Mooney Trail
Sedona hiking trails can be many things: scenic and peaceful being the two best descriptors that often come to mind. But they’re typically not secluded. If you’re searching for real solitude, you’ll have to venture farther…
Erika Ayn Finch
Bear Mountain
Sometimes when you’re out hiking, you’re searching for a real challenge. A hike that tests your physical and mental limits and offers a great payoff. Bear Mountain is one of those hikes that fits that description…
Boynton Canyon Vista
When the days are short and the temperatures plunge, we like to explore some of Sedona’s shorter trails, and Boynton Canyon Vista checks all the boxes. The trail leads to a saddle between two red rock…
Huckaby Trail
Huckaby Trail is a favorite hike among locals and tourists alike, and it’s not hard to see why. This Oak Creek Canyon trail offers up views of Sedona’s red rocks and lets you cross one of…
Thunder Mountain
Thunder Mountain Trail is a gem of a hike that meanders along the base of its namesake, also known as Capitol Butte or Grey Mountain. These trails in West Sedona are some of our favorites, especially…
Loy Canyon
One of our favorite things about trails is that they can offer a choose your own adventure style journey. Loy Canyon is one of the city’s trails that delivers both an extremely difficult challenge or a…
Rector Trail
Ever since it opened back in 2018, the Rector Trail quickly became a local favorite and for very good reasons. For starters, this hike lets you get up close to many of the Village of Oak…
Wilson Canyon Trail
When those temperatures rise, we often find ourselves searching for relatively easy trails that we can finish quickly but still have a great payoff. The Wilson Canyon Trail is one of our favorite hikes that fits…
Cow Pies Trail
If you don’t mind a bumpy ride to get there, Cow Pies Trail is probably one of the flattest and easiest hikes in Sedona. It also happens to be located in an area of Red Rock…
Our Favorite Stories Through the Years
It was 1993 when I arrived in Sedona. It was very different, but very much the same. Quieter, sure. But it’s just as easy today to get lost in the quiet beauty and energy that surrounds…
A.B. Young Trail
This time of year is our absolute favorite for hiking. The cool temperatures mean you can spend hours on the trails. In the winter months on the weekends, you’ll often find us taking long, meandering hikes….
West Fork Trail
Oh, West Fork. There is something undeniably magical with Oak Creek and Sedona’s towering red rocks beside you as you cross multiple streams. This only-in-Sedona scenery makes this hike truly stunning. Like so many of Sedona’s…
Sedona’s Five Hardest Hikes
Sedona is a hiking mecca with over 200 hiking trails to explore. If you’re searching for a true challenge, these hikes deliver with heart pumping climbs and breathtaking summit views that will make all the effort…
Doe Mountain Trail
Every year, the trail leading to the top of Doe Mountain seems to grow in popularity as more and more hikers seek out the mesa’s 360-degree views. It’s easy to see why so many flock to…
Aspen Loop Trail
Flagstaff’s Aspen Loop Trail is a gem of a hike any time of year, but it’s especially worth the drive in the fall. Although peak leaf peeping season does vary annually, the fall colors are typically…
Table Top Trail
When those summer temperatures soar, one of our favorite places to hike in town is Airport Mesa. The relatively easy and mostly short trails in this West Sedona area all offer stunning views of some of…
Jim Thompson Trail
When it’s hot outside, but we still want to hike, we love trails where you can leave a car at either end, and the Jim Thompson Trail is a great option. The hike begins near Jordan…
White Mesa Trail
Finding a quiet trail to hike in Sedona can be tough, and that’s why trails like the White Mesa Trail – a historic cattle trail – can be refreshing. Although this hike lacks red rock views,…
Vultee Arch Trail
Accessing the Vultee Arch Trailhead is a challenge and one of the hardest parts of this easy trail. The only way to reach it is with a high-clearance four-wheel drive vehicle. Yes, you need both high…
Munds Wagon Trail
When we set out to hike Munds Wagon Trail, we weren’t expecting to find waterfalls. We’ve hiked this trail in warm weather without a puddle in sight, so we suspect our experience was relatively rare, which…
Fay Canyon
Fay Canyon has long been one of the most popular hikes in Red Rock Country and for good reason: There’s plenty of parking at the trailhead, the route is relatively flat until the end and the…
Devil’s Bridge
The sandstone arch that gives this trail its name has become a star on social media. The arch’s visual appeal is undeniable. Many hikers flock here to see this incredible arch with their own eyes, and…
Sedona’s Top Golf Courses
Sedona Golf Resort At the Sedona Golf Resort, golfers can chip away at 18 different holes in the shadow of Bell Rock. The Gary Panks designed course in the Village of Oak Creek plays 6,646 yards…
Top 10 Sedona Hikes
Bright Angel Round-Trip Distance: 18.5 miles; At a Glance: Iconic, Stunning Arizona Views Although not in Sedona, we couldn’t run this list without this Grand Canyon trail. It’s one of the most iconic hikes in the…
