Sedona is a desert town in central Arizona that perfectly embodies the idea of the American Southwest.
From its towering rock formations to its semi-arid landscape, Sedona is often regarded as one of the greatest destinations in the Southwestern United States. In fact, the Arizona office of tourism actually uses the slogan “the most beautiful place on Earth” on Sedona’s official website.
Although it may be difficult to claim that any single location is the most beautiful in the entire world, Sedona certainly deserves a seat at the table.
Perhaps the town’s popularity is due to our collective appreciation of the fabled Western genre and the desert scenery associated with it. While the days of gunslingers and fast draws may be long gone, the idea of the Wild West is still immensely popular to this day.
With this in mind, let’s take a look at what makes Sedona one of the most alluring destinations in the American Southwest.
Sedona Overview
Sedona was populated by Native Americans for thousands of years before it began forming as an Anglo-American settlement towards the end of the 19th century. The remote settlement was, for some time, primarily sustained through the cultivation of apples and peaches.
In 1902, when there were approximately 55 residents, a post office was established. The town was subsequently named after Sedona Arabella Miller Schnebly, the wife of the Sedona’s first postmaster.
Sedona underwent rapid development in the latter half of the 20th century, at which point it formed into the charming destination that we know today.
Things To Do In Sedona
Sedona offers a diverse range of activities that mostly center around the dramatic desert landscape. It’s the perfect destination for a weekend getaway or an extended vacation in the desert.
Below you’ll find some of the most popular activities in and around Sedona.
Hiking
By far the most accessible activity in Sedona is hiking. There are countless trails that wind through Sedona’s vibrant red rock formations and make you feel as if you’re exploring the American frontier.
While hiking through Sedona’s desert landscape, it’s important to take certain precautions. For one, you should bring plenty of water. This may sound obvious but some people actually ignore this advice for whatever reason. Additionally, you should tell someone where you will be hiking and what time you plan on returning.
There are usually signs at the beginning of each hiking trail to remind visitors of these simple precautions. The reason for this is that oftentimes hikers become lost in the desert and the city is forced to conduct search and rescue missions.
With that being said, here are a few of the most popular hiking trails in Sedona:
- Bell Rock (easy, 3.6 miles)
- Broken Arrow (easy, 3.4 Miles)
- Cathedral Rock Hike (moderate, 1.5 miles)
- Brins Mesa (moderate, 3 miles)
- West Fork (moderate, 6 miles)
- Soldiers Pass (moderate, 4.6 miles)
- Bear Mountain (difficult, 4.6 miles)
Mountain Biking
Similar to hiking, Sedona is also a fantastic mountain biking destination. However, you should stay alert for potential hikers and take the same precautions as mentioned above.
Here are some of the most popular mountain biking trails in Sedona:
- Hangover Trail
- Mescal Trail
- Chuck Wagon Trail
- Hiline Trail
- Bell Rock Trail
- Soldier Wash Trail
Pink Jeep Tours
A pink jeep tour is one of the most unique activities in Sedona. After a brief safety overview, a certified guide will drive you through the desert in a pink jeep. The ride is definitely bumpy at times but the vehicles are perfectly capable of handling the terrain.
The guide will stop at various scenic viewpoints along the way and you’ll have the opportunity to take some incredible photos throughout this tour.
Take a look at my video below if you’d like to see this pink jeep tour in action.
Visit The Chapel Of The Holy Cross
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is undoubtedly one of Sedona’s most famous attractions. This Roman Catholic chapel took 18 months to build and was completed in 1956.
Although there are no regularly scheduled masses taking place, many visitors flock to this attraction simply to see the magnificent architecture and to view the interior. In fact, the Chapel of the Holy Cross is so popular that parking is nearly impossible during most hours of the day. Nonetheless, it’s worth passing by at the very least.
Other Activities In Sedona
I’ll be the first to admit that this list only scratches the surface of the many activities available throughout Sedona. Aside from the ones mentioned, you can also golf, spend time at a spa, take a UFO & Vortex tour (yes really), go on a red rock balloon tour, visit the local art stores, and enjoy some of Sedona’s exquisite food and drink options.
