Welcome to Sedona Arizona...Voted "The Most Beautiful Place In America" -by USA Today

About Sedona
by David Cates, photos by Martin Gray

Welcome to Sedona! Allow us to show you around.

Here's a brief tour of the area. 

Just ahead: insights into Sedona geography, vortex power, new age communities, weather, history, Sedona's Hollywood connection, celebrity residents, tourist activities, parks and National Forests, mountain biking and hiking trails, and nearby attractions.

Physical Location & Geography. Nestled among the juniper and pinon pine forests of northern Arizona, Sedona lies120 miles south of the Grand Canyon, and 120 miles north of the Phoenix Airport.  Here the Colorado Plateau drops 2000 feet to the high southwestern desert, exposing millions of years of rock layered in spectacular colors and carved into breathtaking pinnacles and buttes.

Vortex Power. Native Americans reserved this area for sacred ceremony and ritual. Today, spiritual pilgrims come from around the world to experience the awesome beauty and sublime transformational power of our famed vortexes.  You can also read about the range of people's experiences with the vortexes.

New Age Mecca.  Some of the finest healers, intuitives, creative artists and spiritual pioneers are drawn to live, work and play in the inspiring red-rock heart of Mother Earth. Many consider Sedona the new-age mecca of North America.

Scenic Beauty & Photos. Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon are among the most visited and photographed spots in the Southwest. Their beauty rivals many national parks.

Weather. Sedona enjoys mild weather, sunshine and clean air throughout the year. There are four distinct but mild seasons here at the 4500-foot level.

History. Sedona's history is that of a rural ranching community, far off the beaten track. The early settlers at the turn of the century couldn't have imagined that their farms, ranches and fruit orchards would play host to filmmakers, celebrities and tourists from around the world.

Hollywood Connection. Sedona's timeless beauty formed the backdrop for many a motion picture western, including such classic films as John Wayne's "The Angel and the Badman," and Robert Mitchum's "Blood on the Moon." There's a complete list of the dozens of films made here, and more than a hundred of the stars who appeared in them, at the Sedona Movie Studio.  Walt Disney, Lucille Ball, Ann Miller and Jane Russell all built homes in Sedona. Every year, many commercials and television shows are filmed in the unspoiled natural beauty surrounding the city,

The City. Today, the community plays host every year to over 4 million tourists from around the world. The City of Sedona was incorporated in 1988, and is one of Arizona's premier tourism, recreation, resort, retirement, and art centers.

Local Activities. Sedona has something for everyone -- world class resorts to small family-run B&Bs, fine restaurants, outstanding shops and diverse art galleries. The beauty and climate of the area makes sightseeing and hiking, golf, tennis, horseback riding, and Jeep touring year-round activities.

National Forests. The City of Sedona is surrounded by National Forest land, which is laced with hundreds of miles of trails for hiking and mountain biking.

Regional Attractions. Many of Northern Arizona's most popular attractions are within at hour's drive of Sedona. You can visit the haunted mining town of Jerome (now an artist's colony), the Tuzigoot National Monument, Montezuma's Well and Castle, Slide Rock State Park, Red Rock State Parks, and the Cliff Castle Indian Gaming Casino. Of course, the granddaddy of all Southwestern attractions, the Grand Canyon, is only two hours away.