Montezuma Well is a separate unit of Montezuma Castle National Monument. It's 20 minutes east of…read moreMontezuma Castle and well worth a stop! There's no entrance fee, but there's a small ranger station at the trailhead and a very enthusiastic volunteer who gave as an orientation speech of the human history of the area and the geology of the area. Without him, the visit would have been less impressive. The water in the sinkhole contains high levels of arsenic and carbon dioxide, so no fish are in the water...but don't worry there are plenty of leeches! Don't enter the water because of that, and also because you do not want to disturb the five species endemic to this spot of water. They're found nowhere else. Interestingly enough, there's near-constant volume of spring water even in times of severe drought, which would have seemed miraculous to the people who lived here. If you look from the rim, you can see several prehistoric dwellings right under the rim on the other side. Hiking down gets you close to more dwellings. Well worth a trip, especially as it's less crowded than the Castle.

My friend and I stopped to see the Montezuma Castle first. This Well is only a couple miles up from…read morethe Castle. It is another short trail loop to see the Well and it's FREE (no entry fee). It's a amazing site when you reach the top of the well with the view of the well and dwellings. There is a board with some facts. The best part though was there was a wonderful, very friendly Park Ranger stationed at the top to answer any questions and to talk about the Well and surroundings if interested. She also told us of the hidden path to actually go down onto the well. We were there around 3pm, on a Monday and there were no crowds at all. A must see!

Montezuma Castle, which, continuing Arizona's naming tradition, was neither built by Montezuma nor…read moreis it actually a castle. This incredible cliff dwelling was built by the Sinagua people more than 800 years ago and somehow manages to look both ancient and architecturally impressive at the same time. Tucked high into the limestone cliff, it offered protection from weather, flooding, and probably the occasional uninvited neighbor dropping by at dinner time. It's amazing to think families lived here, raised children here, and climbed up and down ladders every day. Suddenly carrying groceries up a flight of stairs doesn't seem quite so bad.

Well this is a great spot to be, The last residents , the Hopi, were here 700-900 years ago and…read morebuilt this cave like fortification with a river below. Accessible only by ladder and contained many rooms. i never heard the estimate of dwellers but i would guess 100 plus. the last tourists allowed in were in 1950. So you can only view from the trail. But you can see a lot of detail. Stone by Stone, water, food, everything up the ladders. Amazing.

We had such a blast on this trail today. It's an unpaved road but our Mazda CX9 handled it well…read morejust taking it slow!! What a cool little gem, these ruins in Sedona!! It was surreal seeing the hieroglyphics from so long ago!! This was our favorite activity this week, would love to come back!!

The tour guide Tom was amazing. He was knowledgeable and friendly. His wife was so friendly and…read morepersonable.

Greetings everyone! This was an amazing trip! Cant wait to go back! The rocks were truly beautiful,…read moreand the GNGXCVKQP was absolutely exhilarating! It was such a fun trip.

Recommend: Hiking boots, sun screen, backpack for water bottle, and long pants…read more Park and ride shuttle parking lot filled up before 10AM. Go early if you are a morning person. This will help to finish the hike before noon. If you are not a morning person, download the Sedona shuttle app, follow the shuttle into the lot for a parking spot. The trail up to the cathedral rock can be narrow and steep at some sections. Going up is more difficult than coming down based on our experience. The view at the top - spectacular!

This is a neat national monument - expect to spend 1-2 hours here exploring the visitor center and…read morewalking up to the pueblo structure. The visitor center has a lot of artifacts and information about the history of the area and how it was excavated, as well as how the name came to be. It's a Tonto Apache term for "crooked waters," from nearby Pecks Lake. There's also a gift shop with the usual assortment of NPS offerings. Out off to the side of the visitor center is a paved pathway to the 2- to 3-story pueblo. You can even climb up to the top of a reconstructed room to view the area. It's impressive in size - Tuzigoot is the largest and best preserved of the many Sinagua pueblo structures. There was a volunteer out in the structure to answer any questions one may have - very nice touch. I saw a deer wandering out in the marsh vegetation and a lot of birds flying around.

Tuzigoot is a cool National Monument near Sedona! You see the ruins from over 900 years ago. It's…read morereally cool to see how they built places for survival. I would recommend a tour for more information if you can get one. I just walked around and explored, but would have gotten more history with a guide. There is a small gift shop and museum to check out as well. If you are there around lunch time, there are picnic benches available to sit on if it's not too hot! Overall, it's a great stop if you like history!

