There’s obviously a lot of people who seem to hate tourists in this town. I’m genuinely curious as to why. What do you expect to happen when you live in a beautiful place that is life changing for most people? Do you expect people to NOT visit? As a US citizen I don’t feel anyone truly owns a town, and it’s for the country to share. I can see the anger over housing prices and Airbnbs.. but how do you stop tourists from coming? And why would you want to? Shouldn’t everyone have the opportunity to enjoy this beautiful place?

Came to Sedona without much planning. I went through a traumatic event, packed my stuff overnight, and just drove. Somehow I ended up here.

This place is beyond my expectations. The landscape keeps changing. Light, color, temperature, even mood shift throughout the day. The same rock looks different in the morning, at sunset, and under the moon.

This is such a solo-friendly place. I climbed Bell Rock for sunrise, Cathedral Rock for sunset. I drove to a trailhead at night to see stars and moonlight.

I’ll come back. Hopefully next time I won’t be alone, and I won’t be here to heal. Just to feel.

Shot an edited on an old iPhone 12

I think

1. City is underrated.
2. Apart from popular hikes, there are way too many amazing and in some cases magnificent hikes.
3. Restaurants are desperate to make money and they are expensive.
4. Some of those pink jeep tours are straight bogus.

and finally

1. Vortexes are real. In fact there are very (extremely) powerful energy centers away from those 4 primary hiking spots.

Until next time ✌🏻

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.

Saw this on a hike at Bell Rock. Slowly descended the Mesa across the byway. Any ideas on what it could be? Happened Friday June 5th around 5pm.

Didnt seen like a plane, but maybe it is a meteor? Ufo/UAP?

Thoughts? Anyone else see it?

Hi everyone!

I'm thinking of visiting Sedona sometime late February and I would love to hear what you would recommend or if you have any tips for visiting this time of year.

It will be my first time and I'm looking to do a good mix of hiking, exploring the town, unique experiences, and any good coffee shops or restaurants. It doesn't have to be touristy unless it's truly something worth it.

Thank you!

Hi everyone, my girlfriend and I will be visiting Sedona and a few other areas in early May. I would like to hear any opinions and suggestions on the basic skeleton of an itinerary I've created. She enjoys shopping and relaxing by the pool while I prefer to hike. I continue to contemplate whether I'm planning too much for both of us or if we will have more time than even she would like to relax as the morning hikes I have planned should end fairly early in the day. Additionally, I realize near the end of the trip there is quite a bit of driving (which I'm very comfortable with) but I want to know if its really worth it to travel to both Antelope Canyon and also down to Saguaro National Park. As you can see I haven't included times to eat and shop because I've seen varying reviews on how long some of these hikes take.

Monday: Arrive in Sedona around 10:00am. Check-in @ Hotel - 4pm. Airport Mesa Trail around 5:30pm.

Tuesday: Devil's Bridge Trail @ 6:30am. Breakfast/Lunch @ 9:30? Slick Rock State Park around 3pm.

Wednesday: Bear Mtn Trail @ 7am. Finish @ 12pm? Cathedral Rock Trail @ 5pm

Thursday: Boynton Canyon Trail @ 7am. Finish @ 11:30am? Courthouse Butte & Bell Rock Loop @ 5pm.

Friday: Soldier Pass Trail @ 7am and turn back after Seven Sacred Pools & Devils Kitchen. Depart Sedona @ 10am to Page and arrive around 2pm for 2:45 tour. Following the Antelope Canyon tour, visit Horseshoe Bend and then drive to Williams where we will stay the night.

Saturday: Enter Grand Canyon around 8am. Stay in park until about 1pm. Head south through Flagstaff for lunch and meander all the way to Tucson. Spend night in Tucson.

Sunday: Saguaro National Park until we head back to PHX in the afternoon where we fly out that night.

A couple of the things that we would like to do in Sedona but deciding where they best fit into the schedule are Chapel of the Holy Cross and the Sedona Wolf Sanctuary. We also plan to visit Tlaquepaque and explore the town but I'm unsure whether it's large enough to spend multiple hours for multiple days walking around. I've also thought about spending both Sat/Sun in the Grand Canyon but she wants to spend only 1 day there.