Holiday Cheer
Perhaps no other Sedona resident has the holiday spirit quite like Susan Carter. Decades before the Berlin Wall would fall, in the small town of Galesburg, Illinois, a teenage Susan wandered into a boutique and left…
Design of the Times
One thing is apparent when you meet Eric Brandt in his home studio in Thunder Mountain Ranch: He strongly believes in sustainable architecture. From the nonintrusive solar panels to the geothermal heating and cooling to its…
A.B. Young Trail & Beyond
We first wrote about the challenging but rewarding A.B Young Trail in 2017. At that time, we stopped our hike where the switchbacks end at the top of the Mogollon Rim. We hiked it again recently,…
Airport Loop
There’s no denying the 3.3-mile trail that loops around Airport Mesa offers views of every major red rock formation in Sedona, but we were equally as enthusiastic about the landscape of the mesa itself. A constant…
Embrace Wellness
SEDONA MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL A little adventure in life can definitely be good for your health. If you’re in the mood to shake things up in 2019, mark your calendar for the Sedona Mountain Bike Festival…
NAU Art Museum
Arizona is world-renowned for its rich Western and Native American artistic heritage, but there’s a hidden gem in northern Arizona that wants to bring your attention to what’s happening in the world of contemporary art. Northern…
Girdner Trail
Named after a family of ranchers who herded cattle in this area, the Girdner Trail connects Yavapai College and the former Sedona Cultural Park with Dry Creek Road via 4.75 miles of interesting and diverse terrain….
Sedona Northern Lights
As if Sedona’s red rocks weren’t magical enough, Sedona Northern Lights returns for the second year, Dec. 13-16. At 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m., the 182,000,000-square-foot face of Camelhead Rock will be transformed into the…
Celebrate Like A Chef
WALTER PAULSON Tucked inside one of Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village’s smallest courtyards, Rene at Tlaquepaque has been Sedona local’s fine-dining go-to since 1978. But its tucked-away vibe, cozy booths and tiny wine bar still make…
It’s The Good Life
WINE OF THE TIMES Some wines transcend being a beverage and generate iconic imagery and memories, especially when savored with friends who enjoy a good story with a special wine. Place of origin has always been…
Great Southwest
When we first introduced readers to Chris and Debbie Jones, owners of Great Southwest gallery, the couple had recently relocated their home and business from Colorado Springs. That was back in 2013. At the time, Great…
Bear Mountain Trail
The trail that leads up Bear Mountain may only be 2.5 miles one way, but it’s easily one of the most difficult hikes in Sedona. There’s little to no shade, so if hiking this trail is…
Spanish Nights
Escape to Spain this month without packing more than your handbag when Verde Valley Sinfonietta presents Spanish Nights on Nov. 18 at 2:30 p.m. The concert, the first of three in the sinfonietta’s 2018/19 season, takes…
Devil’s Bridge
The name of Sedona’s largest sandstone arch, Devil’s Bridge, might sound sinister, but there’s no need to start reciting your Hail Marys just yet. The short, 0.9-mile trail that leads to the top of the arch…
Halloween
Halloween is here! There is no shortage of haunted happenings in the Verde Valley for the young and the young at heart, starting with Jerome’s 2018 Ghost Walk on Oct. 12 and 13 from 6:30 to…
Prescott Area Artist Studio Tour
The best weekend to shop for art in Prescott is Oct. 5-7 during the 11th annual Prescott Area Artist Studio Tour. Whether you only have an hour and you’re limited to downtown Prescott, or you have…
Cockscomb Butte Trail
Have you ever wondered about the spindly spires of the Cockscomb formation west of Sedona and on the very edge of Red Rock Country? Then you need to spend an afternoon exploring Cockscomb Butte Trail. The…
Fall Festival Fever
RED ROCKS MUSIC FESTIVAL Classical music fans will want to attend all four performances of Red Rocks Music Festival at Sedona Creative Life Center. On Sept. 8 at 7:30 p.m., enjoy A Dialogue Through Music. From…
Moonlight Madness
Despite recent whispers of Sedona losing its small-town charm, there are still plenty of opportunities to connect with neighbors and celebrate what we love best about Red Rock Country. The Collective Sedona’s Moonlight Madness Concert is…
Grand Canyon Celebration Of Art
Artists have been inspired by their landscape since man first began scratching images on cave walls, which is why celebrating visual art at a place like Grand Canyon National Park is such a natural fit. This…
Javelina Cantina
Picture this: It’s a balmy evening right after a monsoon storm has passed. The air is still redolent with wet sage and a subtle whiff of ozone. Where do you want to be? Outside on the…
Michael Kollwitz
For most people, the first time they witness Michael Kollwitz tap out classic rock and old standards on his instrument, the odd-looking Chapman Stick, they have one response: What is that instrument and are you really…
SWEEEEEET!
