Sedona
Arizona,  Hiking,  Travel

Twenty Photos to Inspire You to Travel to Sedona

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Beautiful Red Rock formations surround the town of Sedona, Arizona. (Featured image above courtesy of Richard Dwyer | DWYERLAND Media.) Any direction you look you can see different, stunning sandstone formations. A photographers dream, the gorgeous scenery is easily accessible from many locations throughout the town.  If you prefer to take it easy, there are vista spots you can drive to and enjoy the view without ever getting out of your car.  However, if you like active outdoor adventures, there are many to choose from: hiking, mountain biking, four-wheel drive adventures, ATV rentals, fishing, and golf. We spent three days in Sedona and hiked every day. Most of the popular hikes are within minutes of the downtown area.  For this trip, we wanted a central location so we chose to stay at the Sedona Hyatt Piñon Pointe in a one-bedroom unit. From here we took short drives (about 15 minutes) to several fabulous hikes that brought us right up close to some of the popular red rock formations and the Chapel of the Holy Cross. Here are some of the best photos from the weekend.

Sedona
Approaching Sedona on AZ Hwy 179 from Phoenix, the view is picturesque from the moment you get near the town.
Bell rock pathway
Bell Rock viewed from Bell Rock Pathway
Sedona Courthouse Butte
Courthouse Butte viewed from Bell Rock Pathway

Hiking Soldiers Pass Trail

Soldiers Pass
Our first hike was Soldiers Pass Trail
Shady Trail
A good portion of the trail is shady.
sinkhole
The sinkhole at Devil’s Kitchen is impressive. You can see the large slabs of red rock that fell into the sinkhole.
Seven Sacred Pools.
Further along the trail, you will encounter the Seven Sacred Pools.
Soldiers Pass
Rock formations viewed from the Soldiers Pass Trail

Hiking Little Horse Trail

Little Horse
The next day it was a hike of Little Horse Trail
Dry Creek Bed
Almost dry creek bed (arroyo) along Little Horse Trail
Bell Rock
Bell Rock viewed from Chapel Trail (off Little Horse Trail)
Flowers
Flowers in bloom
Ocotillo
The ocotillo were green and vibrant – in the distance, you can see the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

Chapel of the Holy Cross

Chapel
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Crucifix
Interior of Chapel of the Holy Cross — Photo courtesy of Richard Dwyer | DWYERLAND Media
Hoo Doos
HooDoos behind the Chapel of the Holy Cross

Hiking Cathedral Rock Trail

Cathedral Rock Trail
Our final hike was on Cathedral Rock Trail.
climb
It was a challenging hike to climb the Cathedral Rock trail. It was actually more of a climb than a hike, in some areas.
Cathedral Rock
Halfway up Cathedral Rock Trail
View from the top
After the climb, the view was rewarding.
climbing down
On some sections of the trail, climbing down was more challenging than climbing up.

There are many more trails and red rock formations to explore in Sedona.  We will be back to see more in the future.  The proximity to Phoenix makes it close enough for a day trip.

Update: If you were counting you may have noticed that there are now 21 photos, not 20 as advertised.  I added a bonus photo 🙂

Have you planned your trip to Sedona yet?

 

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6 Comments

    • Sheila

      January 21, 2019 at 5:18 pm Reply

      Thank you, Jo. Sedona is so beautiful, it is hard to decide what to photograph. Different times of day can make the same rock formations look very different. It is a beautiful place to visit.

  • Nandih A.

    January 20, 2019 at 10:23 am Reply

    Hi,

    I read your post and it restored my love of traveling to the United States. Thanks!!

    I have never been there but i really admire Arizona’s scenery. I am from Madagascar and the south part of the island has a similar scenery as in Arizona ( sanstone formation) with many epic sightseeing. In this case, i dream of tp drive a car on the route 66 and enjoying the surrounds. It would be great!!!

    Best wishes,

    Greeting from Madagascar,

    • Sheila

      January 21, 2019 at 5:17 pm Reply

      Greetings, Nahdih. I will need to look at some photos of Madagascar, I never imagined it was similar to Arizona. A long, slow car ride across the country on Route 66 is a classic journey with a lot to see along the way. I hope you get to take the trip someday!

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