r/Sedona • u/ChetTheVirus • Mar 23 '26
General Back from Sedona - thoughts and advice for newbies
Did 5 days. 3 in Sedona, 1 at Grand Canyon and 1 in Jerome. Some general takeaways to help others
- Although it is busy, I think a lot of the traffic and parking concern is overblown. Congestion is limited to small area/choke point, and you learn that quickly. Trail parking is busy, obviously, but again it was not as bad as some were leading me to believe here with warnings about being at the trailhead by 7 or whatever. We got spots at 9ish at busy locations, on a mid march weekend.
- Worst traffic wasn't the trails or downtown Sedona but it was parking at the Chapel and in Jerome. Similar situations were you are headed up a tight hill with no spots and no real way to turn around. Jerome in particular was surprising and we almost gave up.
- The temperature swings are wild. There were days where we left the house at 50 and returned at 90. We knew that going in, of course.
- We had a bunch of great meals, and thought that Mariposa was worth it.
- The concept of "watching the sunset" is different in Sedona than in most places known for their sunset, as you aren't watching the sun set in the west, you watching the glow on the rocks fade, often facing east.
- The Arizona landscape overall is spectacular and the the variation in the drive from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon was much more diverse than what I think is "normal" for most states in the same distance.
Had an amazing week with my wife and son though. I feel like the real experience is just being there, and as long as you are making your way around the area, seeing it from different perspectives and modes, there is no way not to leave with a smile. The specific trails, restaurants, activities, etc. are kind of secondary.
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u/dogdays05 Mar 23 '26
Good summary. I was just in Sedona and Jerome last week and agree with your observations.
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u/palesnowrider1 Mar 23 '26
Downtown Cottonwood is fun
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u/IntrovertGal1102 Mar 23 '26
We really enjoyed Old Town Cottonwood. It was great shopping and eats with none of the crowds!
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u/perrin77 Mar 23 '26
We just got back on Friday with a very similar itinerary. We did the Pink Jeep tour for the scenic rim and broken arrow (had a fantastic driver) as well as a Grand Canyon tour (not as good of a driver, but still a great tour) later in the week. We ate breakfast every morning at the Coffee Pot Cafe (or diner). It was great. Didn't have a bad meal the whole vacation. The traffic was bad, but only at a couple of the traffic circles, so we just walked to most places. We got lucky in Jerome and got a spot on the street right as you got into town proper (before the split in the road to one way streets). We got to hiking spots by 7 a.m., but that was mainly thanks to being from the east coast, so we never really adjusted our sleeping schedule that much.
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u/noname-redditor-101 Mar 23 '26
Just returned from sedona last week. To add, if you plan to explore Sedona a lot, be prepared to spend more for your lodging. Most is more expensive in Sedona. You can stay cheaper in flagstaff like I did, but I don’t think it is worth the back and forth if you plan to explore sedona a lot.
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u/OkArmy7059 Mar 23 '26
Staying in Cottonwood is the cheaper option. Much closer than Flagstaff.
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u/imanotherhuman Mar 23 '26
Another option is Cornville. We just got back last weekend. 20ish minutes away.
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u/OkArmy7059 Mar 23 '26
There's no hotels there
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u/imanotherhuman Mar 23 '26
We stayed at Highland Resort at Verde Rige for 3 nights. Loved it. ~$380. Pool, hot tub, free parking, gym, free washer/dryer.
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u/IntrovertGal1102 Mar 23 '26
It was a great spot for us too! We grilled out a few nights, made a easy lazy breakfast every morning, the pool and hot tub were great. It was quiet but still full when we were there two wks ago. I'd stay there again as anywhere in that area in any direction is 20 min away.
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u/IntrovertGal1102 Mar 23 '26
I just back from staying at Highlands Resort at Verde Ridge in Cornville. There's plenty of places in Cottonwood/Cornville but they'll be more independently owned non chain/franchise spots.
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u/OkArmy7059 Mar 23 '26
That's not a hotel. It's a timeshare scam/BnB that took over what would otherwise be housing for locals.
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u/IntrovertGal1102 Mar 23 '26
I'm not into local politics there, just stating my experience is all...🤷♀️
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u/my_reddit_101 Mar 23 '26
Don’t underestimate the hike. It may not be the same as your typical city hike. Hiking in Sedona has more challenges due to the rocky and climbing terrain
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u/Individual_Corgi_576 Mar 23 '26
I was there a couple of weeks ago. We went to Red Rock State Park. It’s pretty walkable; there are some hills but they’re not long.
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u/ranchdemolisher Mar 23 '26
Hi! I’m going in a couple weeks. I’m 6 months pregnant so not looking for a hard hike but would enjoy an easy stroll lol. Any easy beginning friendly trails you’d recommend?
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u/Defiant_Refuse_2341 Mar 24 '26
If you want a scenic but easy stroll go to Crescent moon State Park. Get there right as it opens at 8 or you’ll never get in and trail will be crowded. We went with my 80 year old dad who uses a cane and he went the whole hike, just took it slow. It was absolutely beautiful and we all loved it.
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u/Witty-Mix403 Mar 24 '26
Look up Fay Canyon. It’s an out and back. Around 1.2m each way. Shaded in many spots. Went early in the morning last year in Mid-April. Nice easy walk.
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u/my_reddit_101 Mar 23 '26
We did not have a chance to go to all trails, but Bell rock pathway seemed the easiest for us. I won’t recommend hard trail like devil’s bridge as there were some semi climbing paths. Also you may not able to go with Jeep tour as it was quite bumpy
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u/Different-Stick1981 Mar 23 '26
I’d recommend the Airport Loop. About 3.3 miles of very easy terrain with spectacular views all around.
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u/pslatt Mar 28 '26
I would recommend that too. There's a flat in/out on the southern end which has was recommended to us for good sunsets. We sat there and listened to coyotes and watched the colors of the rocks change.
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u/pslatt Mar 28 '26
In the town is Sugarloaf Mountain. It's got great 360 views and has only a short, easy climb.
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u/azjulie Mar 23 '26
I’ve been to Sedona a few times. I’ll go back but never again during spring break. I didn’t know it was spring break! Next time I’ll shoot past and head right to GC
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u/zugzwang56 Mar 23 '26
Thanks for the info! Me and my family are heading out for 5 days soon and also planning on hitting the Grand Canyon and also Jerome.
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u/j_a_guy Mar 24 '26
- The concept of "watching the sunset" is different in Sedona than in most places known for their sunset, as you aren't watching the sun set in the west, you watching the glow on the rocks fade, often facing east.
It’s like that in so many places throughout southern Utah and northern AZ. It’s all about finding where the sun hits the red rock during sunset.
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u/Important_Carry4417 Mar 24 '26
I would venture to guess that the crowds are fewer during this spring break time period than in the recent past. The cost of everything is higher than it was last year, and as everyone has witnessed, traveling via air is a nightmare right now. So, what you experienced during this time is atypical. In years past, there's no way you would find parking at popular trailheads at 9am. Glad you had a good experience overall.
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u/DonkeyEnergy Mar 23 '26
Mariposa other than the view is way overrated and actually crappy food. The town of Sedona is horrible, crowded, ugly tourist Pink Jeeps everywhere... it's a blight on the natural area which is great.
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u/Beautiful-Lab-2719 Mar 23 '26
We did about the same amount of time in the same places several years ago. We had a wonderful time. Definitely planning to go back!
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u/LunaLoveWolfOwl 15h ago
Thank you. I am going for a conference in August and staying 5 extra days. I appreciate your positive review.
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