Settling In

Sedona is a popular destination in northern Arizona. The striking scenery, hiking and biking draw lots of tourists. It’s popularity can make enjoying the area difficult, from excessive traffic, finding parking at trailheads or making dinner reservations at one of the many fine restaurants in town. Don’t despair, there are ways around these difficulties.

To avoid the crowds we force ourselves to get on the trail early and explore areas that aren’t as well known as the iconic Sedona hikes. We enjoy hiking the Scorpion-Pyramid Loop in Carroll Canyon. It’s a great hike that not many people do.

While the air quality was fine, the smoke from the prescribed burns made for a hazy view of Cathedral Rock.

Mariposa and Elote are two of our favorite places to eat. In Sedona, getting dinner reservations can be a challenge but persistence pays off. We tried going the online route with no success. Elote had moved to a new location since we were last here so we went looking for it. We found ourselves at their new location as they were opening. We got in line with no reservation but they were able to seat us in spite of nothing being available on line. We had a similar problem with Mariposa,: no availability online. We stopped by at the end of their lunch rush and the hostess managed to find us a table on the patio later in the week. The food was outstanding at both restaurants.

Bubbling Ponds Nature Preserve is located in Page Springs, AZ. This Audubon run preserve near Cottonwood has 1 1/2 miles of bird watching trails.

While Dead Horse Ranch SP is an excellent jumping off spot to explore the Sedona area it offers excellent hiking and biking opportunities right in the park.

The network trails behind our campsite offer miles of challenging biking and hiking.

Our friends Andy and Lori have built themselves a lovely home in Jerome. We always enjoy hanging out with them when we visit the area.

This trip they turned us on to some of their favorite bands and dancing establishments. We enjoyed the Spirit Room, in Jerome where Combo Deluxe was playing.

We’ve visited the Sedona area a number of times through the years. In spite of that we have not come close to exhausting all the hiking possibilities. We decided to get up at dawn and get on the road to secure a coveted parking space at the Bear Mountain trail head.

This is a difficult hike, you gain 1,800 feet of elevation in a 2.3 mile hike to the top. We didn’t make it to the top but the hike offers spectacular views all along the trail.

The West Fork Trail along Oak Creek is a popular and iconic Sadona hike. The small parking lot at the trail head makes it imperative to arrive early. The lot is generally full by 8am.

The trail is 3.3 miles long, one way, and has 13 water crossings.

The crisp morning hike among the many oak and maple trees gave us our first taste of fall.

During this trip to Red Rock Country we’ve focused on hiking areas we’ve not visited. The Doe Mountain trail is an old favorite however. It’s a short steep trail with lots of switchbacks. After forty minutes on the trail you’ll make it to the top and can enjoy commanding views of West Sedona.

After our Doe Mountain hike we drove to the nearby Fay Canyon trail head. This is a short, 1.3 mile family friendly hike into a box canyon. A half mile down the main trail is a social trail to an easy to miss red rock arch. Shelly felt the need to scramble up and check it out.

Bell Rock, Courthouse Rock, Cathedral Rock and Yavapai Vista Point are located on Route 179 south of Sedona. This section of red rock country is very popular with limited parking. This trip we arrived at these trail heads at around 3:00pm and found parking spots.

We’ve enjoyed our time in this part of Arizona but it’s time to move on. Here’s one more sunset from the smoke filled skies of Cottonwood, Arizona.