As you begin to start planning your magical vacation to Sedona, the first decision you must make is the timing. What does your schedule look like? When are the kids out of school? And perhaps first and foremost, when is the best time to visit the red rock country? Fortunately, we can tell you that every season is the best time to visit—there is always fun and excitement to be had in Sedona—but for today’s purposes, we are going to focus on the cooler months of the year, the seasons of winter and spring. Summer is destined to be hot, and fall DOES cool down during the latter weeks, but in winter and spring, every day is a beautiful day filled with great weather, happy adventures, and those stunning views of the red rocks that you won’t get anywhere else in the world. This guide to everything you can do, see, and enjoy during winter in Sedona and spring in Sedona will help ensure that your escape will be a dream come true!
A Light Dusting
First of all, you will want to be prepared for the weather, so let us relieve your minds; winter in Sedona is not like that in your freezing cold hometown! The highs tend to stay in the 60s and the lows rarely drop below the freezing mark, so although you may have to battle the traffic that accompanies the visitors that flock here for the season, you won’t be fighting snow, sleet, or ice. A light dusting of the white stuff may fall on the red rocks, creating photographs that will look postcard perfect, and the occasional storm may blow into town, but overall winter is as close to perfect as it can be, and when it comes time to pack, you just need to remember to bring layers! However, you can always warm up in a luxury rental home, or our cozy Sedona villas.
Playing Outside
Wintertime is the right time for slipping into your most comfortable walking shoes and heading outside to hike, bike, and explore the beauty of our landscape under the cheerful Sedona sun—which shines 278 days out of every year, on average. Fill up your water bottles, grab your sunglasses, and start hiking along the historic Munds Wagon Trail for your first peek at the glorious red rocks. The Munds Wagon Trail was the first cattle trail out of Sedona and soon became a wagon trail which early settlers used to come in and out of the area; its location takes you past the Mitten Ridge and Cow Pies formations. (Yes, the Cowpies formation was named for its resemblance to, well, cow pies!)
Adventurous types may prefer to explore the local trails by mountain bike, however, so a quick visit to Thunder Mountain Bikes, located at 1695 AZ-89A, will get you all the equipment you couldn’t carry in your lightly packed suitcases. Choose your favorite bike from their large selection (they even offer kids bikes) and head out for a day of fun at the Sedona Mountain Bike Park, located in Posse Grounds Park! Offering speed, excitement, and fun, it is a great place to play with your kids, but it is not your only choice when it comes to mountain biking in Sedona. Our mountain town offers a wide variety of trails for all skill levels of riders, and all are destined to be your new obsession as you enjoy the speed, the views, and of course, the beautiful Sedona winter weather!
Now, if your idea of exercise is walking from your car to your heated house, there are still ways to get outside and enjoy the wonders of winter and the red rocks that surround our mountain village without having to exert too much extra effort. Pink Jeep Tours has been chauffeuring people to the magical and mystical red rocks for more years than we can remember, and they are immediately noticeable upon your entry into Sedona; how many pink jeeps have YOU seen over the years? Offering tours into all the most beautiful parts of Sedona, their Ancient Ruins and Touch the Earth tours are their most popular escapes. Pink Jeep Tours takes guests to where the Sinagua people once lived, loved, and worked (until one day they suddenly disappeared!) and to where the psychic vortexes set off vibrations you may be able to feel.
Christmas Adventures
If your visit happens to coincide with the Christmas season and you have your littles accompanying you on this trip of a lifetime, the one event you simply can’t miss out on is the Magical Christmas Journey that takes place aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad’s most special train. Leaving from nearby Clarkdale and offering a fantasy escape to the North Pole and a visit with Santa, pictures, and sweet treats, you will be your child’s hero forevermore! If you are traveling sans children, however, Sedona will be a vision in holiday charm as you shop for gifts in cute little boutiques, add to your own Christmas décor with a visit to a place where Christmas lives year-round (Merry Christmas Sedona) and fill up your tank of holiday spirit that has been sadly depleted by the goings-on in the world!
Time to Eat!
You winter vacation wouldn’t be complete without sampling a taste of the town, and as you might expect, Mexican food is on the menu for your Sedona getaway! Stop in and enjoy patio views at Oaxaca, a restaurant that has been a part of our community for over four decades, or enjoy the upscale offerings of local celebrity chef Jeff Smedstad at Elote Cafe. The tequila menu at 89Agave never fails to give you something to forget, and because Taco Tuesday is an everyday adventure in the Southwest, the breakfast tacos served by Tortas De Fuego will be the only way you want to start your day!
