Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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SEDONA & OAK CREEK CANYON
56 miles NE of Prescott; 116 miles N of Phoenix; 106 miles S of the Grand Canyon
There is not a town anywhere in the Southwest with a more beautiful setting than
Sedona. On the outskirts of town, red-rock buttes, eroded canyon walls, and mesas rise
into blue skies. Off in the distance, the Mogollon Rim looms, its forests of juniper and
ponderosa pine dark against the rocks. With a wide band of rosy sandstone predominat-
ing in this area, Sedona has come to be known as red-rock country, and each evening at
sunset, the rocks put on an unforgettable light show that is reason enough for a visit. All
this may sound perfectly idyllic, but if you lower your eyes from the red rocks, you'll see
the flip side of Sedona—a sprawl of housing developments and strip malls. However, not
even the proliferation of timeshare sales offices disguised as “visitor information centers”
can mar the beauty of the backdrop.
With national forest surrounding the city (and even fingers of forest extending into
what would otherwise be the city limits), Sedona also has some of the best outdoors
access of any city in the Southwest. All around town, alongside highways and down side
streets in suburban neighborhoods, there are trail heads. Trek down any one of these trails
and you leave the city behind and enter the world of the red rocks.
Located at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona was first settled by pioneers in
1877 and named for the first postmaster's wife. Word of Sedona's beauty did not begin
to spread until Hollywood filmmakers began using the region's red rock as backdrop to
their Western films. Next came artists, lured by the landscapes and desert light (it was
here in Sedona that the Cowboy Artists of America organization was formed). Although
still much touted as an artists' community, Sedona's art scene these days is geared more
toward tourists than toward collectors of fine art.
With its drop-dead gorgeous scenery, dozens of motels and resorts, and plethora of
good restaurants, Sedona makes an excellent base for exploring central Arizona. Several
ancient Indian ruins (including an impressive cliff dwelling), the “ghost town” of Jerome,
and the scenic Verde Canyon Railroad are all within easy driving distance, and even the
Grand Canyon is but a long day trip away.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE
Sedona is on Ariz. 179, at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon. From
Phoenix, take I-17 to Ariz. 179 north. From Flagstaff, head south on I-17 until you see
the turnoff for Ariz. 89A and Sedona. Ariz. 89A also connects Sedona with Prescott.
Sedona Phoenix Shuttle
(
&
800/448-7988
in Ariz., or 928/282-2066; www.sedona-
phoenix-shuttle.com) operates several trips daily between Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport
and Sedona. The fare is $50 one-way, $90 round-trip.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Sedona Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center/
Uptown Gateway Visitor Center,
331 Forest Rd. (
&
800/288-7336
or 928/282-7722;
www.visitsedona.com), is at the corner of Ariz. 89A and Forest Road in uptown Sedona.
The visitor center is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30am to 5pm, and Sunday
and holidays from 9am to 3pm.
You can also get information, as well as a Red Rock Pass for parking at area trail heads,
at the
Visitor Contact Center,
8375 Ariz. 179, Village of Oak Creek (
&
928/203-
2900
), which is open daily from 8am to 5pm; or the
North Gateway Visitor Center,
Oak Creek Vista Overlook, Ariz. 89A (
&
928/282-4119
), which is open March 1
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