Is sedona agood home base for the Grand Canyon. We are going In April and were thinking of staying in Sedona and takin a day trip to Grand Canyon. Also, is the railraod trip to the Grand Canyon worth it?

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Sedona is about 130 miles from the Grand Canyon and is an excellent base for making a day trip to the GC.

The Grand Canyon Railway extends from Williams (west of Flagstaff) to the Grand Canyon Village Station, a few hundred yards from the rim of the Grand Canyon itself. This is about a 40 mile ride, mostly through flattish sagebrush country, through some pine woods, and finally to the park itself. They stage a fake train robbery, have a banjo band, and charge a hefty fee for the round trip. You leave your car at Williams' depot. Frankly, I would rather watch paint dry. So hokey. But some enjoy it.

Suggestion: after breakfast, head north through Oak Creek Canyon (Hwy 89a) to Flagstaff, take Hwy 180 to the Canyon, walk along the rim or take a shuttle bus, head east to Desert View and its tower, keep heading east, take a minute to see the Grand Canyon of the Little Colorado River (very narrow and deep), come down to Cameron to the trading post, head south on Hwy 89a to see Wupatki Ruins and Sunset Crater, back into Flagstaff and down to Sedona. It's a circle. Take along picnic stuff. That way you are in control of your time, see a lot more, and move at your pace.

In April, incidentally, the North Rim will still be closed.

Wife and I stayed at the motel complex in Williams where you board the train. Very good rooms and a nice place to eat too. I enjoy the slow pace of steam engines so the train ride was great and it puts you about 30 yards from the canyon. We stayed the night at the canyon; rode the next day's train back to Williams. Gave us enough time to do a little hiking along the rim and down the Angel trail (partway)! Sunset and sunrise at the canyon should not be missed in a lifetime!

Thanks for the great info!

USNR gave you a great itinerary for a day from Sedona. Some will say it doesn't give you enough time in the Canyon, but if you are like me, you aren't going there to hike...just to enjoy the view. It will be a long day, but it is definitely do-able.

At Grand Canyon of the Little Colorado River don't forget to look north and east for a view of the Painted Dessert on the horizon. Actually, to view the Dessert, too, I'm not sure I wouldn't reverse the sequence after you get to Flagstaff, entering GC from the east.