There are so many things to experience and explore while you are
visiting Sedona, Arizona and the Verde River Valley that you might just
decide to extend your stay to see and do them all! But just in case you
can’t, We have put together a list of favorite things to do in
Sedona including tours, historical sites, hikes and recreation. Sedona's main attraction is its array of red sandstone formations. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. Before we informs the tourist attraction in Sedona, Arizona, let we informs how the city itself.
Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 10,031. Sedona's main attraction is its array of red sandstone formations. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The red rocks form a popular backdrop for many activities, ranging from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails. Sedona was named after Sedona Arabella Miller Schnebly (1877–1950), the wife of Theodore Carlton Schnebly, the city's first postmaster, who was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness. Sedona has a temperate semi-arid climate. In January, the average high temperature is 57°F (14°C) with a low of 31°F (-1°C). In July, the average high temperature is 97°F (34°C) with a low of 64°F (17°C). Annual precipitation is just over 19 inches (480 mm).
1. Red Rock State Park
Red Rock State Park is a state park of Arizona, USA, featuring a red sandstone canyon outside the city of Sedona. The main mission of this day-use park is the preservation of the riparian habitat along Oak Creek. Red Rock State Park serves as an environmental education facility for the public and for school or private groups, and provides limited passive recreational opportunities. The park's visitor center contains interpretive exhibits, a movie theater, Junior Ranger Programs, and a gift shop. There are several ramadas which can be reserved for private events, including weddings. Red Rock State Park has a network of trails totaling 5 miles (8.0 km). From the park visitors can access mountain biking and horseback riding trails on adjacent U.S. Forest Service land.
2. Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock is a famous landmark on the Sedona, Arizona skyline, and is one of the most-photographed sights in Arizona, USA. Cathedral Rock is located in the Coconino National Forest in Yavapai County, about a mile (1.6 km) west of Arizona Route 179, and about 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of the "Y" intersection of Routes 179 and 89A in uptown Sedona. The summit elevation of Cathedral Rock is 4,921 feet (1,500 m). The Cathedral Rock trail (USFS Trail #170) is a popular short, steep ascent from the Back O' Beyond trailhead to the saddle points or "gaps" in Cathedral Rock. Geologically, Cathedral Rock is carved from the Permian Schnebly Hill formation, a redbed sandstone formed from coastal sand dunes near the shoreline of the ancient Pedregosa Sea. Ripple marks are prominent along the lower Cathedral Rock trail, and a black basalt dike may be seen in the first saddle. Cathedral Rock was called "Court House Rock" on some early maps, and Courthouse Butte was called "Church House Rock", which has caused endless confusion ever since.
3. The Chapel of the Holy Cross
The Chapel of the Holy Cross is a Roman Catholic chapel built into the buttes of Sedona, Arizona, run by the Diocese of Phoenix, as a part of St. John Vianney Parish in Sedona. The chapel was inspired and commissioned by local rancher and sculptor Marguerite Brunswig Staude, who had been inspired in 1932 by the newly constructed Empire State Building to build such a church. After an attempt to do so in Europe, with the help of the noted architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, was aborted due to the outbreak of World War II, she decided to build the church in her native region. Richard Hein was chosen as project architect, and the design was executed by architect August K. Strotz, both from the firm of Anshen & Allen. The chapel is built on Coconino National Forest land; the late Senator Barry Goldwater assisted Staude in obtaining a special-use permit. The construction supervisor was Fred Courkos, who built the chapel in 18 months at a cost of US$300,000. The chapel was completed in 1956. The American Institute of Architects gave the Chapel its Award of Honor in 1957. In the sculptor's words, “Though Catholic in faith, as a work of art the Chapel has a universal appeal. Its doors will ever be open to one and all, regardless of creed, that God may come to life in the souls of all men and be a living reality.”
4. Bell Rock
Bell Rock is a popular tourist attraction just north of the Village of Oak Creek, Arizona, south of Sedona in Yavapai County. Its summit elevation is 4,919 feet (1,499 m), It is just west of Courthouse Butte. Geologically, Bell Rock is a butte, composed of horizontally bedded sedimentary rock of the Permian Supai Formation. Some New Age writers consider Bell Rock to be a portal into the Earth or a gateway to other dimensions.
