Spectacular red rock scenery laced with hundreds of hiking trails, expansive Native American history, and tons of options for year-round outdoor fun makes a Sedona family vacation a natural choice when you’re looking for travel inspiration for your brood.
Arizona’s favorite desert town, known among the spiritually inclined as a center of energy vortexes, is also famous for its incredible scenery. Sedona is just a 45-minute drive south of Flagstaff and a two-hour drive north of Phoenix, which means you can fly into Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport in the morning and be out hiking an easy trail with the kids or cooling off in the swimming hole by lunch time.
Read on for top tips for making the most of a Sedona family vacation that offers up a little something for everyone in your travel crew.
Is Sedona A Good Place For A Family Vacation?
In one word: absolutely. Although the area is perhaps best-known for the countless soul-seekers from around the globe who come to visit Sedona’s world-famous energy vortexes, the area is actually a perfect vacation spot for families who love easy access to hiking, biking, and swimming in spectacular surroundings, plus a family-friendly downtown area full of quaint boutiques and plenty of delicious ice cream shops to explore. As you can see, Sedona ticks all the required boxes for a memorable family vacation.
You can strike the perfect vacation balance in Sedona — stay active by visiting the area’s many parks, including Posse Grounds Park with a spectacular playground, and Sunset Park with a wet-and-wild splash pad; or by exploring the five miles of beautiful hiking trails within Red Rock State Park, which offers up lots of great terrain for families and novice hikers. When you’re done burning energy and ready to relax, head back to your cozy accommodations and soak in the hot tub or put your feet up while the kids splash around in the resort’s pool.
You’ll need to refuel your crew at some point, and Sedona has some wonderful family-friendly restaurants to enjoy with the kids. Head to local Mexican-food favorite Cafe José, where everyone will love the quesadillas and fried ice cream, or Señor Bob’s, perfect for your picky eaters who just want a delicious hot dog, cheeseburger, or sandwich and fries. If you’re celebrating a special occasion in Sedona, Dahl & Di Luca is the town’s definitive Italian spot (don’t miss the chef’s famous potato gnocchi) — make sure to check out the restaurant’s beautiful alfresco garden patio, perfect for enjoying a star-filled Sedona night sky.
What Part Of Sedona Is Best For Families?
Coming in at just over 19 square miles, Sedona is no New York City — it isn’t huge by any stretch of the imagination. But in spite of its small(ish) size, you might find it has more family-friendly attractions than you thought, and many of the best Sedona resorts for families are spread out past the city’s downtown footprint.
Several of the best Sedona resorts for families, including the villas at Club Wyndham Sedona, surrounded by gorgeous red rock scenery, can be found in and near West Sedona, which is considered a quieter, more residential part of town. Away from the thick of the tourist fray uptown, West Sedona has quiet neighborhoods with great local restaurants that have been thriving for years. Mesa Grill is a family favorite spot near the Sedona Airport offering southwestern fare that you can enjoy with views of planes taking off and landing. West Sedona is also perfectly positioned for quick and easy access to hiking trails, including those within Red Rock State Park and the very popular trail that leads to the swimming hole at Red Rock Crossing.
How Many Days Are Enough For Sedona?
How long you stay will be determined by personal preference and availability, but generally anywhere from three days to a full week’s stay will give your family enough time to experience all the key highlights of a Sedona family vacation without anyone having the chance to utter a single “I’m bored.”
The area is perfect for a long weekend escape, bookended by a school holiday, so consider that in your annual vacation planning, too. And even with as few as two full days to enjoy a Sedona family vacation, you can fit in everything from hiking along easy family trails to visiting local swimming holes and browsing crystals and dreamcatchers in all the fun shops around town. For an easy and very rewarding family hike, Secret Slickrock Trail, located seven miles from town, is less than a mile long and has minimal elevation gain with incredible Cathedral Rock views. When you’ve finished that check out these additional Sedona hiking options.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Sedona?
For a Sedona family vacation, avoiding the peak summer months is best. The spring shoulder season, preceding the peak summer months for travel (as well as the sultriest daytime temperatures), just may be the best time to visit Sedona. The spring months, particularly March, April, and May, are gorgeous for frolicking among blooms of desert wildflowers within Red Rock State Park, a 286-acre nature preserve just outside the city of Sedona. Volunteer naturalists at the park lead daily guided nature walks served up with fun lessons on geology and plant life.
If you do choose to travel during peak times, from April through September there are guided interpretive full moon hikes at Red Rock State Park, during which you’ll get to enjoy sunset and moonrise from a spectacular overlook.
The autumn shoulder season, from September into November, is another wonderful time to visit Sedona for mild weather and far fewer crowds along the many hiking trails than you’ll find during the busy months of summer. Autumn’s lovely changing leaves paint the canyons around Sedona in glorious golden hues, and you can pick apples at what was once a homestead apple farm during the Slide Rock Apple Festival, just north of town at Slide Rock State Park. Known for having a natural rock slide the kids will love that deposits them into another refreshing Sedona swimming hole, you’ll find nothing but good old-fashioned family fun when you visit the area.
Now that you’re ready to enjoy a fun Sedona family vacation, make sure to schedule time for a Sedona shopping spree, and then check out these additional attractions for good measure. When you’re ready to go, check out these packing tips for your Sedona adventure.