We struck... copper! Well, not exactly enough to retire, but enough to make me feel like a seasoned…read moreprospector for about 15 minutes. Gold King Mine is packed with old mining equipment, vintage buildings, rusty relics, and just enough organized chaos to keep you wandering from one fascinating discovery to the next. It's like walking through an outdoor museum where every corner has another story to tell. My favorite part? Panning for copper! There's something oddly satisfying about swirling the pan and watching those shiny little pieces appear. Turns out treasure hunting is a lot more fun than I expected... even if my fortune still fits in the palm of my hand

What a wonderful experience we had here 'by accident'.. we were literally killing time until a…read moredinner reservation and stumbled into this place. It's perfect. Rustic, old fashioned, bordering on unsafe, and perfect as it should be. 100% get the satchel of dirt and take a lesson on panning for gold.. it seemed 'juvenile' for my wife & I but we TOTALLY enjoyed it and were laughing with the lady teaching us. And walked away with $2million in panned gold!!! (Jk )

Red Rock State park was the passport to our Sedona adventure. I didn't realize there was such an…read moreextensive trail system. On my list now is to figure out how to stitch all these trails together and come back and do a mega hike. Please come and create your own adventure.

We took the whole family out to Red Rock State Park, and it ended up being one of the most balanced…read moredays we've had out here. Not overwhelming, not chaotic, just... right. If you've spent time around Sedona, you know how quickly things can feel crowded and overrun. This place is the opposite. It feels more intentional, more preserved. You're still surrounded by those iconic red rock formations, but here they're framed by open meadows, clusters of trees, and the steady presence of Oak Creek winding through the park. We set out as a group, a mix of adults and kids, and found trails that worked for everyone. That's the beauty of this place. You don't have to be chasing a summit to enjoy it. The trails are well-marked, manageable, and still interesting enough to keep you engaged. You're moving through changing terrain the whole time. One minute you're walking through sunlit grass, the next you're tucked into shade near the water, then you turn a corner and the red rock rises up again like it's been waiting for you. The creek pulls you in. There's something about moving water in the desert that makes you slow down without realizing it. We stopped more than once just to sit for a minute, let the kids explore a bit, listen to the sound of it moving over rock. No rush, no pressure to keep pushing forward. Wildlife shows up if you're paying attention. Birds moving through the trees, the occasional lizard darting across the trail, subtle signs that this isn't just a scenic backdrop, it's a living system doing its thing. What stood out most was the pace. This isn't a place that demands anything from you. It lets you take it in at your own speed. Some of us pushed a little farther down the trail, others hung back and soaked it in. Nobody felt like they were missing out. It's also one of those rare parks that feels curated without feeling artificial. You can tell it's cared for. Trails are maintained, signage is clear, and there's a quiet respect for the environment that seems to carry over to the people visiting. By the time we looped back, nobody was checking the time. That's usually a sign you picked the right place. If Sedona at its busiest feels like a spectacle, this feels like a conversation. Same landscape, different tone. And sometimes that's exactly what you want.

Today's adventure took us to the Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site, where we discovered that people…read morehave apparently been leaving messages on rocks long before Facebook, Instagram, or questionable TikTok dance trends. These ancient artists carved their stories into stone, and unlike my photos, their work has survived for centuries without needing cloud storage or a software update. The hike was short, the views were spectacular, and the petroglyphs were fascinating. Standing there looking at markings created hundreds of years ago really makes you wonder what they meant... a hunting story? A map? Ancient Yelp reviews? "Water nearby. Scenery: . Would carve again."

The Crane petroglyph site is an amazing location in central Arizona, a little bit off the beaten…read morepath, but well worth it! Approximately 3 miles from the highway, the roads are very passable, if not the monsoon season - .4 mile trail from parking lot to the site, a visit is well worth it! Make sure you stop by the visitor center to sign in and say Hi, they have wonderful air-conditioning on a hot day...

Actually just visited this spot yesterday, it was really neat. Definitely a hidden gem in Sedona,…read morecan't wait till that restaurant is built out. We took some great pics, and like they said, you really cant get that particular angle of that mountain peak anywhere. Best of all, there was no charge to visit, shopping center was really enjoyable too, definitely stop in on your next trip to Sedona.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED…read more It is a delightful place, friendly to strangers and very picturesque. Transports you to the Wild West in all it's glory. The drive through Sedona and the mountains to this Town is an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life. Majestic. Grand. Magnificent. My God the beauty of this Region is mind-blowing. You'll need nerves of steel driving down the mountains. COME HERE! You can thank me later!

We enjoyed visiting downtown Cottonwood's art galleries, and antique shops and eating at the Merkin…read moreVineyard.