North: State Route 89A rambles alongside verdant Oak Creek, offering 14 miles of lush canyon scenery. The creek tumbles over bedrock sandstone at Slide Rock State Park with deep pools beneath variegated cliffs. Farther along, West Fork, a tributary of Oak Creek in a dramatically sculpted canyon, attracts hikers to serene reflections and vivid fall color. Several pioneer trails climb out of Oak Creek Canyon to vistas high above, the A.B. Young Trail being the steepest and longest ending at a fire lookout.
East: Rough and rocky Schnebly Hill Road, for high-clearance vehicles only, takes you beneath red cliffs and formations for roadside photos. Scenes include intriguing Camel’s Head and Snoopy Rock, Giant’s Thumb, and the majestic Mitten Ridge, with Teapot, facing the white cliffs of Munds Mountain.
South: Between the Village of Oak Creek and Sedona, lies the open valley bisected by State Route 179. Soaring cliffs of Gibraltar, Munds and Lee mountains stand on the east, the cluster of cliffs called the Transept sits on the west, and stately Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock anchor the southern end. Wedged below Twin Buttes sits the Chapel of the Holy Cross, where panoramic views will capture it all including the paired spires called the Nuns.
West: Dry Creek Road, off 89A, offers trails in numerous canyons including gentle Fay Canyon, Long Canyon, and photogenic Boynton Canyon. For those with high-clearance vehicles take Vultee Arch Road (FR 152) to popular Devil’s Bridge, sandstone-enshrined Secret Canyon, deeply-forested Bear Sign Canyon, and the 40-foot sandstone span of Vultee Arch on its namesake trail. Boynton Pass Road takes you to switch-backing trails up Doe Mesa (moderate) or Bear Mountain (difficult) for panoramic views. Farther out, you’ll find rock art and the prehistoric Palatki and Honanki pueblos.
The scenic Red Rock Loop Road, off 89A southwest of town, twists and turns down to Red Rock Crossing/Crescent Moon. Multiple turnouts offer views of Cathedral Rock grandly rising before you. Red Rock Crossing is the signature photo of Sedona—Cathedral Rock reflected in gentle Oak Creek.
