Some people go to Sedona for its wonderful retreat spas. Others, for its healing vortexes. Most, for its incredible hikes among some of the most beautiful landscapes in the US.
On our way to Sedona from Prescott (post here) we stopped just outside of Cottonwood, AZ to visit the Tuzigoot National Monument. This Verde Valley monument is the remnant of a Southern Sinagua village built between 1000 and 1400. The original structure was two stories high in places and contained 87 ground-floor rooms. It was excavated as part of the Works Progress Administration in the early 1930s by local workers who were taught to collect and preserve artifacts under the supervision of archeology graduate students. This well-maintained pueblo even includes ladders from roof entrances into the abode. Views from the hilltop pueblo are beautiful and the visitor center contains pottery, tools and other artifacts found in the area.
From Toozigoot we continued down highway ALT 89 to Sedona. There’s plenty of boondocking just west of Sedona off of FS 525. Here are a couple of our spots.
Forest Service road FS 525 is fairly busy with RVs, ATVs, and jeep tours but was still fun to bike ride for it’s wonderful red rock views. The loop Doug had found got pretty rocky about 5 miles in and I decided to return to the RV. Doug found himself on and off the bike as the rocks dictated. At one point he’d just clipped back into the pedals when the pedal hit a large rock and he began to fall. Unable to unclip fast enough, in slo-mo he hit the ground and a sharp rock which ended up breaking 2 ribs. With no cell service and in the middle of the loop, he had no choice but to continue the ride. X-rays later confirmed the breaks which took about 8 weeks to fully heal!
Despite Doug’s rib issues we managed to take three hikes in the area, some pretty drives, and some down days between them to recoup.
HIKES:
Yavapai Vista to Upper Bell Rock Hike
There are several popular hikes that leave from the Yavapai Vista parking area so if you have a van or RV, we would recommend arriving early to get a parking space. Despite how crowded the parking lot felt, the numerous hikes and even different routes past Courthouse Butte to Bell Rock meant we ran into very few people on the Templeton Trail. It wasn’t until we reached the rock itself that we ran into more people. The vista views atop the rock are worth the scramble. We also took the less travelled clockwise path around its edge for pretty views of the valley beyond.
We did a second trip to Bell Rock in October of 2021 during a Miller family reunion. This time we parked at the southern-most Bell Vista Trailhead which seemed closer to Bell Rock but approaches from the south- so be sure to circle all the way around to the north side for great views.
Honaroki Ruins
The Honaroki Ruins are another architectural structure created by the Southern Sinagua. With more than 70 rooms and 2 stories they believe as many as 200 people lived here. This is a popular ATV and Pink Jeep tour so parking is at a premium. Most of the road is dirt so it does take some patience to get to in an RV but the hike to the cliffside ruins is short. Also the charcoal and painted pictographs are fun to find in the ruins.
Loy Canyon with Bailey
Near the Honaroki ruins is a trail called Loy Canyon with views of Loy butte. We did an out and back 4 mile hike with Bailey. Some nice redrocks, cactus and interesting plants line this trail, but we didn’t go further because it didn’t look like we were going to climb to see better rock views or find an open space that would provide those views.
Soldier Pass to Brins Mesa
Behind a neighborhood on the west side of downtown Sedona is the trailhead to 7 Sacred Pools via the Soldier Pass Trail. This hike has quite a bit of climbing and some rather large steps both up and down on the way to the pools. There also isn’t much shade so go early. In April we made the full loop with a side trail up to the Soldier Pass Cave.
We made it to the pools again in late October with the Millers.
Cathedral Rock from Crescent Moon Ranch
This hike requires a $10/car fee but is worth it. It starts from a pretty park and requires that you be willing to remove your shoes and wade across Oak Creek to start the official trail. The first part of the hike is flat and there’s some decent shade as you walk along the water’s edge. Then the trail gets pretty steep as it winds its way up to a pretty vista. It’s another 1.5 miles down the trail which is then mostly flat to get see great views up to Cathedral Rock – a well known vortex spot. The trail rotates around the bottom of this structure and it’s fun to see Cathedral Rock from different perspectives. All in, this out and back was 4.3 miles.
DRIVES
Highway 89A to Flagstaff
We took several great day trips from Sedona. One on Highway 89A north that follows Oak Creek and past Slide Rock State Park. At the top of the pass is a great overlook. We then continued on to Flagstaff. This whole drive is very scenic. We’ve done it multiple times during different times of the year and it’s always stunning!
Highway 89A to Jerome
Taking 89A from Sedona towards the SW takes you through Cottonwood. We stopped for lunch at Colt Grill and then continued up to the hillside town of Jerome which is a fun little place to stop for dessert and a walk around town with dramatic views down to the valley floor to the east.
The towns all around this area are cute, the food is decent (but a bit overpriced), but don’t go for those reasons. Go for the gorgeous drives and amazing hikes. So great that you won’t even mind if you’re still finding that fine red Sedona dust in your RV months later!
