they'll know what's good this month.
From June through September we get sudden, heavy storms, and they deserve real respect. A few things keep you safe.
Stay out of the dry creek beds for your hikes in those months. A storm miles away in Flagstaff can send a wall of water down a wash that's bone dry where you're standing. Flash floods are exactly that, flash. You won't get much warning.
If you hear thunder, don't head out onto the rocks. Lightning strikes here, and the exposed formations are the last place you want to be. I've had two strikes on my own property in seven years. It's not theoretical.
And if you're driving when it gets bad, pull over and wait it out. Never drive through running water. It takes only a few inches to move a car, and Arizona will bill you for your own rescue if you get stuck. Most storms pass quickly. Just be patient, and let it go by.
If we haven't met yet and you're curious about the work I do here, soul coaching, hypnotherapy, the Pattern Portrait, that's all just a click away.
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