Sedona Might Be Overtouristed, but I Still Don’t Think It’s Overrated

I first laid eyes on Sedona after surviving a sleepless night of food poisoning in nearby Flagstaff, Arizona.

Thank goodness I’d never driven the Oak Creek Canyon before, or I might’ve skipped the trip entirely. No one who hurls their guts up the previous night would knowingly agree to ride in a 12-passenger van hugging the cliffside of this narrow two-lane road, navigating hairpin turns on switchbacks that drop more than 2,500 feet into Red Rock Country.

But as a first-timer, visiting the area for an adult running camp and eager to check out this famous adventure mecca, I went along. Somehow, despite a super sick stomach, l still fell in love with the place.

Make no mistake—on less nauseating days, the hour-long journey on Route 89A between the alpine forest of Flagstaff and the sandstone desert of Sedona is iconic. Awe-inspiring, even.

Now, after 15 years living in Flagstaff, that commute is one I savor. Until I relocated to Arizona, I had been a life-long East Coaster. But after visiting this slice of high desert (and subsequently moving here), my appreciation and fondness for the Southwest’s geological diversity, and that of Sedona’s upper Sonoran Desert region has only deepened.

Every time I head down that canyon, I marvel at its beauty. I love taking visitors and watching their reactions to first glimpses of giant red rock formations that suddenly replace the canopy of oak trees and ponderosa pines. I imagine it’s akin to landing on Mars—otherworldly. Perhaps that’s why Sedona attracts such a strong enclave of New Age spiritual devotees searching for metaphysical energy in the vortexes allegedly sprinkled throughout its buttes and spires.

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Why the Fascination with Sedona?

It’s true. Sedona is a playground for all kinds of people, with interests as wide-ranging as fortune telling, aura reading, and crystal healing to mountain biking, hiking, climbing, and trail running. It welcomes the luxury spa vacationers, culinary aficionados, and jeep tour enthusiasts, too.

I fall somewhere in the middle. I won’t lie—I’ve visited a fortune teller or two over the years. I also eat dinner at Sedona’s Elote Café, the kind of Mexican meal I don’t mind making reservations for 60 days in advance (at least!). Sometimes it’s fun to hit the local running store, Run Sedona, or just relax in one of the many coffee shops with tranquil garden seating. For the quintessential experience, I often end up at ChocolaTree, billed as “a sanctuary where each being can nurture their authenticity.”

But most often Sedona is my wintertime weekend trail running refuge—when the snow dumps in Flagstaff, I’m guaranteed a clear path, warmer temperatures (averaging around 60 degrees), and sunshine in the red rock valley below. I love a good “wintertime double”: a morning run, hike, or ride in Sedona wearing shorts and a t-shirt, followed by afternoon powder turns at Arizona Snowbowl back home. Few places in the world hold such a mix of outdoor activities available in one day during the doldrums of February, and I love that about where I live.

Yes, Sedona Is Crowded, but I Don’t Let That Stop Me from Visiting

In recent years, however, Sedona’s storyline has taken an unfortunate (though not unwarranted) hit. Just like many areas that saw a surge of visitors seeking outdoor adventure during COVID, Sedona’s popularity—which was already quite high—soared further. Influencers, along with their Instagram and TikTok followings, came to town—a double-edged sword for a place where 3 million visitors per year contribute to a $1 billion tourism industry, according to the Sedona Chamber of Commerce.

More than a third of Sedona’s homes have become short-term rentals, and the city government and other local agencies have become consumed with how to manage the influx of visitors—and how to infuse education on respectful public land use.

After all, we are all just guests to this place, originally inhabited by the Sinagua people who came here around 900 A.D. I applaud how the people who manage the city and the public land are helping its diversity of users enjoy the area in myriad ways. From my perspective, there are a few things every visitor should know to maximize their Sedona experience.

