Unfortunately, the secret’s been out for a while. Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon – the lovely gateway into town – are among Arizona’s busier tourist destinations, second only to the Grand Canyon. Rumbling tour buses, long lines and sunburned sight-seers are the norm, as are resort-town prices.
For a shot at beating the crowds, find your inner lizard and embrace the heat.
Sedona might well be most accessible in June and July, when average temperatures rise to the mid-90s and the sane among us stay far away. For the off-kilter, Sedona is wide open, provided visitors get an early start on their adventures – as in, the opening moments of dawn.
Bring wide-brimmed hats, drink lots of water and apply sunscreen early and often.
Explore Oak Creek Canyon
Be sure to enter Sedona through this impossibly scenic canyon.
State Route 89A takes a winding tour through the 12-mile river gorge, rising and falling through verdant forests framed by ice age rock cliffs.
For an unforgettable hike, seek out West Fork Oak Creek Trail No. 108. The trail is a rustic 3 miles, snaking through a canyon with several creek crossings. Beyond it, intrepid hikers can travel up to 14 miles off-trail – provided they’re equipped for emergencies and ready to swim in up to seven cold and deep pools before turning back.
Otherwise, the state highway stands as one of the more memorable drives anywhere, with several opportunities to pull off the road and explore.
Visit Slide Rock State Park
Located in Oak Creek Canyon, this one deserves separate mention for its unique thrill: a natural waterslide that contours down smooth, red sandstone on Oak Creek’s slippery bed, washing revelers into a refreshing swimming hole.
Tall red rock formations surround the area, and short hikes are available to survey the sights. The park also contains a 43-acre working apple orchard.
Arizona State Parks, which co-manages Slide Rock State Park with the U.S. Forest Service, cautions that visitors should expect capacity crowds this summer. Once the parking lot fills, one vehicle is allowed in for each that leaves – so here’s to hoping your air conditioning is in working order.
Entrance fees are $20 per vehicle.
Find singletrack bliss
Anyone who’s experienced love astride a mountain bike should steel themselves upon entering town. Tremble and try not to hyperventilate as you survey the rocks and ridges all around you, sure in the knowledge they’re threaded with rollicking, rock-studded singletrack.
Make no mistake, though. This town is best enjoyed by advanced riders.
To gauge your appetite for Sedona’s brand of risk, start small with Slim Shady Trail, accessible from the Bell Rock Vista Trailhead.
Slim Shady is rated as advanced, but intermediate riders should be fine. If nothing else, it’s a nice hike too.
To raise the stakes, take the turn to climb the black-diamond Hiline Trail. Here, the cliffs offer endless views before plunging cyclists down a series of harrowing, stuttered chutes, illustrating why Sedona is a world-class riding destination.
Please don’t fall. At one or two spots on Hiline – you’ll see them coming – an ill-timed dismount can put a quick stop to the fun.
For an excellent loop, head to the Broken Arrow Trailhead and ride Broken Arrow to Chicken Point, a memorable overlook, before continuing onto Little Horse, Mystic, Pigtail and Hog Wash, the latter of which returns you to your car.
Any of these routes will hold high appeal for hikers and trail runners, but for confident riders, they are staggering in their sweep and challenge.
To plan your trip, research MTBProject.com and be sure to stop into one of the town’s three mountain biking shops: Sedona Bike and Bean, 75 Bell Rock Plaza; Absolute Bikes, 6101 Arizona Highway 179, Suite C; and Over the Edge Sports, 1695 State Route 89A.
Jeep tours also offer an excellent way to get into the back country.
Get cosmic
Whether it’s the beauty of its surroundings or the hot, thin air, Sedona has long been held up as a hotbed of metaphysical activity.
Sate your curiosity by striking up a conversation at one of the town’s many crystal shops or metaphysical bookstores, but try to control yourself. At the time of this writing, the moon is in Sagittarius, a time when we’re all inspired to embrace our longing for freedom and wildness.
To experience Sedona’s strange energy for yourself, investigate one of the town’s four vortexes, billed as fountains of swirling energy from deep within the Earth’s surface.
For an unforgettable morning, wake up before dawn and follow directions found at LoveSedona.com – or “John and Micki’s Metaphysical Website” – to the Airport Vortex. There, you can watch the sun rise and be battered by winds that swirl about the twisted junipers on a saddle overlooking Airport Road. Even skeptics will enjoy seeing hot air balloons as they arc across the morning sky.
Finish the morning at Coffee Pot Restaurant, 2050 W. State Route 89A, a greasy spoon that offers a menu of 101 omelet variations.
Stretch your budget
Plenty of free camping is available to soften the blow of Sedona’s resort-town prices, but be ready to rough it. Restrooms and water might be in short supply.
Head west out of Sedona for 5 miles and turn left on 89B. The road can be rough, but it leads to a series of excellent, if primitive, campsites along Oak Creek.
If campsites are full, head back to 89A and cross the road onto Forest Road 525. After ¼ mile or so, a number of primitive campsites will come into view, some suitable for RVs.
Showers are available at Cave Springs and Lo Lo Campgrounds, though they require paying an overnight fee. For a good, cheap option, head to the Sedona Community Pool at 570 Posse Ground Road.
After getting cleaned up, reward yourself for your thrift with a trip to Elote Café, 771 State Route 179, for imaginative, gourmet Mexican food.
The restaurant doesn’t accept reservations, so either come early to make the 5 p.m. seating or be ready for a pleasant wait on the veranda.
Daytrip to Jerome
Drive a half-hour west to find Jerome, a 19th-century mining town high above Sedona that once supported a population of 10,000. Today, fewer than 500 call it home.
Art galleries, candy shops, coffeehouses, restaurants, a state park and local museum devoted to mining history are among the attractions, but a stroll up and down the steep streets is rewarding on its own.
Interesting note of trivia: A winery called Caduceus Cellars, 158 Main St., is operated by Maynard James Keenan, lead singer for the alternative rock band Tool.
For fine dining, visit the Asylum, a formal restaurant at the Historic Jerome Grandview Hotel, located at the site of a former hospital.
close
trending articles
Photos: 33 greatest 2015 graduation moments in the Colorado Springs area
Article source
Related Posts:
Beauty meets history at confluence of three great rivers
Beauty awaits the adventurous at Utah’s Esacalante
Mountain culture and rugged natural beauty in northwestern…
Kah-Nee-Ta drive features landscape beauty of Warm Springs…
Olympic Peninsula packs in beauty of Hoh River, Cape Alava,…