Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon

Getting Here and Around

Getting Here

Sedona stretches along AZ 89A, its main thoroughfare, which runs roughly east-west through town. Uptown, the section with most of the shops and restaurants, is at the east end. Free parking is plentiful throughout Sedona, but especially in Uptown: the visitor center, a half block off 89A on Forest Road, has an adjacent parking lot; parking spaces along the streets are free for three hours; or park all day in the large municipal lot a few blocks farther east, off Jordan Road.

The most scenic route into town from Phoenix is taking Interstate 17 to AZ 260 toward Cottonwood, then going northeast on AZ 89A. To reach Sedona more directly from Phoenix, take Interstate 17 north for 113 mi until you come to AZ 179; it's another winding 15 mi on that road into town. The trip should take about 2½ hours. The 27-mi drive north from Sedona to Flagstaff on AZ 89A, which winds its way through Oak Creek canyon, is breathtaking.

Sedona Airport, in West Sedona, is a base for several air tours but has no regularly scheduled flights.

The Sedona-Phoenix Shuttle makes eight trips daily between those cities; the fare is $45 one-way, $85 round-trip. You can also get on or off at Camp Verde, Cottonwood, or the Village of Oak Creek (7 mi outside Sedona on AZ 179). Reservations are required.

Weekend traffic near Sedona, especially during the high season, can approach gridlock on the narrow highways. Leave for your destination at first light to bypass the day-trippers, late risers, and midday heat.

Getting Around

Sedona is roughly divided into three neighborhoods: Uptown, which is a walkable shopping district; West Sedona, which is a 4-mi-long commercial strip; and Central Sedona, which encompasses everything south of the "Y" where AZ 179 and AZ 89A intersect. The Sedona RoadRunner provides free bus transportation daily along AZ 89A, looping over to Tlaquepaque and into Uptown, every 15 minutes 9 am-6 pm.

Sedona Trolley offers two types of daily orientation tours, both departing from the main bus stop in Uptown and lasting less than an hour. One goes along AZ 179 to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, with stops at Tlaquepaque and some galleries; the other passes through West Sedona to Boynton Canyon (Enchantment Resort). Rates are $12 for one or $22 for both.

If you want to explore the red rocks of Sedona, you can rent a four-wheel drive from one of the local agencies such as Barlow Jeep Rentals.