I’m not sure we could have dreamed up a better place to ring in the new year than Sedona, Arizona.
Yes, this red rock playground lives up to its reputation as a spiritual mecca, drawing everyone from artists and alternative healers to intuitives and aura readers. But even for families like us, who didn’t travel here specifically for spiritual pursuits, we found it impossible not to succumb to Sedona’s peaceful energy and humbling beauty.
Sedona, Arizona is known for its colorful landscape. Photo by Travis Albrecht
Before this trip, we’d never been to Sedona –– or Arizona, for that matter. But when our middle son’s soccer tournament took us to Phoenix the first week of January, we decided to start our journey early and set our sights on Sedona.
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What we discovered in this town of less than 10,000 full-time residents but more 3 million annual visitors was a spot where majestic red rock formations reach into piercing blue skies and hundreds of miles of hiking trails lay the path for a new adventure every day.
Below are four ways our family enjoyed the four days we spent in Sedona.
Writer Mauri Elbel and family hiking Devil’s Bridge in Sedona on New Year’s Day.
Hiking
My New Years Day started out with a brisk 6-mile sunrise hike with my husband along the Jordan Trailhead to scenic Brins Mesa and ended with a 4-mile sunset hike with our kids to iconic Devil’s Bridge –– each sun-kissed step along our journeys graced with Sedona’s signature red rock views. After the frenetic pace of the holidays, which tailed a tumultuous ending to 2024, being wrapped by so much natural beauty and tranquil energy felt like a rejuvenating, almost healing, way to ring in a new year. Hiking, sunshine, nature: It truly is the perfect recipe for a reset.
And Sedona just so happens to be one of the best places for it. Home to more than 200 trails covering over 400 miles of stunning red rock terrain, Sedona is a destination where you’ll need to pack your hiking shoes and sense of adventure. We traveled to Sedona with family friends, so our hike selections were largely based on the skill and energy levels of our six combined kids, ranging in age from 9 to 16 years. Some of our favorites?
Our kids’ hands-down favorite hike was climbing the towering 4,919-foot-tall Bell Rock. Bell Rock, named for its bell-shaped rock formation, is one of the four major Sedona vortexes and believed to inspire serenity. You don’t have to go to the very top to soak in spectacular views (although our 16-year-old insisted on making the difficult, somewhat dangerous, climb). Afterward, my daredevil son and I hiked Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock Loop, a less challenging, relatively flat almost 4-mile route around both rock formations.
Brave hikers can walk across the top of Devil’s Bridge, which looms high above the ground. Photo by Mauri Elbel
If you only go on one hike, though, make it Devil’s Bridge Trail. The highlight of this moderately challenging (especially the steep, natural rock staircase climb at the end) 4-mile-out-and-back trail is Devil’s Bridge, which is actually the largest natural sandstone arch located in the Sedona area of Coconino National Forest. Once you reach it, you’ll be rewarded with unparalleled views of Red Rock country. Those brave enough can walk out on the narrow “bridge” hovering 50 feet above the ground for a postcard-worthy photo op, but I won’t lie when I say that I almost passed out watching my kids standing on it.
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We also enjoyed hiking Boynton Canyon Trail, known equally for its scenic box canyon beauty and as a site of a spiritual energy vortex. The beginning of the trail flanks a recently built luxury resort, but soon the path weaves into the cool, shaded canyon where you’ll hike next to crimson cliffs and natural desert gardens for the rest of the route.
Travelers come from around the world to stargaze in Sedona, and Sedona Stargazing Tours offers tours nightly. Credit Sedona Stargazing Tours LLC.
Stargazing
The desert town of Sedona is known as one of the best places in the world for stargazing. A designated Dark Sky Community by the International Dark-Sky Association, be sure to put stargazing to the top of your Sedona bucket list. We spent the first three nights stargazing from the back porch of our vacation rental, thanking our lucky stars every time we caught a glimpse of one shooting across the coal-black sky.
But on our last evening under Sedona’s western night sky, we booked a celestial adventure with Sedona Stargazing Tours. On each nightly tour, guests can expect to experience the wonders of the universe up close on powerful, professional telescopes while expert tour guides share their vast knowledge and passion for astronomy. From seeing planets like Jupiter and Saturn up close to viewing The Milky Way, star clusters, the moon, shooting stars and more, it was an unforgettable experience our whole family loved. Depending on the time of year you go, you always see something different, but if you go during the cooler months, be sure to bundle up.
