Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Rock Biplane Tours
(
&
800/TOO-RIDE
[866-7433] or 928/204-5939; www.sedona
airtours.com), which operates modern Waco open-cockpit biplanes. With the wind in
your hair, you'll feel as though you've entered the world of Snoopy and the Red Baron.
Tours lasting 20 to 60 minutes are offered; a 20-minute tour costs $99 per person, with
a two-person minimum.
If something a bit slower is more your speed, how about drifting over the sculpted red
buttes of Sedona in a hot-air balloon?
Northern Light Balloon Expeditions
(
&
800/
230-6222
or 928/282-2274; www.northernlightballoon.com) charges $195 per person.
Red Rock Balloon Adventures
(
&
800/258-3754;
www.redrockballoons.com) also
charges $195 per person, while the affiliated
Sky High Balloon Adventures
(
&
800/
551-7597;
www.skyhighballoons.com), which floats over the Verde Valley, charges $180
per person.
GETTING OUTSIDE
Hiking is the most popular outdoor activity in the Sedona area, with dozens of trails
leading off into the red rocks. The only problem is that nearly everyone who comes to
Sedona wants to go hiking, so finding a little solitude along the trail can be difficult. Not
surprisingly, the most convenient trail heads also have the most crowded trails. If you
want to ditch the crowds, pick a trail head that is
not
on Ariz. 179 or Ariz. 89A. That
means that if you stop at any of the trail heads in Oak Creek Canyon or between the
Village of Oak Creek and Sedona, you'll likely encounter lots of other people along the
trail. You'll enjoy your Sedona hikes more if you start from a trail that begins down a side
road. Among my personal favorites are the trails that originate at the end of Jordan Road,
in uptown Sedona; the Cathedral Rock Trail, which starts in a housing development
between Sedona and the Village of Oak Creek; and the trails off Boynton Pass Road.
Note:
Don't forget to get your Red Rock Pass before heading out for a hike.
This said, the most convenient place to get some red dust on your boots is along the
Bell Rock Pathway
, which begins alongside Ariz. 179 just north of the Village of Oak
Creek. This trail winds around the base of Bell Rock and accesses many other trails that
lead up onto the sloping sides of Bell Rock. Although this is one of the most popular
hiking trails in the area and is always crowded, it is the single best introduction to hiking
in Sedona's beautiful red-rock country. It's about 4 miles to go all the way around Bell
Rock and the adjacent Courthouse Butte.
Among the most popular trails in the Sedona area are those that lead into
Boynton
Canyon
(site of Enchantment Resort). Here you'll glimpse ancient Native American
ruins built into the red-rock cliffs. Although the scenery is indeed stupendous, the great
numbers of other hikers on the trail detract considerably from the experience, and the
parking lot usually fills up early in the day. The 1.5-mile
Vultee Arch Trail,
which leads
to an impressive sandstone arch, is another great hike. The turnoff for this hike's trail
head is 2 miles up Dry Creek Road and then another 3
1
/
2
miles on a very rough dirt road.
The
Devil's Bridge Trail,
which starts on the same dirt road, is a little easier to get to
and leads to the largest natural sandstone arch in the area. This one is a 1.8-mile round-
trip hike.
For the hands-down best views in Sedona, hike all or part of the
Airport Mesa Trail,
a 3.5-mile loop that circles Airport Mesa. With virtually no elevation gain, this is an easy
hike. You'll find the trail head about halfway to the top of Airport Mesa on Airport Road.
Try this one as early in the day as possible; by midday, the parking lot is usually full and
it stays that way right through sunset.
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