Spring Break Is Not the Best Time to Visit Sedona

To fully enjoy Sedona, you have to choose your time and activities carefully. I’m saying avoid spring break (most of March) at all costs, and plan your outdoor pursuits for early mornings (arrive at trailheads by 7 A.M. at the latest) year-round to dodge flocks of people. If you’re a real morning person like I am, you can get started even earlier for cooler temperatures during the summer swelter. The traffic, parking, and crowded trails on the most popular routes quickly become a turnoff if you’re desperately seeking solitude in nature.

Avoid Downtown, but Grab Some Grub at Wildflower

The downtown area is a genuine tourist trap. Unless you’re looking for souvenirs or a cartoonish taste of the old wild west, you can skip the main drag, save for Wildflower, a local chain good for family-friendly breakfast and lunch where you’ll find reasonably priced meals with a terrific red rock view. (Bonus points for identifying Snoopy rock from the patio.) But Sedona is at its best when you go off the beaten path.

For Less Crowded Trails, Hit the Outskirts to Go Higher and Farther

Most locals won’t divulge those lesser-known destinations, however. In discussing places that my friends and I like to go in Sedona for a beer or a quick bite to eat or a trail run, most of them either decided against sharing at all, or their suggestions came with the caveat: “don’t tell anybody I said this, but…”

I get it. During the pandemic at the end of 2020, I headed to my friends’ house in Sedona for a day hike—and along the way it appeared that the rest of America had the same idea. The fight for parking at the nearby trailheads was bananas—crowds rivaling Disney World during winter break.

Thankfully we could just exit out their backyard gate to a series of established, but unnamed trails—ones I wouldn’t have found on my own. On our hike, new-to-me perspectives of the famous Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte in the distance were stunning—and as I took out my phone to capture a shot, my friend jokingly threatened to push me off the ledge of our undisclosed location above Highway 179 (the “scenic byway”) if I dared to geotag the photo on social media. Of course, I’d never do such a thing. For Northern Arizonans, sharing isn’t always caring.

Which is all to say, I’d tell you where to hike or run, but then I’d have to move far, far away from here. What I will say is that any trail on the outskirts of town that is rated as “strenuous,” includes a healthy amount of vertical gain, or is higher mileage than the routes topping travel blogs and Trip Advisor, will likely yield a more serene experience. You know which apps to use (Gaia GPS and Trailforks have options), and doing your own research to head farther afield is best.

Sedona Is Helping Us All Become Respectful Visitors

As much as we regulars would like to hoard our Sedona secrets, I still applaud the efforts of local agencies to help ensure that visitors can continue to enjoy the area, too. I’m an advocate for making such a majestic corner of the U.S. accessible to all—it’s an immense privilege that it’s so close to my home. Angst-alleviating initiatives include free park-and-ride shuttle service to trailheads and the Sedona Cares Challenge, which asks visitors to agree to nine ways to help preserve Red Rock Country’s natural beauty, like not forging your own trails and packing out your trash. No. 4 is my personal favorite: “I won’t risk life or limb (human or sapling) for more likes. I won’t get killed for a killer photo.”

My Recommendations for Best Outdoor Adventure in Sedona

It’s understandable that all of us who call tourist destinations home would want to keep a few spots to ourselves, I also recognize that none of us own these places. They’re meant to be explored and enjoyed. So, here are a few of my hot spots for those who are new to Sedona.

Camping in Sedona

Camping in Sedona takes a lot of planning ahead, I’m told. I haven’t gone camping in Sedona myself, mostly because I live so close by and my visits tend to be on the spontaneous side. Free dispersed camping is available in the western part of town, and it fills up quickly, as do the campgrounds that require reservations, which are mostly located along Oak Creek on 89A. The options around Oak Creek are cooler during the summer, next to the water, and heavily shaded by the forest. The dispersed campgrounds, though fully exposed to the sun, offer some of the best views of the red rocks and canyons you can find.

The best way to find a spot is to visit Recreation.gov and you can also try Hipcamp.