Rent an ATV with Outback ATV Rental of Sedona for the ultimate off-road experience. Photo by Travis Albrecht
Adventuring
Strolling through downtown Sedona, you’ll see advertisements for adventure in the form of everything from mountain biking and Jeep tours to vortex and wine tours (Sedona is located just outside of the Verde Valley AVA).
There’s something to satisfy every adventurous palate, but for our kids, the idea of off-roading through Sedona’s rugged outback was the clear winner. We stopped in at Outback ATV Rental to rent a spacious six-seater Polaris Ranger and set off bright and early on a bumpy red rock adventure. We opted for the offroad Outlaw Trail –– a built-in GPS tablet will guide you the entire way –– and we braved the bumps and turns while soaking in the crimson cliff views. The highlight of our offroad adventure was stopping off at the Honanki Heritage Site in the Coconino National Forest, one of the largest cliff dwellings in Red Rock Country that was once inhabited by the Sinagua people. A short half-mile self-guided loop trail leads to well-preserved cliff dwellings and rock art of pictographs and petroglyphs that archeologists estimate date back to as early as 5000 BC. Reservations are not required, but you do need a Red Rock Pass ($5) and there’s a machine at the site to purchase one.
A Sedona landmark since 1970, Tlaquepaque was designed after a traditional Mexican village, featuring vine-covered stucco walls, cobble-stoned walkways and arched entryways. Photo by Mauri Elbel
Shopping and dining
Shopping in Sedona is an experience in itself. Sedona is one of the southwest’s premier arts communities and a place you’ll find galleries brimming with Native American art, one-of-a-kind boutiques selling hand-made jewelry and clothing, and vortex shops brimming with everything from crystals to aura readers, psychics and spiritual healing services.
We spent the better part of a day browsing through the boutiques and shops sprinkled throughout Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. Dubbed the “art and soul of Sedona,” Tlaquepaque (pronounced T-la-keh-pah-keh) means the “best of everything” and has been a Sedona landmark since the 1970s. Here, our kids each found something unique to bring home –– handmade soaps, tiny ceramic figurines and healing crystal bracelets –– and I even got my first planet chart reading (Saturn, quit blocking my creativity).
All of the hiking, adventuring and shopping will surely spark an appetite, and Sedona is a great place to satisfy hunger. Kickstart your day with a health-conscious, nature inspired breakfast paired with organic craft coffee or made-to-order juice at Wildcraft Café. I stopped here daily for my organic coffee fix –– all of the other coffee shops in town seemed to only sell Starbucks (pass, please).
For a family-friendly dinner served up with award-winning red rock views, head to Hideaway House to fuel up on crowd-pleasing apps, specialty pizzas, bright salads, hearty sandwiches and delicious pastas that will suit every palate. Our entire family loved the wood-fired pizza at the family-run Gerardo’s Pizzeria, but go early because their cozy dining room fills up fast. One evening, we enjoyed an adults-only meal at The Vault two minutes down the road, dining on seared scallops, prime filet mignon and lobster (make reservations).
If You Go
Getting there:
We flew direct from Austin into Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, rented an SUV on Turo to skip the rental car lines, and made the less than 2-hour scenic drive to Sedona.
Stay:
We rented a spacious family home called Sedona Sunrise, located near the Brins Mesa and within walking distance to downtown Sedona, featuring stunning Red Rock views, a yoga room, and backyard access to the Jordan Trail. We also stayed one night at the newly-renovated Courtyard Sedona on the west side of town, which boasts spectacular red rock views, a heated pool, and walkable access to several trailheads. But Sedona is home to everything from world-class spa resorts and cozy cabins to boutique hotels and bed and breakfasts.
Eat & Drink:
Kick start your day at Wildcraft Café. Fuel the family at Hideaway House or Gerardo’s Pizzeria. Reserve a table for a romantic date night at The Vault.
Insider tip:
For most hikes around Sedona, you’ll need a Red Rock Pass when parking on National Forest land in Red Rock Country. You can purchase one online ($5 per day, $15 per week, $20 per year).
