National monument · 38 min south
Montezuma Castle National Monument
A five-story Sinagua cliff dwelling tucked in a limestone cliff above Beaver Creek.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- NPS entrance fee (same pass covers Tuzigoot)
Day Trippin' › Arizona › From Sedona
Day trips from Sedona
From Sedona the red rock trails start at the edge of town, the Verde Valley's cliff dwellings and wine country are half an hour away, and Flagstaff's peaks, the Grand Canyon's South Rim and Prescott's lakes are an easy morning's drive. Here are the best day trips from Sedona by drive time.
62 places within a 3-hour drive, by real roads.
10 day trips from Sedona
- Red Rock State Park 27 min west
- Montezuma Castle National Monument 38 min south
- Jerome 54 min west
- Watson Lake 1 hr 29 min southwest
- Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument 1 hr 37 min north
- Tonto Natural Bridge State Park 1 hr 56 min southeast
- Meteor Crater 1 hr 57 min east
- Musical Instrument Museum 2 hr 1 min south
- Desert Botanical Garden 2 hr 22 min south
- Grand Canyon South Rim 2 hr 48 min north
Within an hour from Sedona 16 spots
Town · 54 min west
Jerome
A former copper boomtown hanging off Cleopatra Hill, now full of galleries, tasting rooms and views.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- None; paid parking in some town lots
State park · 27 min west
Red Rock State Park
Easy trails along Oak Creek with red rock views and a visitor center.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- State park entrance fee (per person)
Historic site · 41 min south
Fort Verde State Historic Park
Original 1870s army post buildings with rooms set up as they were.
- 1 hr · Easy
- Year-round
- State park entrance fee
Park · 25 min west
Crescent Moon Picnic Site
The classic view of Cathedral Rock reflected in Oak Creek, with picnic tables and creek wading.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Coconino Pass day-use fee (Red Rock Pass and America the Beautiful not accepted)
Winery · 36 min southwest
Page Springs
Wineries along Oak Creek with tasting on the creek bank, and a state fish hatchery next door.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Tasting fees
Historic site · 45 min northwest
Palatki Heritage Site
Sinagua cliff dwellings and rock art from several cultures, with a ranger or volunteer on site.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round; fewer days and mornings only in summer
- Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful pass, plus a timed-entry reservation
State park · 46 min west
Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Lagoons, cottonwoods and trails along the Verde River, good for birding, fishing and easy walks.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- State park entrance fee (per vehicle)
1 to 2 hours from Sedona 20 spots
State park · 1 hr 56 min southeast
Tonto Natural Bridge State Park
What may be the world's largest travertine natural bridge, with trails down to the creek below it.
- 2 hrs · Moderate
- Year-round (closed Christmas)
- State park entrance fee
Landmark · 1 hr 57 min east
Meteor Crater
A nearly mile-wide crater left by a meteorite 50,000 years ago, with a museum on the rim.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Lake · 1 hr 29 min southwest
Watson Lake
A lake in the Granite Dells, a maze of rounded boulders great for paddling and scrambling.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy to moderate
- Year-round
- City of Prescott parking fee (free Wednesdays)
National monument · 1 hr 37 min north
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
Walk lava flows and cinder fields at the foot of a volcano that erupted around 1085.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- NPS entrance fee (covers Wupatki too)
Town · 1 hr 14 min north
Downtown Flagstaff and Route 66
A lively mountain town with historic brick downtown, breweries and Route 66 running through.
- Half day · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Ski area · 1 hr 39 min north
Arizona Snowbowl
Ski in winter; in summer and fall ride the scenic gondola up the San Francisco Peaks to an overlook near 12,000 feet.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Winter skiing; scenic gondola late spring to fall (check dates)
- Lift ticket or gondola ticket
Zoo · 1 hr 41 min northwest
Bearizona
Drive-through wildlife park with bears, bison and wolves, plus a walk-through area.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Waterfall · 1 hr 43 min south
Fossil Creek
Turquoise spring-fed pools and a waterfall in a remote canyon.
- Half day · Moderate
- Year-round; permit needed April 1 to October 1
- Forest Service permit April 1 to October 1 (Recreation.gov); free October 2 to March 31
2 to 3 hours from Sedona 13 spots
Garden · 2 hr 22 min south
Desert Botanical Garden
Thousands of desert plants along garden trails in Papago Park, beautiful in spring bloom.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Viewpoint · 2 hr 48 min north
Grand Canyon South Rim
The South Rim's main viewpoints, from Mather Point to Hopi Point, along a flat rim trail and free shuttles.
- Full day · Easy
- Year-round
- NPS entrance fee
Museum · 2 hr 1 min south
Musical Instrument Museum
Instruments from nearly every country in the world, with headphones that play automatically as you walk up.
- 2-4 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- Admission
Town · 2 hr 5 min east
Winslow and La Posada
A Route 66 town with Standin' on the Corner Park and La Posada, a restored 1930 railroad hotel.
- 1-2 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- No pass or fee needed
Trail · 2 hr 50 min north
Bright Angel Trail
Walk a little way down into the Grand Canyon on its best-known trail.
- 2-5 hrs · Hard
- Year-round; avoid summer midday
- NPS entrance fee
Lake · 2 hr 53 min southeast
Woods Canyon Lake and the Rim Road
A pine-ringed lake on top of the Mogollon Rim, with the cliff edge view road nearby.
- Half day · Easy
- Late spring to fall
- Day-use fee (check)
National monument · 2 hr 1 min north
Wupatki National Monument
Red sandstone pueblos, a ballcourt and a natural blowhole on the open plain north of Flagstaff.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round
- NPS entrance fee (covers Sunset Crater too)
Museum · 2 hr 11 min south
Heard Museum
One of the country's best museums of American Indian art and culture.
- 2-3 hrs · Easy
- Year-round (closed Mondays in summer)
- Admission
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Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP 86336 (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner). Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.