Sedona, AZ

Sedona, Arizona, is often called "Red Rock Country" for the red rock formations that surround this picturesque Arizona city. Millions of years ago, Sedona existed underwater and then gradually became a seacoast before turning into the desert it is now. Sandstone is a porous rock, and when water carrying dissolved iron drained through the sandstone, it left behind the distinctive red color.

Many of the sandstone monoliths today have names describing what they look like. Visitors can see Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock, Steamboat, Teapot, and Snoopy.

Sedona enjoys a moderate climate, with comfortable temperatures year-round. Visitors can expect highs in the 60s during winter and highs in the low 100s during the summer, drawing outdoor enthusiasts to Sedona year-round.

Located in both Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley of Arizona, Sedona is famous not only for the unique geology but also for art galleries, shopping, resorts, spas, and spiritual retreats. The city is home to more than 11,000 residents and is among the top five tourist destinations in Arizona. It is a popular retirement community and supports a high concentration of artist residents. Americans settled the area in the late 1800s, but the city of Sedona wasn't incorporated until 1988.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Some of Sedona's popular neighborhoods include:

• The tourist center and many tourist shops are located in Uptown Sedona.
• Oak Creek Canyon, to the north of the city, contains a few resorts as well as restaurants.
• West Sedona is where most of the residents live and where the supermarkets, movie theaters, and top restaurants are located.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Originally a ranching community, Sedona now relies on tourism as its primary industry. Approximately 4 million tourists visit each year.

Resorts and Spas comprise the bulk of Sedona's largest employers. These include Enchantment Resort, ILX Resorts, Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa, and Amara Resort and Spa.

FOR VISITORS

• Slide Rock State Park contains a natural rock water slide that's a popular, family-friendly summer destination. Life magazine listed it as one of America's top ten most beautiful swimming holes.
• Sedona and the surrounding areas have more maintained hiking trails than any other area in Arizona. Most of the trails provide easy-to-moderate hikes.
• Fishing in Oak Creek Canyon through the Rainbow Trout Farm is a kid-friendly activity.
• The Sedona Trolley offers a comprehensive tour of the area.
• Hot air balloon and helicopter rides offer breathtaking views of Sedona from the air.
• Jeep tours are very popular and allow visitors to experience an off-road adventure while learning more about Sedona.

BEST BETS

• Chapel of the Holy Cross, built in 1956 by a Frank Lloyd Wright protégé, blends into the cliffs that surround it.
• The Sedona Heritage Museum provides information about the abundance of apples as a former major crop, as well as an exhibit about the movies that have been filmed in Sedona.
• The Pendley Homestead is inside Slide Rock State Park. Original apple orchards and the homestead home can be visited by taking an easy quarter-mile walk.
• The Healing Nautilus teaches visitors about different healing traditions.
• Montezuma Castle was built into a cliff above the Verde Valley in the 12th century. Visitors can view the 5-story, 20-room dwelling and learn more about the people who inhabited the valley.
• The Sedona Arts Center, founded in 1958, is the oldest arts center in northern Arizona. The center has both a fine arts gallery and a community exhibition gallery for local artists.

EVENTS

• The Sedona Film Festival, held in February, is a weeklong festival that features over 100 films by independent and big-name movie companies.
• In May the Pow Wow and Native American Arts Celebration brings together various tribes for celebration and education.
• The Annual Sedona-Verde Valley Astronomy Festival occurs in June.
• September features the Sedona Jazz on the Rocks Festival, which started in 1981. It celebrates jazz as a living art form and features the greatest contemporary jazz artists.
• In October the Sedona Arts Festival showcases over 100 of the nation's finest artists.
• Red Rock Fantasy of Lights is a holiday spectacular displaying more than a million lights.

FUN FACTS

Some people believe that Sedona has a concentration of vortexes, which are created by the motion of spiraling energy-often water or wind. The vortexes here are considered to be spiraling spiritual energy that releases psychic energy from the earth. The four large vortexes in the Sedona area are located here:

• Bell Rock
• Table Top Mountain
• Cathedral Rock
• Boynton Canyon

LOCAL MEDIA

• The Sedona Red Rock News has reported local news since 1967.
• Local radio stations are KAZM 780AM, KQST 102.9 FM, and KSED 107.5 FM.