Book Sites on Hipcamp

Best Sedona Hikes

If you’ve never hiked around Sedona, pick one of these three options for a taste of the town’s best trails.

• Wet Beaver Creek to “the Crack”: This one is a bit outside of Sedona, on the other side of I-17, but worth the detour. Go early to beat the crowds inevitably seeking relief in the cool creek at the Crack, which comes at the end of the 3.5-mile trail. It’s a popular place to hang out and, for those who dare, jump off the cliffs into the water.
• Bear Mountain Trail: This is one of those “strenuous” paths that takes you up 2,000 feet in a bit less than 2.5 miles. The panoramic views extend the whole way up to Flagstaff—you can see the beloved San Francisco Peaks from the top.
• Wilson Mountain Trail: About two miles north of Sedona, is Wilson Mountain, which packs about 2,300 feet of climbing into the first mile. Keep going—you’re rewarded along the way with hundreds of miles of views that include Oak Creek Canyon, Coffee Pot Rock, Capitol Butte, and the Verde Valley.

Best Sedona Trail Runs

If you’re an avid trail runner, don’t miss these three spots with stunning panoramic views.

• Buddha Beach and Templeton Trail: Start at the Baldwin Trailhead and run along the Buddha Beach to the Templeton Trail at the base of Cathedral Rock. You’ll get a bit of everything on this one (make it an out-and-back or create a loop with your Gaia or Trailforks app)—cruise along the creek, climb sandstone ridges, and see the iconic Cathedral Rock, too.
• Hangover Trail: Start from the Old Munds Wagon Road Trailhead off of Schnebly Hill Road, follow Old Munds Wagon Trail to the Cow Pies, forking left, to the Hangover Trail, one of the most scenic routes along the slickrock you can find.
• Courthouse Butte Loop: This is an old standby and a popular place for visitors, so beware that the trailhead parking at the Bell Rock Trailhead might be tight. However, it’s the quintessential Sedona vista—like a postcard from the southwest. Follow the Big Park Loops signs for a four mile circumnavigation of the butte.

Why Sedona Will Always Be Magical to Me

To be sure, we live at a time where the deluge of information available to us all can make us jaded. When it seems like “everybody” is going to Sedona and posting every detail of their adventures, our natural instinct is to declare that this special place is overrated. But that denies the region of its magic.

I was recently reminded of what Sedona can do for the spirit when I took a day off work and headed down 89A for the afternoon with a friend. We stopped at one of my favorite spots, Indian Gardens, on the way into town, a lovely counter-service restaurant with lush, shaded outdoor seating on the east side of Oak Creek. Then we drove out to Bear Mountain, a strenuous-rated hike that requires some rock scrambling and the ability to power up nearly 2,000 feet of elevation in a short 2.5 miles to earn an exhilarating view of fantastical red rock formations.

The only thing that would’ve made my day more complete? A dip in the Oak Creek to cool off. A chance to swim in a natural body of water is a true treat for most Arizonans—especially me. I have plenty of fond memories of post-run cannonballs at Grasshopper Point, 10 or 12 years ago when it was less visited. Now, of course, it’s not so much a secluded swimming hole. Nature’s ice bath is usually worth it in my book, though.

Sedona has been dubbed the “most mystical place” in America by travel experts and spiritual visitors alike. And it might be. What I do know is that it offers one of the most valuable opportunities for renewed astonishment at the world around me. It may not be a hidden gem (spoiler alert: it never really was), but it’s a place that offers outdoor access that’s unrivaled by most other places on the planet.

Here’s my takeaway: It took 350 million years to form those red rocks. It’s no wonder people want to see them. Sedona is many things, but in my book, overrated will never be one of them.

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Erin Strout is a journalist and author based in Flagstaff, Arizona, who writes about health, fitness, and Olympic sports. She likes to focus on the big issues women face as athletes and humans who want to perform and feel their best. She still loves visiting Sedona every chance she gets.