Sedona sits among red sandstone towers in northern Arizona, about two hours north of Phoenix. Clear desert air, quiet canyon trails and some of the darkest night skies in the Southwest make it a place where people come to slow down and look up.
Whose land this is
The Red Rock country is the ancestral homeland of the Yavapai and Apache peoples, today the Yavapai-Apache Nation. Centuries earlier, the Sinagua built cliff dwellings in these canyons. At Palatki and Honanki, west of town, their rock art still covers the walls.
In 1875 about 1,500 Yavapai and Apache were forced to march from the Verde Valley to San Carlos, some 180 miles away. Only around 200 came back. We visit as guests, with that history in mind, and honor the Yavapai and Apache as the first stewards of this land.
Under a dark sky
Sedona is a certified International Dark Sky Community. The town keeps its lights low, so on a clear night, away from the streets, you can see the Milky Way with the naked eye.
Red rocks to visit
Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock for an easy morning walk, Airport Mesa for sunset, and the Chapel of the Holy Cross, built into the red rock in 1956. For a longer hike, Boynton Canyon winds deep between the cliffs.
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