With a luxurious home base amid the red rocks here at Sky Rock Sedona, you’ve got a whole world of Southwestern grandeur to explore right at your fingertips. When you’re not relaxing in our hot tub, taking a wellness workshop, indulging in some yoga or meditation on one of our terraces, or savoring great eats and drinks in our Sky Rock Lounge, you’ve got some truly incredible scenery to soak up in our great big northern Arizona backyard.
Here are a few of the best day-trip ideas to get you inspired!
The Grand Canyon
Sedona’s red-rock surrounds rank among the most iconic Southwestern landscapes, but the most iconic of all—and one of the planet’s most awe-inspiring landforms—lies not far north: the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River. We’re of the opinion that this tremendous chasm, more than a mile deep and 18 miles wide in places, is one of those transcendent places that everybody should make an effort to see, and from Sedona you’ve got multiple tour options for both land-based and airborne sightseeing.
Antelope Canyon
Another internationally celebrated defile is within easy reach of Sedona: the unbelievable Antelope Canyon, situated on the lands of the Navajo Nation and accessible as a Navajo Tribal Park via guided tours only. The deep, narrow, and sensually sculpted slot-canyon halls of Upper Antelope Canyon (Tse’bighanilini, “the Place Where Water Runs Through Rocks”) and Lower Antelope Canyon (Hasdestwazi, “Spiral Rock Arches”), which empty into the Colorado River in its modern-day Lake Powell guise, are as ethereal and dreamlike as any terrain in the world.
Oak Creek Canyon
Closer yet than the superlative canyons above—indeed, just north of Sedona—is another truly spectacular cleft. Oak Creek Canyon marks the colorful slice of green-ribboned Oak Creek through the mighty escarpment of the Mogollon Rim, and such is its beauty and scale that it’s often considered something of a little cousin of the Grand Canyon. Simply driving through Oak Creek Canyon, which reaches as much as 2,000 feet deep, is amazing, but you can pursue more intimate explorations at sites such as Slide Rock State Park and the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness.
Sedona Vortexes
Close at hand, too, you’ve got the famous vortex sites of Sedona to tap into. Many consider these places to be centers of especially powerful and beneficial energy, including the “inflow” vortexes of Red Rock Crossing and Los Abrigados Creekside, the “upflow” vortexes of Bell Rock and Airport Mesa, and the “combination” sites of Cathedral Rock and West Fork Trail. You can visit these and other Sedona vortexes on independent journeys or as part of yoga, meditation, and other tours.
Red Rock Tours by Jeep, ATV, Helicopter, and More
The buttes, pinnacles, and canyons of Sedona’s red rocks can be appreciated in many ways, including on foot, on bicycle, and on horseback. But as a Sky Rock guest you’ll also be spoiled for choices for motorized sightseeing: Multiple outfitters offer ATV, jeep, and buggy tours and rentals for four-wheeling your way through the red rocks. Consider, for example, a snazzy jeep safari amid the cliffs and spires of the Broken Arrow Trail with Pink Adventure Tours. You can also enjoy scenic overflights via helicopter or even hot air balloon: unforgettable stuff!
