Sedona is without question one of the most scenic regions of the entire country and it happens to be only two hours away from the ASU Tempe campus. (Shuttle companies are available for students without a car.) I highly recommend all students get up there, even just for a day, before they leave ASU. There are few better places to go when you need to take a break and unwind from the stresses of school.
With as much as there is to see and do in Sedona, this is unlikely the only blog post I'll write on the area this semester. In this post, I'll focus on some great hiking trails and recreation areas in the red rocks.
There are two places I usually go when I'm up there: Red Rock State Park and Bell Rock Pathway.
Red Rock State Park was close to shutting down earlier this year, but was thankfully saved with the help of some philanthropists. Good thing, because it'd be a tragedy to see this park shut down as a victim of the economy.
It's scenic, of course (it's pretty difficult to not be scenic in the Sedona area) and the crowds are relatively small which makes for a more peaceful hike. There are several trails that meander through the park, but don't worry about getting lost because it's pretty easy to figure out which way to turn to head back to the trailhead. The trails are easy to moderate and you should be able to cover all the ground in the park within several hours so it doesn't have to be an all-day affair.
Bell Rock Pathway is busier than Red Rock State Park and arguably the more scenic of the two areas. Located right off the Highway 179, it's extremely easy to access and is also easy to moderate in difficulty.
Just turn in on milepost 309.8, pay for parking at the meter (or get a parking pass ahead of time at one of the various outlets selling them) and hit the trails. Like Red Rock State Park, it's hard to get lost. Just stay on the trails and eventually you're going make it back to the car.
For all the times I've been to Sedona, I've actually never been to two of the busiest recreation spots in the area.
The West Fork Oak Creek Trail is the busiest trail in the Coconino Forest. There's no real reason I haven't been there yet, I just enjoy the two places mentioned above and I tend to stick to less-crowded hiking areas. The West Fork area is supposed to be very scenic, though, but it's recommended that you go during off-peak times.
And then there's Slide Rock State Park. I have to be one of the few Arizona natives who has never been to Slide Rock and it's natural water slides.
What could be the reason I haven't gone there? Maybe it's because it's too crowded. Or more likely, maybe it's because I don't enjoy splashing around in diluted fecal matter. That's right... too many people poop in the water at Slide Rock. Seriously. It's been shut down at least three times just in 2010.
I think I'll stick to the other trails.
There are plenty of good, affordable hotels in the area if you're looking to stay the night. I can vouch for Sedona Real and the Southwest Inn being good deals. Some of the better restaurants include Picazzos pizza and the surprisingly great Szechuan (who knew you could find great Chinese food in a strip mall in Sedona?).
I could ramble on for a while longer about Sedona, so I'll leave it here for now. Feel free to leave any questions about the area in the comment box below or email me. Just don't ask me about the tourist-trap vortexes.
Ready to drop the books and get away from campus for a while? Looking to explore more of Arizona than just Mill Avenue? On The Road is here to help you find things to do outside the valley and around the state when you need a break from campus life. From hiking the mountains around town for a few hours, to exploring the red rocks of Sedona for a day, to a weekend ski trip just hours away in the winter, this Arizona native is here to help you see and explore more of the state. Feel free to contact me with any ideas for future posts at chadmhays@hotmail.com or follow me on Twitter.