Whether you prefer adventure or relaxation, there’s certainly no shortage of things to do in Sedona.
The Wild West
Before concluding this article, I want to return to the idea of the Wild West and the relationship between this concept and Sedona’s rising popularity.
Let’s face it, you’ve probably seen countless Western movies and tv shows throughout the years. Depending on your age, you may have even played video games set in the era of the Wild West.
As Americans, and indeed other nationalities as well, we have an intense fixation on these themes of exploration, lawlessness, and degenerate behaviors. In addition to this, most people don’t live in a rugged desert environment, which only adds to the mysticism surrounding these regions.
Overall this popularity with the Western genre mostly boils down to exoticism and escapism. The Wild West is a lifestyle that we’ve never personally known and one that we will never be able to experience in our lifetime.
So what do we do instead?
We watch old Western movies like the original 3:10 To Yuma, which was partially filmed in Sedona. We idolize actors like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood who have popularized the genre. We buy the newest Red Dead Redemption video game so that we can raise hell without occurring any real-world consequences. And above all, we visit places like Sedona.
Sedona, for all of its natural beauty, is the closest that we’ll ever come to truly knowing the Wild West. And that alone is enough reason for most people to visit.
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I absolutely love Sedona. Now I can’t wait to go back!
Cheers to anyone who loves Sedona! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
How beautiful! I’ve only been to Arizona twice (mostly in Kingman / Grand Canyon / Horseshoe Bend) and the views are definitely different. Definitely adding Sedona to my list because it is so beautiful and the views are stunning!
Thanks for the comment Eena! I’m glad that you’ve had a chance to explore Arizona and that you’re interested in seeing Sedona as well. I need to make my way back there sometime!
Thanks for sharing Sedona with us all – it’s such a gorgeous area!
Yes it certainly is, thanks for leaving a comment!
Wow! I need to add Sedona to my list of place to travel to!
It’s always worth it to make room for Sedona!
Sedona is one of my top want to visit destinations.
Hopefully soon it’ll be one of your top have visited destinations!
The hiking here would be awesome! I’ve quite neglected desert-like landscapes but i love the beauty and colours of the bleakness. Im in aus so I’ll have to start here and then one day head to the South West!
Just swim over here! All jokes aside I often neglect desert landscapes as well as they’re somewhat rare in certain parts of the world.
Looks like a great trip! What has been your favorite place to hike in your travels so far?
Ooh good question. I would say that my favorite hiking area has been Central Oregon, specifically near Bend!
Those colours, epitomises wild west landscapes, love the rock formations the Chapel certainly looks fascinating. Great post.
Thanks Lyn! It is all very fascinating indeed.
Wow, the photos in this post are incredible Michael – also how did you survive that jeep journey?! Maybe someday i’ll get back to the States and can explore some of the regions you write about. You make them sound so awesome that I want to go soon! (also, jacket in the desert?)
Thank you, the beautiful landscape did most of the work for me! The jeep tour was definitely shaky but we had a good driver so I wasn’t too worried about it. Also I was so busy just admiring the scenery all around me. And about the jacket, I swear that it was winter time and that it wasn’t very hot outside when that picture was taken!
Those pictures look fantastic, such beautiful colours!
I read recently the story of the Donner party, that got lost while moving west in the XIXth century, and turned to cannibalism to survive. It was probably nowhere near Sedona, as they were stuck in the snow, but now the Wild West makes me think of that. Oh well.
Very good post Michael, nice to give a voice to the desert!
Thanks Anthony, I strive to give a voice to all landscapes! I just looked that up and it appears that it happened somewhere in northern Nevada, which is pretty far from Sedona but it also would have been considered the Wild West at the time.
WOW! Gorgeous! I love the chapel!! I have always loved the desert. Sharing!
Very happy to hear that Kim! Deserts are pretty cool aren’t they?