Sedona )Activities
 

My family (husband, children, 10 and 9) and I are going to Sedona the first week of April. We will be flying into Phoenix and renting a car. We are staying at the Hilton primarily due to the nice pool for the kids, but with a red rock view for me.

As for the hikes, I thought Oak Creek Canyon, Devil's Bridge and Boynton Canyon would be best for us. We are looking for beautiful scenery, we are in pretty good condition (exercise daily), we will be wearing althetic shoes (off terrain types) and we have two people with an attention span of about 2 to 3 hours (no, not the adults!). Am I correct in choosing these?

We will take a Pink Jeep tour, and from what I have read it appears that the Broken Arrow group is the one to take. We would also like to go horseback riding. Which horseback riding group is the best? My children have been on horses at a week long dude ranch twice, but that's about it. Also, sometimes there is an age requirement. Is that the case in Sedona?

We all love art, and would appreciate any suggestions on great art galleries.

If there are any suggestions on day trips from Sedona that the kids would like, let me know. We are trying to keep this low key and relaxing so we don't want to go to the Grand Canyon on this trip.

Thank you for your recommendations!

I would definitely suggest a Pink Jeep tour; my kids loved it. Also, there's a wonderful shopping area with lots of art shops but I can't spell it! Too-lock-ee-pah-key is how it's pronounced. Kids may enjoy the new age shops; mine did. Also, right in the heart of town there's a cowboy-type restaurant that's fun.

Ditto the Pink Jeep Broken Arrow tour. The biplane ride over those red rocks was just spectacular - and lots of fun too!

Have you checked the Sedona web site? I think it's visitsedona.com -- lots of information. Be sure to check in at the Visitors' Information Center, corner of Hwy. 89A and Forest Rd. It's one block on the left after making the right turn where 89A joins Hwy. 179 in uptown Sedona. All sorts of free stuff -- information, maps, etc.

There are several hikes in Oak Creek Canyon. Your kids will love visiting Slide Rock State Park in the canyon. To the west of town is Red Rock State Park, with miles of wonderful hiking trails, nature center, picnicking, etc.

Take it easy; Sedona is at 4,000 ft. altitude, and you may be from a lower location. Boynton Canyon hike is good; make sure you take its Vista Trail hike which begins near where Boynton Canyon hike starts. It takes only minutes to reach a rock spire where you have a 360 degree view.

We've dried out from our recent rains (wet forecast for this coming Saturday and Sunday), but you will have no problems...IF...you take water, never hike alone (at least two persons together), let your hotel know where you have gone and when you expect to return, and carry a cell phone, if you have one.

Thank you all for your valuable information. I will check out the website. My kids love anything cowboy so we will look into the restaurant. Does anyone have any recommendations on the horseback riding?

Try to go have breakfast at the little airport in Sedona on the hill where Sky Ranch Lodge is located. The food is great, and the kids would probably love to watch the small planes take off and land. Also, the sunsets are gorgeous there--people congregate at the top of the road each evening to watch.

I hope this recommendation isn't too late, but for the horseback riding, try Trail Horse Adventures, out 89A west, close to Red Rock State Park. They have wonderful rides for all ages and stages of riding. Very safety concious also. I do not recommend A Day in the West for horse back riding, because we had reservatiosn w/them and they waited til the morning of the ride to cancel w/us, saying there were nto enough people signed up. It ruined out chances for riding on that trip, btu the next time we used Trail Horse and really liked them.

sorry for the typos, I just retunred from a trip to Asia and lost my glasses on the flight home

Agree with what has been recommended. There are many hikes in/around Sedona. There is a great book that describes them with direction/degree of diffuculty etc. Do an Amazon search and get the book.
Pink Jeeps tours are popular, Broken Arrow is the best and most popular. Would not hurt to book before you go.
Great restaurants that your kids (and you) will love: Pizza Picazzo(most fantastic pizza I have ever had, worth the 1 hr wait). Red Planet Diner (funky place with Space Alien motif). Cowboy Club. Casa Rincon.
For art shopping, go to Tlaquepaque or just "uptown".
As far as day trips, other than the Grand Canyon: Indian ruin sites at Montezuma Castle (Off I17 in kVerde Valley, 20 min away); Walnut Canyon (near Flagstaff); Jerome (old mining town, now an art colony); If your kids are boys, maybe the Crater (Meteor crater).

Do go to Slide Rock State Park - our kids loved it. Get there early though - the parking lot fills up.