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Image by Guy Pendlebury from Pixabay

Sedona has some of the most spectacularly dramatic scenery in the United States. Arguably, the best way to reach it is along Highway 179, the Red Rock Scenic Byway. Major natural landmarks pass by your windows, introducing you to the scale of the landscape around the city. If you come this way, you’ll enter the city via Oak Creek Village, where you’ll find the green of golf courses dramatically contrasting against the red rock and sand. The scenery is one of Sedona’s big appeals, with hiking and biking amongst the it a big reason to visit. Because of this, Sedona has plenty of accommodation to suit outdoors enthusiasts, but it also boasts some wonderfully luxurious spas, hotels and lodges where relaxation is the primary aim. Many of the best neighbourhoods in Sedona offer peace and scenery, but if you want nightlife, history, or to explore local culture, Sedona has neighbourhoods for that, too.

Our Guide to Sedona’s Neighbourhoods

Map by MissTourist.com

Uptown

Detlef Weiss - Photography

Uptown Sedona is an easy choice for visitors, and a popular one because of it. This is a city centre neighbourhood, where you’ll find most of Sedona’s non-hiking-trail attractions, plus the shops and cafes of Main Street. Uptown also offers Sedona’s liveliest evenings out: restaurants, bars and clubs. Lots of desert excursions leave from here, too. Uptown is well connected to Sedona’s other neighbourhoods by public transport.

Tlaquepaque

By Jared from Clermont - Sedona - Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village - Patio De Las Campanas (3), CC BY 2.0

Tlaquepaque is a small neighbourhood within Sedona’s city centre, but offering a quieter atmosphere than Uptown. It is fairly central, with good transport links to Chapel and Oak Creek, and is known for its cultural attractions, including a collection of art galleries and concert venues, and a regular market and craft market. This isn’t a bad base for hikers, either, there are a couple of trails that start in the neighbourhood, before heading towards Oak Creek River or Snoopy Rock. Primarily it’s known for the Tlaquepaque Art & Shopping Village, which is a centre of around 40 speciality shops, galleries and restaurants.

West Sedona

West Sedona is a cool area, just five kilometres outside the centre of Sedona, but, possibly more importantly, it’s the closest neighbourhood to the start of several big-name hiking trails. Before you hike out of West Sedona, make sure you make use of the trendy cafes, bars, restaurants and boutiques. West Sedona also has its own theatre and farmers’ market. West Sedona is where you'll find Posse Grounds Park and Sunset Park, which aren't just beautiful for a picnic; they also have walking trails, and a pretty spectacular lookout point. Once you do hike out of West Sedona you can easily head into the Red Rock State Park.

Chapel

Image by qstudio2 from Pixabay

Chapel is named for the Chapel of the Holy Cross, an impossible-looking piece of modern architecture, built right into, and out of, the red rock of the region, with a huge cross as part of the design. Even if you don't stay in this neighbourhood, you may well visit the chapel itself, which was designed by a student of Frank Lloyd Wright and completed in 1956. It’s an incredible celebration of our natural world. Despite having one of the most recognisable landmarks in the city, this is a pretty under-the-radar neighbourhood for visitors. There are still plenty of places to eat and drink, and, because their clients are largely local, the prices aren’t inflated. The same can be said for the hiking and biking trails here — they’re spectacular, but mostly traversed by locals. The Mystic Trail is one of the best known, and the Boynton Canyon Trail starts here too.

Oak Creek Village

Flickr user Katie Thebeau

Oak Creek is a peaceful village that has now partly been absorbed by Sedona’s gentle expansion, but is about ten kilometres from the centre of Sedona. Public transport options have improved, and it’s now very well connected to the rest of Sedona, and especially Uptown. Oak Creek still has a village atmosphere, though, with more parks, more space and less bustle, and its own restaurants and attractions. It also boasts its own hiking trails, a lot of them along the river that runs through the village and gives it its name, others towards the spectacular Oak Creek Canyon, or the Bell Rock scenic area. There are just as many mountain bike trails. Oak Creek Village has good accommodation options with outdoor space, even golf courses in some cases.

Oak Creek Canyon

By Don Graham from Redlands, CA, USA - God bless it! - Slide Rock, Oak Creek Canyon, AZ 9-15, CC BY-SA 2.0

Oak Creek Canyon is one of the most popular hiking destinations around Sedona, located between Sedona and Flagstaff. There are a myriad of routes, a fantastic array of red-rock views, and hiking trails ranging from easy to challenging and multiple days. It’s not just hiking on offer, this is an incredible area for wild swimming and fishing, too. The canyon is 12 miles long, with walls that are in some places sheer and 2000 feet high. The microclimate of the area means it’s one of the best places in Arizona to see the seasonal change of leaf colours. The town part of Oak Creek Canyon is small, with just a few shops and boutiques, but there are a handful of B&Bs and boutique lodges, campsite accommodation, and guesthouses.