I spent two weeks in Sedona in early March 2024. This is one of the best times of the year to visit as you may still see snow (Snowdona is indescribably beautiful!) and then the next day it will be sunny with a high of 68 degrees Fahrenheit. This place has a healing allure to it that is hard to put into words. I met soo many locals during my visit who vacationed once or twice before deciding to permanently relocate to this peaceful northern Arizona mountain town. The town is known for having “vortexes” or natural rock formations that have an unusually high electromagnetism to them. There are a large number of alternative and holistic medicine practitioners colocated in the same space which also contributes to the town’s reputation as a hub for spirituality. I self-identify as a hardcore logician who is as math-and-science as they come and I even felt the allure of Bell Rock. After driving for four hours from Tucson, AZ, I skipped checking in to my Airbnb, unconsciously drove to Bell Rock (without knowing it was Bell Rock), parked my car, climbed to the base of it and walked away with what I can only describe as a renewed vigor for the rest of the evening. A later conversation with my Airbnb host put words to my experience as Bell Rock is known for having a strong masculine energy to it. Other vortexes have a more feminine energy to them and made me feel nurtured in their presence. Like anything, the power of your experience is constrained by the power of your belief in these things. It takes an open mind; skeptics will likely feel nothing and write it off as some quack new-age mumbo-jumbo.
Outside of healing and spirituality, Sedona is a world class destination for outdoor activities including hiking, off-roading, landscape photography, natural swimming holes, and rock climbing. With so much to offer, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the population in Sedona balloons on the weekends. With nearly 3,000,000 visitors each year, that works out to nearly 58,000 people per week, many of whom come on the weekends. March – May is considered peak season before it gets too hot; coupled with spring break, I learned first hand just how congested the roads and trailheads can get in this small town of only ~10,000 full time residents. I’ll be sharing some lessons learned for beating the crowds.
- Lodging
- Things To Do
- Places To Work
- Food and Drink
- How to Beat the Crowds
Lodging
I stayed in an Airbnb located in Oak Creek Village across the street from Bell Rock, slightly south of Sedona proper. My host Haejung is AWESOME! I can’t recommend her enough. She is a yoga teacher and offers a $20 class three times a week for Airbnb guests that she facilitates in her living room. It’s one of the most unique yoga classes I’ve ever participated in as she ends the class with a 30 minute meditation and a tea ceremony. After my first yoga class with Haejung, she was gracious enough to serve a few cups from a $10,000 tin of award winning green tea from Taiwan. Haejung also knows many legit spiritual healers in town, including a third generation acupuncturist and traditional Chinese medicine practitioner named Banya who offers past life readings. I spoke with three of my Airbnb guest roommates who all spoke extremely highly of Banya. I wasn’t able to book an appointment with Banya this visit, but definitely will be looking into it the next time I pass through Sedona!
One thing to understand about Sedona is that tourism is the largest industry in the town. Staying at a resort and asking the concierge for things will get you pointed towards local tour guides that the hotel (most likely) has cut a deal with. Many “influencers” are also in cahoots with local hotels – this is why so many videos recommend staying at places like Arabella. If hiking is your jam (like me) there are over 200+ trailheads in Sedona; after waiting in line for 20 minutes to take a photo at popular sites like Birthing Cave, Cathedral Rock, or Seven Sacred Pools, it’s refreshing to get a recommendation that is off the beaten path that provides some solitude. Some of my favorite activities in Sedona were things Haejung recommended that don’t really show up in search results returned from Google. There’s no substitute for experience – my host has lived in Sedona for 13 years now. It’s futile to think a weekend or two of Googling is going to compete with that type of knowledge base.
Things To Do
It’s impossible to list everything there is to do in a single blog post for a place like Sedona. What is written here is unique to my experience of intentionally doing something new everyday for two weeks straight.
Hiking
This is my favorite activity to do at this stage of my life. Nothing else brings me closer to my higher power than being immersed in beautiful natural settings. Sedona did not disappoint!
