Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
506
928/282-8700; www.sedonajeeprentals.com), which charges $165 to $195 for 4 hours
and $265 to $295 for 24 hours. Or you can get around Sedona on the
Sedona Roadrun-
ner
(
&
928/282-0938;
www.sedonaroadrunner.com), a free shuttle bus that operates
every 10 minutes between uptown, Tlaquepaque, and the Hillside Sedona shopping
plaza.
EXPLORING RED
ROCK COUNTRY
The Grand Canyon may be Arizona's biggest attraction, but there's actually far more to
do in Sedona. If you aren't an active type, there's the obvious option of just sitting down
and gazing in awe at the rugged cliffs, needlelike pinnacles, and isolated buttes that rise
from the green forest floor at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon. Want to see more but
don't want to break a sweat? Head out into the red rocks on a Jeep tour or soar over the
red rocks in a biplane. Want to go
mano a mano
with this wild landscape? Go for a hike,
rent a mountain bike, or go horseback riding. (See “Organized Tours” and “Outdoor
Pursuits,” later in this chapter, for details.)
Although
Schnebly Hill Road,
which climbs into the red rocks east of Sedona, is a
rough dirt road, it's a must for superb views. This road is best driven in a high-clearance
vehicle or SUV, but depending on how recently it has been maintained, it can be passable
in a regular car. To reach this scenic road, head south out of Sedona on Ariz. 179, turn
left after you cross the bridge over Oak Creek (at the Tlaquepaque shopping center), and
head up the road, which starts out paved but soon turns to dirt. As this road climbs to
the top of the Mogollon Rim, each switchback and cliff-edged curve yields a new and
more astonishing view. At the top, the Schnebly Hill overlook offers a view that just begs
to be savored over a long picnic. If you don't feel comfortable doing this drive in your
own vehicle, you can book a Jeep tour that heads up this way.
Just south of Sedona, on the east side of Ariz. 179, you'll see the aptly named
Bell
Rock.
There's a parking area at the foot of this formation, and trails lead up to the top.
Adjacent to Bell Rock is
Courthouse Butte,
and to the west stands
Cathedral Rock.
From the Chapel of the Holy Cross (see “Attractions & Activities Around Town,” below)
on Chapel Road, you can see
Eagle Head Rock
(from the front door of the chapel, look
three-quarters of the way up the mountain to see the eagle's head), the
Twin Nuns
(two
pinnacles standing side by side), and
Mother and Child Rock
(to the left of the Twin
Nuns).
If you head west out of Sedona on Ariz. 89A and turn left onto Airport Road, you'll
drive up onto
Airport Mesa,
which commands an unobstructed panorama of Sedona
and the red rocks. About halfway up the mesa is a small parking area from which easy
trails radiate, and at the top of the mesa is a huge parking area and viewpoint park that
attracts large crowds of sunset gazers. The views from here are among the best in the
region.
Boynton Canyon,
located 8 miles west of the “Y,” is a narrow red-rock box canyon
and is one of the most beautiful spots in the Sedona area. This canyon is also the site of
the deluxe Enchantment resort, but hundreds of years before there were luxury suites
here, there were Sinagua cliff dwellings. Several of these cliff dwellings can still be spotted
high on the canyon walls.
Boynton Canyon Trail
leads 3 miles up into this canyon from
a trail head parking area just outside the gates of Enchantment. To get to the trail head,
drive west out of Sedona on Ariz. 89A, turn right on Dry Creek Road, take a left at the
first “T” intersection, and a right at the second “T.”
On the way to Boynton Canyon, look north from Ariz. 89A, and you'll see
Coffee Pot
Rock,
also known as Rooster Rock, rising 1,800 feet above Sedona. Three pinnacles,
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