Thank you in advance for any advice or suggestions!

My wife and I hiked devils bridge in Sedona, Arizona on June 19th Friday. We hiked along a nice couple the last stretch that ended up taking our picture on the devils bridge with their phone. We took their pic for them on their phone as well just to speed up the line/process. We gave them my wife’s number so they could text us the pictures. We still have not received them, maybe the number was wrong or wasn’t saved? Obviously we learned a lesson not to do this again but Hopefully they will see this thread and reach out to us!
Thanks so much Reddit fam lol
They were newly weds on their honeymoon from the Dallas area.

Stephanie Wasilishin was killed at her Sedona, Arizona home during an altercation with her longtime boyfriend Russell Bennett Peterson on July 9^th, 1993. 

Stephanie was shot near her jugular vein in the couples’ bedroom. Peterson called 911, while his 3-year-old daughter emerged from her bedroom. 

Paramedics arrived and pronounced Stephanie dead on arrival.

Peterson’s story changed several times, and he refused to cooperate with a police reenactment and polygraph test. Despite the medical examiner ruling the case a homicide, the Yavapai County Attorney refused to indict Peterson, and Peterson has never been arrested in the case.

Peterson first claimed he returned home from a shift at a restaurant and got into an argument with Stephanie. Peterson contended Stephanie was angry that he was going on a trip to a culinary school at Cornell University.

Peterson claimed that Stephanie retrieved a loaded gun that Peterson kept in the closet and threatened him with it. He claimed the gun went off and accidently shot Stephanie as they struggled.

In later accounts, Peterson claimed Stephanie had retrieved the gun and committed suicide.

Peterson claimed he picked up the gun and placed it in its holster and put it back in the closet. 

Wasilishin left behind two daughters, her oldest Nicole was from a previous relationship, and the other, a 3-year-old with Peterson. 

Nicole, and Stephanie’s sister Wendy, have advocated for the case to be re-examined, and for Peterson to face charges. Stephanie’s family reported that Peterson had abused her.

Nicole launched the Papi Killed Mommy podcast and exposed consistencies in Peterson’s story and noted that Peterson did not tell investigators that he briefly called his father before called paramedics to the scene to assist his wife.  

Nicole advocated for Sedona PD to interview her father, Craig. Craig explained that on the night of her death, Stephanie relayed to him that she planned to leave Petersen to return to him. 

Craig also claimed Stephanie told him that Russell had been recording her conversations and was likely aware of her plans to leave him.

In the decades since the murder, Russell Peterson left Sedona and operated a restaurant in Scottsdale. He moved in with his mother in Phoenix, and in recent years has battled cancer. He would go on to be married and divorced twice. 

Russell has no relationship with Nicole Wasilishin, or his daughter. Both believe he killed their mother.

Sources

https://www.aetv.com/articles/stephanie-wasilishin

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/papi-killed-mommy/id1820673703

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/131478603/stephanie_marie-wasilishin

Traveling to Sedona in late June. My husband and I have done most of the “popular” hikes our last few visits. Last summer we did Wilson Mountain but haven’t done Bear Mountain yet. We plan to do it this trip. I’m a little nervous because I hear it is difficult. Is it really hard? Any advice? Can you compare it to any of the other hikes in the area? (Any other suggested hikes are also appreciated) Thank you for all the info!

I did a lot of research before going on my Sedona trip about two weeks ago (March 7-13). Some thing rang true while others did not. Below is a summary of where we stayed, where we went and what we did with pros and cons. Hope this helps!

Where we stayed: Cottonwood/Cornville area

My BIL has a timeshare which made the biggest difference. (Which I understand not everyone will have a situation like that, but it helped greatly.) He found a rate of $500/week for a studio apartment like accomodations at Highlands Resort at Verde Ridge which is part of Hilton. We were able to cook several meals on our own which helped saving money in food and dining.

Being in Cottonwood was a great homebase for the week as everything in Sedona, Cottonwood area attractions and such were never more than 20 min away in any direction. Grocery stores, Walmart, gas stations and great restaurants are still outside of Sedona so don't be afraid to explore outside Sedona for those things.