What to Bring in a Daypack
Depending on the time of day, hike duration, and weather, this list varies a bit. In general, this covered all of my bases during the “wet” early March season.
| Item | Notes | Link |
| Backpack with a water pouch sleeve | This backpack is small, but has enough storage for everything I need and has a water pouch sleeve. | https://amzn.to/49iy6G1 |
| Camelbak 3L Hydration Bladder | 3L is perfect for all the hikes listed below. In general 3L works (for me) up to 18 miles. | https://amzn.to/4aC9Q2M |
| Swiss Army Knife | Mainly for the scissors and the knife to open snacks. | https://amzn.to/3U37lRB |
| Camera Bag + Camera | Fits camera and two lenses; stuffs perfectly into the middle pocket. | https://amzn.to/3J2HHWU |
| Epic Bison, Bacon, Cranberry Bar | Favorite snack; I eat more of these than I care to admit. | https://amzn.to/3PQmSls |
| Apple | 2nd favorite snack when I concede that I need to chill on the Epic Bars. Honeycrisp > | – |
| iPhone | AllTrails, taking pictures, using OpenAI Whisper to capture thoughts for this blog | – |
| Spot 400-R Headlamp | A must for night hiking. Get the one with the red-light option if you intend to stargaze or do astrophotography! | https://amzn.to/3VOgYVO |
| 20000mAh Power Bank | Charging headlamp, camera, iPhone. Nothing worse than having AllTrails map or light source die on you in the middle of a night hike! | https://amzn.to/49jkA56 |
| Camera tripod | Tripod for camera | https://amzn.to/3J8wELK |
| Sunscreen | Sun protection for face, hands, body. Don’t look like a prune by age 40! | https://amzn.to/4cNSXUT |
| Gloves | Keep hands warm | https://amzn.to/4ao1dJm |
| Gore-Tex Technical Shell | A technical shell is an outer layer that is made for any weather conditions including snow, hail, rain, wind, and sun. This thing saved me a few times when it unexpectedly started hailing! Gore-Tex is waterproof. Like stand under a waterfall and walk away completely dry level waterproof. This also means it is windproof! | https://bit.ly/3vtWS8A |
0 – 2 Miles
Doe Mountain Trail
Doe Mountain (AllTrails) is an awesome place to see the sunset and do some stargazing! Located right off of Boynton Pass Road, the trail is a moderate ascension up a series of cliff side switchbacks that leads to the top of a plateau. Bear Mountain to the west makes a great foreground subject for astrophotography while the lights of Sedona to the east invoke a sense of adventure as you look down on all the homes from this 5000 ft elevation vantage point. If you go for sunset or stargazing, don’t forget a head lamp as the descent down is treacherous on the cliff side.
Raven Caves Trail
Raven Caves (AllTrails) is a short hike that leads to a pretty cool cave carved into a cliff overlooking Oak Creek, located off highway 179. I stumbled upon this trail looking for something to do after work one day. Be on the lookout for the tiny parking lot, I drove right by it the first time and had to flip a U-turn!
Cathedral Rock Trail
Cathedral Rock Trail (AllTrails) has multiple trailheads. This short hike is the one that begins at the parking lot off Back O Beyond road. The hike is short yet requires some scrambling up the smooth rock faces (I felt like a Billy goat at times!). The path can be a bit hard to follow on the first attempt – look for the cairns. I knew I was in for a treat, as there was a professional photographer and a couple celebrating their ten year anniversary starting the hike at the same time I was. The scrambling and pathfinding is rewarded with a million dollar view at the top. I’m grateful the professional photographer was there to snap a few photos of me and provide some tips for someone just beginning their photography journey!
