No time to read the whole post? Here’s some quick tips.
- I am sure you have read – Sedona can get very busy! If possible, go off season during the week. We went in September on a Monday, left on a Wednesday – enjoyed avoiding the crowds.
- I found Sedona to be pricey – staying at Enchantment Resort allowed us to save some money by eating breakfast out of our room since it contained a small kitchen.
The Full Story…
Getting There
We drove to Sedona on a Sunday in September from Southern CA. It is a 7 ½ hour drive, so we decided to stop in Phoenix for a night to visit my family. In Phoenix we stayed at the Rise Uptown – highly recommend. It is a modern, upgraded hotel that is super dog friendly.
There are a ton of stops you can make on your way to Sedona from CA. After a lot of research and keeping in mind we were traveling with our dog, we ended up stopping at:
Montezuma Castle & Tuzigoot National Monument
You pay at your first stop and that will get you into both sites – both were cool, interesting and did not require a lot of walking.
We attempted to stop at Crescent Moon picnic area for a view of Cathedral Rock in Sedona, but the parking lot was full and there was no alternative parking. Plan to go here during the week or arrive super early to get parking.
Hotel
We ended up at Enchantment Resort and our stay exceeded my expectations. The rooms are organized in groups of three cottages with the possibility of renting out all three for large families/groups of friends. We stayed in the middle room – a Casita Studio. The space was great and roomy for two and our small dog. The balcony was wonderful and the small kitchen was very convenient. My only criticism was the bed – it is only a queen Murphy bed so a bit small. The grounds were amazing and everyone was friendly. They even provided water bottles and a water filtration system which was great! There are of course many hotel options in Sedona but if looking for something a bit more high end, I recommend Enchantment Resort!
Activities/Food
We hiked, a ton! We did not pay for any activities, so spent most of our time hitting the trails.
- West Fork of Oak Creek Trail – 6.5 miles out and back, about 40 minutes from Sedona. This hike was amazing – easy and flat with numerous creek crossing. I read the parking lot fills up on weekends – we went on a Monday around 9:30am with no issues finding a spot, however there is a fee to park.
- Devil’s Bridge – I know, I know everyone does this one, but I have to say it is a must. We went on a Tuesday at around 9am and there was plenty of parking. It is an easy hike until the end; there are a few places you have to scramble through some rocks, but I consider myself somewhat of a wimp and it was not bad. There is no shade – we went on a cloudy day which made it nice. We do have a 4×4 car so ended up driving some of the way on the road and then walked the rest of the way due to the road being rough (we did not want a flat tire). Everyone was friendly and helpful, taking pictures for each other on the bridge. We did not have to wait for a photo since the crowd was light and were able to take multiple photos.
- Boyton Canyon – this trail was accessible from our hotel which was fantastic. We basically had it to ourselves. There is a subway that we ended up not being able to find, but the trail was still nice and worth it. We went in the afternoon and the temperature was ideal (I did get a few mosquito bites).
To save some money, we brought breakfast from home and stopped at Whole Foods in Sedona for the perishables. We also packed our lunch for the drive to Phoenix.
In Phoenix we ate dinner at Southern Rail (right next door to Rise Uptown) and enjoyed dessert from the Velvet Butter Cream (great bakery and very friendly owner).
In Sedona, we had a daily $100 resort credit which we used for dinner for two nights and lunch by the pool on the third day. As the reviews say, the food at the resort is okay – it was not terrible, but I have had better for the price point. The credit made it worth it. In town, we ate lunch at the Secret Garden Café and Mesa Grill (by the airport). Both were fabulous with vegetarian options. Our last night we ate at the Golden Goose Grill – food was wonderful!