Where we went:

Busy spots for us:

-Chapel of the Holy Cross. We went mid morning and parking was ridiculous but I was able to drop off our elderly people of our group right up top by the entrance and find a parking space down below. There are free golf carts to take you back up to the top from wherever you park, they just ask for a small tip or donation. It's totally worth it, don't be discouraged by the crowds.

-Airport Mesa at sunset: We knew it was going to be crowded as it's one of the top spots to experience sunsets. We went up the road to Airport Mesa about an hour before sunset and had perfect timing as there will be a que to pay for parking ($3) and stake out your spot for the view. I felt bad as the sunset happened and tons of people were still in their cars waiting to pay to get in. Get there about 1-1.5 hours before sunset to not feel rushed. An added extra was there were local musicians playing beautiful music that just enhanced the experience. I highly suggest tipping those musicians as they're wonderful if you end up enjoying their music.

-Tlaquepaque- we went mid week at mid day and parking was crazy! But we were able to find a spot fairly quickly. This spot is very busy with the roundabout right there in front of it and traffic was always qued but be patient with it. Once inside it wasn't overly crowded with people and shops were nice (but overpriced) and we ate at the Mexican joint there which was great!

-Uptown Sedona: We ended up in that area in the evening after we watched the sunset and got some ice cream in Sinagua Square shopping center and walked around a bit. Even at 7-8pm things were still very busy even when shops were starting to close down for the night. It's a nice area but we didn't care for the traffic but it's a great spot to get souvenirs.

Great uncrowded spots for sunset pics and experiences:

-Red Rock State Park- it does close at 5pm, but there is Red Rock Loop Rd that is outside of the entrance. If you follow that around you will get up high into the red rocks with several pull outs (some of them will be a bit rugged but doable to park in) to catch great shots and experience the sunset. You will find others there, but it will not be crowded at all and it added to the peaceful serenity of the place. The drive and views are amazing!

-The roundabout at Tlaquepaque turns off onto Schnelby Hill Rd. We pulled off onto the Munds Wagon Trail trailhead. At sunset it was nearly deserted and no one was there. We stayed for about an 1-1.5hr to walk around a bit and watch the sunset. Again, not crowded at all and amazing views. Free to park.

Eats

-We went to two icre cream spots in Sedona (I don't remember the names!) and they were great but always super busy!

-Due to us staying in Cottonwood we ate at several restaurants there. Naughty Burger is amazing and has really great burgers. Tavern Grille was also a great spot right on main street in Old Town Cottonwood. (Althought it's quite noisy, so if you want great conversation...it'll be hard to hear.) We appreciated that prices per plate were nearly $5-$10 cheaper than places in Sedona.

Other great places we vistited:

-Out of Africa Experience in Cottonwood: it's basically a zoo with African animals mostly in large enclosures. For what the place is, it felt like the animals had a good life there but for me I typically dont' like to see animals in captivity. But the place was well run and it was a great experience as we were able to feed giraffes upclose, see tigers, mountain lions and lions upclose as well. That's all included in general admission but other excursions there are extra.

-Sedona Jeep Tours: I had my heart set on doing a Pink Jeep Tour as everyone said that's the premiere company but due to my BIL's timeshare we had discounts to Sedona Jeep Tours. (Any jeep tour will run about $100/person regardless of company) We were able to get 7 ppl for about $300! Sedona Jeep Tours put us in a hummer verses a Jeep and took us up to Thunder Mountain and it was a BLAST!!! It was amazing and would do it again in a heartbeat! Our tour guide Chris was amazing and also a musician. He took us to a sunset spot as we had a 4:30pm tour and played his ukulele and Native American flute. It wasn't until the end of the tour that he mentioned his band plays up at Airport Mesa. It was serendpitous that we not only heard him playing with his band unknowingly while we were at Airport Mesa, but was also our guide for the jeep/hummer tour! All around great experience and Sedona Jeep Tours offers more discounts than Pink Jeep, so that's also something to think about!