5. Slide Rock State Park
Slide Rock State Park is a state park of Arizona, USA, taking its name from a natural water slide formed by the slippery bed of Oak Creek. The park is located in Oak Creek Canyon 7 miles (11 km) north of Sedona. Slide Rock State Park is located on Coconino National Forest land and is co-managed by the Arizona State Parks agency and the U.S. Forest Service. Tall red rock formations that are typical of the region also surround the park, which contains a 43-acre (17 ha) working apple farm. The park was purchased by Arizona State Parks from the Arizona Parklands Foundation on July 10, 1985, and dedicated as Slide Rock State Park in October 1987. The Pendley Homestead Historic District was accepted onto the National Register of Historic Places on December 23, 1991. The apple farm is one of the few homesteads still preserved in Oak Creek Canyon. There are three hiking trails in Slide Rock State Park: Pendley Homestead Trail (.25 miles), Slide Rock Route (.3 miles), and Clifftop Nature Trail (.25). Slide Rock State Park attracted 254,584 visitors in 2005 and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Arizona.
6. The Honanki Heritage Site
The Honanki Heritage Site is a cliff dwelling and rock art site located in the Coconino National Forest, about 15 miles (24 km) west of Sedona, Arizona. The Sinagua people of the Ancient Pueblo Peoples, and ancestors of the Hopi people, lived here from about 1100 to 1300 CE. The Palatki Heritage Site is nearby, also in the Coconino National Forest. The Honanki and Palatki archaeological sites were first studied by Jesse Walter Fewkes of the Smithsonian Institution. He conducted test excavations at both sites in 1895 and in 1911, during his study of Hopi migration traditions. Fewkes named the site "Honanki," which means "Bear House" in the Hopi language. Honanki was one of the largest prehistoric pueblos in the Verde Valley. This period in Southern Sinagua prehistory is called the "Honanki Phase." Many of the cliff dwellings in the area west of Sedona were occupied during the Honanki Phase. The Sinagua occupation of Honanki was probably between 1130 and 1280 CE, based on a tree-ring date of 1271 (from a wooden beam in the ruin) and other archaeological evidence.
7. Courthouse Butte
Courthouse Butte is a butte just north of the Village of Oak Creek, Arizona, south of Sedona in Yavapai County. Summit elevation is 5,440 feet (1,660 m). It is just east of Bell Rock. Geologically, Courthouse Butte composed of horizontally bedded sedimentary rock of the Permian Supai Formation.
8. Sycamore Canyon
Sycamore Canyon is the second largest canyon in the Arizona redrock country, after Oak Creek Canyon. The 21-mile (34 km) long scenic canyon reaches a maximum width of about 7 miles (11 km). It is in North Central Arizona below the Mogollon Rim west and northwest of Sedona in Yavapai and Coconino counties. Sycamore Creek, a tributary of the Verde River, flows though the canyon. Sycamore Canyon enters the Verde River canyon 6.5 miles (10.5 km) north-northwest of Clarkdale. Located within three different U.S. National Forests, the Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott National Forests, Sycamore Canyon is home to a variety of wildlife including black bear, deer, and mountain lion. Unlike the nearby and more heavily visited Oak Creek Canyon, much of Sycamore Canyon is protected by the 56,000-acre (23,000 ha) Sycamore Canyon Wilderness, located at 35°07′31″N 112°00′04″W, and therefore roads and developed campgrounds are nonexistent. Hiking and horseback riding are the only ways to visit the canyon. The most popular access is via the Parsons Spring trail, upriver from Tuzigoot National Monument. A high clearance vehicle is helpful to reach the trailhead. Sycamore Canyon is one of the oldest designated Wilderness Areas in Arizona, originally being a Forest Service "Primitive Area" prior to the Wilderness Act of 1964.
9. Oak Creek Canyon
Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge located along the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon on its north end via a series of hairpin turns before traversing the bottom of the canyon for about 13 miles (21 km) until the highway enters the town of Sedona. The Oak Creek Canyon – Sedona area is second only to Grand Canyon as the most popular tourist destination in Arizona.
10. The Blazin M Ranch
At the Blazin M Ranch because it is good clean all-American family entertainment at its best, and the chuckwagon supper was great, as well. Just don’t say “toss the biscuits” unless you are ready to catch one! I brought my family and some out-of-town guests to the Blazin M and we laughed and chuckled all the way home. Its a great evening out with fun activities before supper, a great meal, and a hilarious stage show all rolled into one.
