Sedona, AZ, Guide and Information

Often considered to be the second biggest attraction in Arizona after the Grand Canyon, Sedona and the surrounding area will dazzle you with the jaw-dropping allure of its red rocks, monolithic formations that appear in every hue from burnt sienna to rust to salmon to carrot top to–well, you get the idea. Truly the display of color and form astounds. Here you can go up top, down, in deep and all around by foot, bike, kayak, car, you name it. Not much stops you from experiencing the majesty of this geological extravaganza from all kinds of perspectives. Although far less expansive than the Grand Canyon, the canyons here touch you with a raw beauty unique to this mystical land. Plus, you can drive through many of them!

And what’s cool, too, is to know that people have been looking at these same vistas for ages. The original inhabitants of the region were the Native Americans; the first Anglo-Americans arrived toward the latter part of the 1800s. In 1876, people settled in Oak Creek Canyon, an area known for its fruit trees. The post office was established and the town was named after the postmaster’s wife, Sedona Arabella Miller Schnebly, a woman respected for her kindness and good work ethic. Wouldn’t you have thought Sedona was an old Indian name or maybe the name of a type of rock?

You might think there’s not much of a connection between the above. But yet there is. Shopping, spirituality and scenery are so interconnected in Sedona and Oak Creek that it’s hard to do one without experiencing some component of the other. Part New Age enclave, part down-to-earth high desert outpost, part sophisticated oasis, Sedona and Oak Creek exude a look and feel that’s appreciated by young and old, rich and poor. The towns of Cottonwood and Jerome create their own alluring vibes, too.

Much of this otherworldly aura emanates from the rocks. And when you visit here, look around and see the abundance of orange and red formations transcend into majestic spires and outcroppings as the sun inches across the sky; you can’t help being in awe of the surrounding natural beauty and the effect it has on all your senses, the way their very existence touches your soul. These sandstone rocks, unique to Sedona and the outlying area, date back some 250 million years. A tremendous amount of energy is contained within their layers, good juju powerful enough to transform our own physical, emotional, mental and spiritual composition in myriad ways. No kidding.