ELLIE’S CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER PIE: $8 When Ellie Shugrue was a kid, her favorite movie was The Parent Trap. In the flick, the twin girls eat Oreo cookies dipped in peanut butter, so Ellie had to…
Szechuan Restaurant
There’s just something about hot summer temperatures and sushi that seem to go hand in hand, isn’t there? When our appetites are light and we’re daydreaming about our next beach vacation, we head for Szechuan Restaurant,…
Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery
The Hotel Jerome, built in 1917, is one of the first buildings you see when you pull into the former mining town turned tourist destination. It’s located on the right side of AZ-89A just as the…
Rector Trail
Because you are holding a copy of Sedona Monthly in your hands – whether you live here or not – it’s safe to assume that you have a favorite Red Rock Country trail. (No, we won’t…
Changing Spaces
A CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON SOUTHWEST DESIGN What do you do when you want to retain your new home’s Southwest roots but also incorporate your own contemporary style? That was the dilemma presented to Stephanie Larsen, owner…
Let’s Go To The Movies
What happens when you combine great movies with balmy Sedona evenings? The City of Sedona Parks and Recreation Department’s new Sedona Summer Cinema Series, which begins June 6 and happens every Wednesday through the month. The…
Tilted Earth Festival
Fourteen years ago, Eric Glomski, owner and director of winegrowing at Page Springs Cellars and co-founder of Arizona Stronghold Vineyards, decided to marry two of his biggest passions, wine and music, with an annual harvest festival….
Saltrock Southwest Kitchen & Craft Margaritas
Most people would agree that dining in 2018 is equal parts ambience and cuisine. At SaltRock Southwest Kitchen and Craft Margaritas at Kimpton Amara Resort and Spa, the dining room has a modern-meets-Mid-Century-meets-Southwest feel, from the…
Red Mountain Trail
If you don’t mind the long drive, hiking into the amphitheater of Red Mountain, a 1-million-year-old cinder cone in the San Francisco Peaks Volcanic Field, is a must-have experience. The trail begins at the end of…
The Copper Ball – Tapas On The Rocks
If you’re reading this in northern Arizona, a medically progressive part of the world, it won’t surprise you to hear that research done by the Cancer Centers of Northern Arizona has indicated that cancer patients who…
Home Away From Home
For all of you domestic mavens, May is your month. First up is the 2018 Prescott Historic Home Tour, which takes place May 5 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This year’s tour focuses on the…
Sedona Today. Adulting Tomorrow.