2 – 5 Miles
Cathedral Rock via Baldwin Trail
The second time I went to Cathedral Rock, I started the trail from Baldwin Trail (AllTrails). The sunset view of Cathedral Rock coming from this direction is second to none. I loved this hike as it hugs Oak Creek to begin and end the hike. Pay attention to the map and try not to wander off into La La Land or you’ll miss a turn (I did this on the way there and on the way back!). To reach Baldwin Trailhead, you must drive all the way out Verde Valley School Rd until it turns into a dirt road. This was convenient for me as my Airbnb was located in the Village of Oak Creek at crossroads of Bell Rock Blvd and Verde Valley School Rd. If you are staying in Uptown, Sedona proper, or West Sedona, this trailhead is pretty far out of the way. I stayed until long after the sun had gone down to do some stargazing and took one of my best astrophotography shots to date:
Bear Mountain Trail
Bear Mountain (AllTrails) is the second highest peak in Sedona at 6,616 feet elevation. I started this one at like 3:30PM and was at the summit with plenty of time remaining before sunset. Sunset did not disappoint from the elevated vantage point! Neither did the stargazing. I didn’t really know what I was doing at this point in my astrophotography career and was still able to get some beautiful shots, especially facing north of Sedona where there is absolutely zero light pollution. Definitely bring a headlamp for the hike back in the dark – this one hugs a cliff face and can be pretty sketchy, especially in the dark.
Bell Rock Pathway to Big Park Loop
This loop (AllTrails) is a great walk in-of-itself. Seeing Courthouse Butte from multiple different angles was pretty cool and the panoramic views offered when you get east of the Butte are awesome. When I got near Bell Rock, the vortex was calling and I felt compelled to scamper up the rock, getting near the top. The call was felt by others around me with one gentleman continuing all the way up to the summit of the rock, only to rappel down the side of Bell Rock! Great place to watch the sunset.
Chapel Trail to Broken Arrow Trail to Mystic Trail
This was one of the trails (AllTrails) my host Haejung recommended. It’s a nice little loop that takes you around the Holy Chapel of the Cross, along the famed OHV Broken Arrow Trail, offering views of Wilson Mountain to the north. Keep your head on a swivel, this hiking trail overlaps with a mountain biking and an OHV trail. If you go clockwise and time it right, the moon rise over Holy Chapel of the Cross during blue hour is awesome to witness!
Gordon’s Ridge via Boynton Canyon Trail
This one has been photographed ad-nauseam and is a very popular destination. (AllTrails) The trail to Gordon’s Ridge passes through the beautiful Boynton Canyon, an energy vortex possessing balanced feminine and masculine properties. The first part of the hike takes you past a resort and golf course. This eye sore doesn’t diminish the beauty of the canyon as you make your way further back. As you approach Gordon’s Ridge, a scramble up a crack in the rocks is required to make it to the angle many choose to snap a photo at. Don’t forget to go around the corner! The view outside of the cave opening is just as jaw dropping.
Devil’s Bridge via Mescal Trailhead
This trail (AllTrails) is a must see in Sedona. Unfortunately, everyone else has the same idea. Be prepared for crowds and waiting your turn to take the iconic shot on the bridge.
5+ Miles
Seven Sacred Pools via Soldier Pass to Brins Mesa Loop
This was one of my favorite hikes (AllTrails) of the trip. I went the second day I was in Sedona after climbing up Wilson Mountain
Wilson Mountain Trail
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West Fork of Oak Creek Trail (Sedona Narrows)
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Spirituality
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Vortexes
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Cathedral Rock
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Bell Rock
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Boynton Canyon
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Chapel of the Holy Cross
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Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park
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Zodiac / Past Life Readings
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Off Roading
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Broken Arrow
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End of the World
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Swimming Holes
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Slide Rock State Park
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Red Rock Crossing
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Stargazing
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Brewer Trail
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Doe Mountain
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Bear Mountain
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Tlaquepaque
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Places To Work
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The View Coffee Shop
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Whole Foods
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Starbucks
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Food and Drink
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Italian
Picazzos Healthy Italian Kitchen
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Pisa Lisa
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Gerardo’s Pizzeria
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Asian
Momo’s Kitchen
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Tara Thai Restaurant
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Red Chopsticks
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Fine Dining
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Mariposa Latin Grill
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Rene at Tlaquepaque
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Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante
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Drinks
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The Chai Spot
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FreeForm Coffee Roasters
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ChocolaTree Organic Eatery
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How to Beat the Crowds
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Travel, Nature, Growth 
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