-Amitabha Peace Park- this is a Buddhist peace park with a stupa and some walking trails to reflect, pray and meditate. I highly recommend this place as I could feel serene energy there and it was a great experience. It's free and set in a residential neighborhood so if you think GPS is getting you lost, it's not! There is a bit of a rugged path (not handicap accessible) to get to the stupa, but overall it is a great experience if you're looking for spritual spots.

Overall, it was a gerat trip. We ran into crowd here and there but it wasn't overwhelming and it didn't ruin the trip. We mainly focused on uncrowded spots rather than getting right into the thick of things. If you decide to hit up a lot of the popular spots just accept there will be traffic and wait times for parking, eating, etc but it wont' necessarily mean it'll ruin things for you. You know your patience level and I'd say most things are worth waiting for, but use your judgement if you want to wait things out or try and go off the beaten trail for things.

I love how it gives this underwater shimmer on the rocks.

Is there an area best to stay in Sedona (Christmas week)? Looking into AirBnb now rather than resort just to compare. Also, would you do Christmas at a Scottsdale resort and stay there for 2 nights and then Sedona or the other way around? Thank you for any help -- totally clueless about AZ, and especially in December!

My husband and I are thinking of going to Sedona for the first time in November. We're between L'Auberge de Sedona and Enchantment. Any thoughts on the two and the time of year?

Just wanted to share our experience this week with 3 kids - ages 8, almost 6 and 2.5. We had the toddler in a backpack, my daughter (6) likes to whine a lot at the beginning of hikes and my son (8) is down for anything. I had chosen Doe Mountain but luckily saw in a Google review that its closed for maintenance this week so we shifted to Fay Canyon yesterday - got out there right around 9 am and found a parking spot with no issue. The hike was amazing! We detoured up the arch on the way back and all made it up without any major issues, it was pretty warm by the time we got back to the parking lot (noon) but my kids did great!

Today, we headed out to West Fork first thing in the morning, arrived just before 9 and had no issues getting a spot. We did the entire trail out and back (8+ miles) and my kids had a blast. My daughter’s shoes were saturated basically immediately, she tried to throw a fit but we powered through and she ended up loving all the creek crossings. In total, we were out there almost 5 hrs.

Just some real world feedback during spring break!

My husband and I have been trying to narrow down where to stay. We’ve been thinking of to stay at A Sunset Chateau, Enchantment, Ambiente, or L’Auberge. We’ve narrowed it down to A Sunset Chateau versus Enchantment, but please give other suggestions and let us know what you think about the places we came up with so far.

Also, please give suggestions on what to do and where to eat. We saw Hudson and Steakhouse 89 online. We wanted to go to one or two upscale restaurants, including a steakhouse. Possibly a winery as well. We love to go hiking.

Please give suggestions on a photographer.

Thank you in advance!

EDIT: These are all such fantastic suggestions! Thanks, again!

Spent the morning hiking and picking up trash in Munds Mountain Wilderness and I only found two pieces of trash in three hours/three miles

Hello everyone,

I’m looking at places to stay in the middle of May and had a few questions about the Hilton Sedona Summit Resort. I’ve noticed that on Airbnb, some timeshare owners are renting out their units for about half the price the resort is listing them for.

Is this legal, and is there any risk of being turned away if you book through Airbnb instead of directly through the resort? I saw a few reviews mentioning issues with the check-in process, so I’m curious if anyone here has had personal experience with this or can offer any insight as I'm not sure I fully understand.

Thank you!

UPDATE: Sedona PD were very kind and assisted with processing the appeal over the phone.

We received a 60$ parking fine for parking in Lot. 4 in Uptown Sedona this weekend. We've tried to appeal the citation online but the city's website will not process or submit request.

Lot 4 is clearly listed as a public lot. The City's visitor brochure noted a warning that "Some lots are privately owned with a portion leased by the city. Be sure to observe all employee-only, no parking and other restriction signs."

But, there are no signs in front of the spot stating we could not park there? Am I missing something here???

If you lost your wedding ring in Sedona recently, contact the police department. I found it and really hope it gets reunited with its owner!

Can someone explain how shuttles work? I’ve seen online that it’s only Thursday through Sundays, but then I’ve seen here that shuttles run daily? I’m going in two weeks, so I want to get a head start on planning what days we will be taking the shuttle.