FLY LIKE AN EAGLE Remember when you were a kid and all you wanted to do was fly? The Hualapai Tribe, owners of Grand Canyon West, have made that possible – sort of. The destination debuted…
Kindness Blooms
Last summer, an 80-year-old, housebound man named James Bean passed away in Uptown, Sedona. He didn’t have any family, but before quietly passed away, he told his caretakers that his biggest concern was that his partner’s…
Sedona Gallery Association
Back in 2004, four art experts – Peggy Lanning, Isabelle Cozart, James Ratliff and Karen Ely – founded the Sedona Gallery Association as a way to promote Sedona’s fine art galleries. With the association came the…
Crema Craft Kitchen & Bar
Named after the base used to make gelato, Crema Craft Kitchen & Bar is where you want to be the morning after a long night (ahem). It’s where you bring your friends for Sunday brunch or…
Jail Trail River Walk
Looking for something to do with the kiddies during spring break? Family in town? Sometimes not everyone is up for – or capable of – a 6-mile hike in the red rocks. That’s when Cottonwood’s Jail…
Sedona Public Library – Sweet 60
In 1958, a group of Sedona residents came together to establish the town’s first library in a donated space. They brought with them three shelves of books and magazines, which were also donated. The library moved…
Sedona Wolf Week
It all started with four sold-out movie screenings in April 2016 at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre. The film was Medicine of the Wolf directed by Julia Huffman, and the organizers were Betsy Klein and Timon…
Rock On
Scott Newth pulls out several binders filled with photocopied documents from the 1800s, maps, diagrams, and pages and pages of research on rock art in the Verde Valley. You’d swear he’d been researching the…
Dry Creek Trail
In late winter and early spring, Dry Creek is anything but dry. Depending on how much rainfall we’ve received, it’s completely impassable in some locations. The key to hiking this trail is finding that ideal time…
Mountain Juniper Gallery
Spend even a short amount of time with woodworker, furniture maker and artist Dan Taylor, and there’s one thing you’ll understand immediately: Dan respects his materials above all else. His material of choice for the past…
The Hudson
Red rock views? Check. A casual yet upscale ambiance worthy of wearing something nice? Check. A consistent menu that’s creative while at the same time cohesive? Check and check. It’s no secret that The Hudson has…
8th Annual Old Town Blues Festival
In LosAngeles back in the late 1990s, Blues Dawg was a quartet playing blues standards and originals, and they were receiving plenty of buzz. The band performed at legendary LA venues including B.B. King’s Blues Club,…
Space Cowboys
TODAY In the black cinder fields northeast of Flagstaff, the fierceness of the wind makes your eyes water and your nose run. Prickly brush grows from coal-colored sand, and gnarled pine trees stand sentinel. Occasionally, you…
Jane Alexander
You might say Jane Alexander’s acting career is the stuff that dreams are made of. She earned an Oscar nomination for her film debut in The Great White Hope (1970) but only after she starred in…
The 13th Annual Sedona Marathon Event
Lace up those sneakers! The 13th Annual Sedona Marathon Event takes place Feb. 3 on Navoti Drive behind the Sedona Medical Center. The race begins at 9 a.m. and is expected to draw more than 3,000…
Reitz Ranch
Even though world-renowned ceramicist Don Reitz passed away in 2014 at the age of 84, his spirit can still be felt around the kilns and in the studio at his off-the-beaten-path ranch in Clarkdale. The ranch’s…
Munds Mountain Trail No. 77 in Sedona
The only remnant of any movie set ever built in Sedona is a tall rock chimney and fireplace shrouded in brush and trees on a rocky basalt road at the top of the Mogollon Rim. Reaching…
Casa Sedona Inn
Admittedly, we don’t get out for breakfast all that often, but when we do, we like to make an event of it. Think brunch à la Sex in the City. Casa Sedona Inn, a secluded, boutique…
Chamber Music Sedona
Now in the middle of its 35th season, Chamber Music Sedona has a winter lineup that will warm everyone’s ears. First up, the Fifth Sedona Winter Music Festival happens Jan. 10-14 and features clarinetist and festival…
REDS Restaurant in Sedona
REDS Restaurant at Sedona Rouge Hotel & Spa has a modern vibe that has made it a favorite locals’ hangout for years. If you live here, it’s practically a given that you’ll run into someone you…
Azadi Navajo Rugs in Sedona
It’s amazing how many stories – and generations – can fit inside a 375-square-foot space. You’ll discover that when you visit Azadi Navajo Rugs, tucked away in one of Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village’s more hidden…
Courthouse Butte Loop in Sedona
The verdict is in: Courthouse Butte Loop is one of the prettiest trails you’ll hike in the snow – and it’s easy. The 4.5-mile loop traverses the base of Courthouse Butte, one of Sedona’s largest monoliths,…
Sedona’s Sir Harrison Blues Band
When Harrison Begay takes the stage, he might play a Jimi Hendrix or Miles Davis song, but it’s not going to sound like Jimi Hendrix or Miles Davis. “We give those songs an R&B groove or…
Sedona Arts Center’s Loving Bowls
What’s better than shopping? Shopping for a cause! Sedona Arts Center’s Loving Bowls event returns Dec. 9 from noon to 3 p.m. More than 1,100 bowls created by area ceramicists will be sold for $10 each….
