Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is located about 90 miles north of Phoenix at the lower end of Arizona's spectacular Oak Creek Canyon, and is known for its jagged red-rock cliffs and monoliths, as well as its surrounding lush forests. Sedona is located in both Coconino and Yavapai Counties and is completely surrounded by the Coconino National Forest.
Sedona has become a center for traditional and contemporary arts and offers a variety of galleries, boutiques and specialty shops. It is an upscale retirement and tourism community, and the gateway to tours of the Red Rocks region.
Early Native Americans considered the Red Rocks sacred and traveled for days on end to perform ceremonies among the formations. Only the bravest chiefs and medicine men were allowed into what was considered to be the home of the gods. Cathedral Rock was honored as the birthplace of the first man and woman.
Until 30 years ago, Sedona was a small farming community. Then Psychic Page Bryant claimed to discover several "vortexes," or psychic energy sites that release psychic power from the earth, in the hills around Sedona. The four local points which she considered to be energy vortexes are Bell Rock, Table Top Mountain, Cathedral Rock and Boynton Canyon. Her revelations have brought spiritual seekers to Sedona in ever increasing numbers.
Millions of tourists also visit the Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon area each year for its western history, scenic beauty, its thriving arts community, its world class hiking and golf, and its famous jeep tours. Recently voted by USA Today the most beautiful city in the United States, Sedona is one of Arizona's most popular destinations
The motion picture industry was also attracted to Sedona and such films as John Wayne's The Angel and the Badman and Robert Mitchums's Blood On The Moon were filmed there. Photographers love Sedona. It is almost impossible to take anything other than a fabulous picture, and the natural lighting is superb.
Sedona's canyons, creeks, Indian ruins, and red rocks are readily accessible on foot, and the area is easy to hike. Another option is to take a jeep tour.
The setting and architecture of the Chapel of the Holy Cross (known locally as the Church on the Rock) are impressive. Built in 1956 by Marguerite Brunwige Staude, a disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright, this modern landmark, with a huge cross on the facade, rises between two red-rock peaks. Vistas of the town and the surrounding area are spectacular.
In 1950, surrealist painter Max Ernst moved to Sedona, and other famous artists followed. Many artists have been attracted to Sedona and its rugged beauty. Over the years, an artist colony has developed in Sedona, and many of the artists sell their work in local galleries and shops.
The town is filled with upscale art galleries, Southwestern souvenir and craft centers, and crystal shops. The town's shopping showplace is Tlaquepaque (TLA-kay-PAH-kay), an adobe-style complex of shops and galleries and the site of a brilliant annual December light display with luminaries.
The fishing is excellent; the sunsets are glorious; there are hiking, running, water sports, archeological tours, and an ideal climate year round. Imagine a photograph of the incredible red rocks of Sedona set against a cloudless sky. Wouldn't you like to be in that picture?
Attractions in Sedona
Oak Creek Canyon
89A, beginning 1 mi north of Sedona, Oakcreek Canyon.
Whether you want to swim, hike, picnic, or enjoy beautiful scenery framed through a car window, head north from Sedona through the wooded Oak Creek Canyon. It's the most scenic route to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon and worth a drive-through even if you're not heading north. Although the forest is primarily evergreen, the fall foliage is glorious. The road winds through a steep-walled canyon, and you'll crane your neck for views of the dramatic rock formations above.
Rainbow Trout Farm
3500 N. AZ 89A, 3 mi north of Sedona,
Oak Creek Canyon
928/282-3379.
Daily 9-5.
Anglers young and old will enjoy the sure catch at the. For $1 you'll get a cane pole with a hook and bait. There is no charge if your catch is under 8 inches. The real bargain is that the staff will clean and pack your fish for a low cost.
Slide Rock State Park
6871 N. AZ 89A, Oak Creek Canyon,
7 miles north of Sedona
928/282-3034.
Labor Day-Memorial Day, daily 8-5; Memorial Day-Labor, daily Day 8-7.
This is a good place for a picnic. On a hot day, you can plunge down a natural rock slide into a swimming hole. (Bring a set of dry clothes). The only downside to this trip is the traffic on summer weekends.
Cathedral Rock Trail
is a vigorous but non-technical 1½-mi scramble up the slick rock, to a nearly 360-degree view of red-rock country. Follow the cairns, the rock piles marking the trail, faithfully, and look for the footholds in the rock. Carry plenty of water. Though short, the trail offers little shade and the pitch is steep. You can see the Verde Valley and Mingus Mountain in the distance.
Red Rock State Park
4050 Red Rock Loop Rd., West.
928/282-6907.
Call ahead for times, which change with the season.
Daily 8-5.
Two miles west of Sedona via AZ 89A is the turnoff for the 286-acre, a less-crowded alternative to the popular Slide Rock State Park, though without the possibility for swimming. The 5 mi of interconnected park trails are well marked and provide beautiful vistas.
There are daily ranger-guided nature walks, bird-watching excursions on Wednesday and Saturday, and a guided hike to Eagle's Nest scenic overlook, the highest point in the park, every
Verde River Canyon Scenic Railroad
Another spectacular trip is the train ride on the that runs from Clarkdale (southwest of Sedona). Expect to see crimson cliffs, the Verde River, prehistoric Native American ruins and maybe even a bald eagle.