Springing into Spring
The promise of spring in Sedona is one promise that is always kept, and when your journey brings you to our doorstep during this amazing season, there will be no end to the happy memories you can make! The weather is still cool enough that you will find yourself wanting to get outside, but again, be sure to wear layers! The temperatures can drop quickly when the sun falls behind the red rocks, and while most of the day you will be reveling in wearing flip flops and t-shirts, the nights may require jackets and closed toe shoes.
The Golf Getaway You Have Always Dreamed About
Near perfect weather in the spring has the avid golfer in your family itching to try his new set of clubs out, and with eight courses in or near the Sedona borders, this getaway promises to be the one your golf lover has always dreamed about! The Canyon Mesa Country Club is a much beloved public course, designed by Jack Snyder and offering 9 holes of beauty, style, and fun; it is the perfect place to play when you have just a short time. The Oak Creek Country Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr., however, is definitely one of our favorites, offering 18 holes that are challenging without being intimidating, and even during your worst games you will discover that the beauty of the natural surroundings soothes. Coyote Trails Golf Course is a public course located in nearby Cottonwood which conveniently offers a few wine tasting rooms, so feel free to drop the spouse off at the links and sip freely! This too is a 9-hole course, so it will fill the space left open in your itinerary on your Canyon Mesa Country Club day; Cottonwood is only 19 miles away, so enjoy the drive, the weather, and the opportunity to play golf to your heart’s content!
It’s All About the Art
Have you ever noticed that the most beautiful places on earth seem to attract the most talented artists? It could be that growing up surrounded by all the beauty engrains artistic prowess into their DNA, or it could just be a coincidence, but Sedona is an artists’ colony we are proud to call our own, and in the spring, our Spring Open Studios event is the most popular activity in town! If you, like us, are awed at the talents of our local artists, this open studios event is destined to make you happy as you meander from studio to studio meeting the talented craftspeople who live their lives making the world a more beautiful place, and perhaps finding a little something that you can take home to make your own home more beautiful! Over 50 studios are involved in this fun spring event, and with the variety of mediums being displayed, you are sure to find the piece that speaks to your soul.
If you can’t make it for this wonderful event, however, you can still enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the galleries that dot the landscape of Sedona; you just may not be able to meet the artists! Tlaquepaque is home to quite a few worthy galleries, but you can also find them scattered throughout town, and because we could never claim a favorite, we suggest that you while away your vacation hours wandering in and out of everyone you come across. Looking for a Sedona specific artist? Village Gallery offers a guide to locally created art and their creators and keeps you up to date on all the events these talented souls will be participating in.
Another popular spring event, the Camp Verde Pecan & Wine Festival, takes place at the very beginning of spring/end of winter and involves a little bit of a road trip, but when the views are this scenic and the destination is this fantastic, you won’t mind a little bit of a drive at all! Located 27 miles south of Sedona, the small town of Camp Verde is renowned for being the Gateway to the Verde Valley Wine Country, and the Pecan & Wine Festival combines the charms of small-town America with the sophistication of some of the best wine in the country! Sip and snack your way across the event, celebrating the home-grown pecans and wine that makes this region so special, and enjoy live music and arts and crafts while you do so. Don’t be surprised when the wines you sample beat out some of your favorite Napa Valley drinks, we’re that good!
Every Season Is a Comfortable One
Of course, no matter what season you schedule your visit to Sedona, you know it will be a comfortable one when you choose Stay Sedona for your vacation accommodations! Choose from our many Sedona vacation rentals with pools and hot tubs, or secluded cozy Sedona villas perfect for any occasion. Winter, spring, summer, and fall, our properties are designed to be an integral part of your vacation experience, and as you snuggle with your sweetie around a roaring fire on a chilly winter night, relaxing with a Verde Valley wine in hand, or sip margaritas in the shadow of the red rocks in the spring, you will know there is no place else on earth that you would rather be. Sleep in late and eat donuts from Sedonuts on lazy Tuesdays or get up early to watch the sunrise and be stunned by the kaleidoscope of colors in the rapidly brightening morning sky. Every minute of your Southwest getaway is guaranteed to be a magical, mystical, and comfortable one when you choose Stay Sedona for your vacation accommodations.
Reserve your favorite sanctuary today and start the countdown for a vacation in paradise!