Christmas in the Southwest
35th Annual Christmas Boat Parade of Lights Put on a sweater and gather along the shores of Lake Havasu in the far western corner of our state for London Bridge Yacht Club’s 35th Annual Christmas Boat…
Garland’s Navajo Rugs in Sedona
When you think of Native American art in Sedona, some family names come to mind: Hoel, Wilcox and, of course, Garland. The Garland family moved to Sedona from Phoenix in 1970 (they had spent years vacationing…
Sedona’s Elote Cafe
Ever since Jeff Smedstad opened Elote Cafe in 2007, hungry devotees have been flocking to the restaurant. When the doors open at 5 p.m., there’s frequently a line outside (Elote doesn’t take reservations). What keeps the…
A New Take on an Old Classic
When it came time to make plans for November’s Native American Heritage Month, Ken Zoll, executive director of Verde Valley Archaeology Center, had an idea. Ken sits on the advisory board for Verde Valley Sinfonietta, and…
Boynton Canyon in Sedona
Scenic Boynton Canyon near Enchantment Resort is one of Sedona’s most popular trails and deservedly so. But because it’s in danger of being loved to death, we haven’t written about it in 12 years. Instead, we’ve…
Sedona Open Studios
Thinking about holiday gift giving? Forgo online shopping and spend a weekend browsing local artist studios during Sedona Visual Artists’ Coalition’s Fall Open Studios Tour. The self-guided, free tour takes place Nov. 10-12 from 10 a.m….
Halloween in Sedona
It’s that time of the year when thoughts turn toward costumes and candy. There is no shortage of haunted happenings in the Verde Valley for the young and the young at heart, starting with the Pumpkin…
A.B. Young Trail in Oak Creek Canyon
The A.B. Young Trail is the only route (of which we know) that climbs the west wall of Oak Creek Canyon. From AZ-89A in the northern reaches of the canyon, you can spot the trail, which…
13th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival
It’s that magical week in fall when Sedona’s streets, trails and viewpoints are teeming with plein-air painters from around the country. We’re talking about Sedona Art Center’s invitational 13th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival, which returns…
Sedona Arts Festival
If you love to shop and you love the red rocks, there is no better festival than Sedona Arts Festival, now in its 27th year. On Oct. 7 and 8 on the sports field at Sedona…
Sedona Reflections
In Sedona, everything is better in October. Daytime temperatures slowly start to drop and the summer monsoon storms dissipate. It’s also an ideal time to explore Pumphouse Wash in Oak Creek Canyon. Five miles of…
Cress on Oak Creek
There is no shortage of remarkable experiences to be had in Sedona, and dining at Cress on Oak Creek at L’Auberge de Sedona has to be at the top of that list. First you have the…
Sedona’s El Dorado
When Claudio and Karla Herrera first met, they were part of a small population of Ecuadorian immigrants living in New York City. Karla was attending the Fashion Institute of Technology, intent on studying fashion design and…
Sedona Pet Lovers Gala
If what Gandhi said is true and the greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated, then Sedona is already pretty great. In the first six months of 2017, 316…
Sedona Winefest 2017
Under a big-top tent on the field at Posse Grounds Park, wine lovers leisurely made their way from one winery to the next, sipping on glasses of red, white and rose. They nibbled on squares of…
Sedona’s Loy Canyon
Sometimes you just want to walk in the woods, Hansel-and-Gretel style. That’s when you need to explore Loy Canyon and Loy Canyon Trail. The trail meanders along the floor of the canyon for 4 relatively flat…
Fiesta del Tlaquepaque in Sedona
The 45th annual Fiesta del Tlaquepaque, a celebration of Mexican Independence Day, takes place Sept. 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village. Tlaquepaque’s longest-running tradition will feature mariachis, flamenco dancers, ballet…
Miley’s Cafe in Sedona
For a couple of years now, we’ve been receiving emails from readers touting the hidden gem that is Miley’s Cafe. We had been to Miley’s on several occasions for breakfast, which is served all day, but…
