Summer in Sedona is nowhere near as crowded, as busy, as people-y as it can be in the winter, which makes the idea of spending your summer vacation in our red rock town an excellent one. The weather is close to perfect, the sun will be shining, and even on those days when the mercury rises a little high, the nights will be cool, crisp, and inviting and our Sedona.Org retreats offer all the ways to celebrate the season. Summer is THE season to visit, and this guide to the top things to do in Sedona in Summer will help you play, relax, and fall in love with the beauty and wonder that this part of Arizona has to offer!
Slide Rock State Park, 6781 AZ-89A
Long before Slide Rock State Park was even a glimmer in our state planner’s eyes, before the area was ranch land and an apple orchard, the waters that rush over the state’s longest natural waterslide were a swimming hole for the ones that lived here. Staying cool in a world without air conditioning, providing entertainment in a world where fun was rare, people have been “riding the slide” on hot summer days, and you have to think when a spot has been popular for hundreds of years, there must be something magical there. Today, the ranch and apple orchards are gone, but the waters still flow strong over the limestone (that is what the “slide” is made of) and although there is a fee, (currently in the summer months, it costs $30 per car for up to 4 people) if you didn’t visit, you would definitely be missing out on one of Sedona’s most fun summer activities!
Find Peace, Spirituality, and Air Conditioning at Chapel of the Holy Cross, 780 Chapel Road
You have probably already figured out that air conditioning is your best friend no matter where you travel to in the summer, and although you will only need it in the daylight hours, it is still perhaps the best invention, and Chapel of the Holy Cross can help you take a break from the heat. Built into the rocks and offering views of the Sedona countryside, the chapel is a still active one, but everyone is welcome to step inside and savor chilled air, stunning views, and the peaceful ambiance that permeates the space. There is also a shaded walking path outside the chapel, taking guests to one of our area’s most powerful vortexes, one that emits a serene and spiritual vibe, perhaps sharing its vibration with the chapel perched high on the rocks.
Take a Tour of Sedona with Pink Jeep Tours, 204 N AZ-89A
The best way to get to know the area you are visiting is by signing up for local tours, and the best and most fun way to explore the Sedona countryside in the summertime is by signing up for a jeep tour. There are many wonderful jeep tour companies in the area, but Pink Jeep Tours is the original, taking guests out to the vortexes, the canyons, the creek that runs through town and telling the stories of our land in a manner that is both educational and entertaining. Taking the magic off road, it is a bumpy but fun ride, their Broken Arrow two-hour tour is one that takes you around, over, and atop the red rocks you have been dreaming about for years. The Twilight Broken Arrow Tour is a little shorter, lasting just 1.5 hours, but it celebrates the sunset and the way the red rocks glow under its shine.
Walk in the Footsteps of the Ancients with a Tour of the Palatki Heritage Site, 877-444-6777
The Sinagua people left behind both a mystery and a beautiful peek into their lives and Palatki Heritage Site is the best place to walk in their footsteps. Tours are available in the morning hours only in the summer months, the last tour goes out at 11AM Wednesday through Saturday, offering knowledgeable guides that will explain the stories being told as you explore their ancient cliff dwellings and admire the rock art, pictographs and petroglyphs that adorn the walls of this archeological site. You will need to make a reservation, which can be done by calling ahead, and although the warm days of summer limit many intrepid explorers, there are only 14 people allowed in each tour, so you may want to sign up before you even leave your home state!
Shopping at Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, 336 AZ-179
There are plenty of places to shop for art and souvenirs during your Sedona adventures, but perhaps the shopping center with the most dramatic impact is the Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. Built in the 1970s (not back during the Sinagua times, even though it may look that way!), the stucco walls that surround the village “hide” a beautiful secret. Offering art galleries, restaurants, souvenir shops, and even a Christmas store that is open year round, Tlaquepaque is our happy place and we’re betting you it will become yours as well!
Road Trips to Adventure
We are going to venture out a bit further in this next section, but never fear, we will always come back to Sedona and your stunning Sedona.Org sanctuary. It’s just that the towns that surround our town are vibrant and thriving villages that offer their own activities to make summer even grander than it already is and if you don’t explore while you’re here, you will always regret it!
Verde Valley Wine Trail with Elevated Sedona Wine Tours, Various locations
It is true that the Verde Valley Wine Trail is a year-round adventure, but it is still something wonderful to do in the summer, making it time for a road trip to explore the towns, and the wineries, that have become an integral part of our Arizona experience. We do suggest, however, that you sign up for a wine tour offered by Elevated Sedona Wine Tours, enabling you to sip and savor all you want, while someone else does the planning and the driving. The climate controlled van will pick you up at the front door of your lodgings, take you from tasting to tasting, and then dropping you back off at the end of the tour.
Grape Train Escape, Saturday Nights June Through September, The Verde Canyon Railroad in Clarkdale
The town of Clarkdale is home to three lovely wineries and should be on your Elevated Sedona Wine Tour, but for this trip, it’s going to be all about the Verde Canyon Railroad and their Grape Train Escape nights. Offering a wine tasting, charcuterie board, and a scenic ride through the Verde Valley, this tour is only available in the summer months, but they do offer other events, or the standard ride into the valley, year-round. The Verde Canyon Railroad’s original purpose was to transport miners and their families back and forth, but after the mines closed, instead of shutting down forever, it soon morphed into what it is today, a historic train that celebrates the beauty of the Arizona scenery, often with wine and treats! The depot that you will leave from offers a gift shop and a small museum for those interested in learning more about the trains and their history.
Jerome Ghost Tours, 403 Clark Street B-7 in Jerome
The town of Jerome, located just 24 miles away from Sedona, came seriously close to becoming a ghost town and may have disappeared forever if the artists hadn’t discovered its magic. Today, the town, once known for its mines, serves as a colorful and thriving artist’s colony of sorts, offering art galleries, shops, and wonderful restaurants in buildings that have history. Also known for the spirits that linger, Jerome Ghost Tours, each lasting an hour and taking guests to the areas of town known to be most haunted, we really think spending an afternoon and evening in town and then coming home to Sedona.Org will be another exciting summer activity you will wish never had to end! Don’t forget to enjoy a lunch or dinner at the Haunted Hamburger, an iconic Jerome experience.
Montezuma Castle National Monument, Montezuma Castle Road in Camp Verde
These activities we have listed here can obviously be enjoyed during any month of the year, but there is a special charm involved with engaging in them during the summer months, and Montezuma Castle National Monument especially, makes us happy. Offering another peek into the past, the cliff dwellings of the Sinagua people are carved out of limestone cliffs and as you enjoy the parklike setting that wanders in a loop, passing by Beaver Creek, and providing a serene vibe, we can assure you that you won’t mind the 30-minute drive to get there. The visitor center offers a wonderful exhibition that tells the story of those that lived, worked, and love in the cliffs and it still boggles our minds, all these years later, that anyone could live in these primitive structures, no matter how beautiful they look.
4th of July in Sedona, Posse Park & Cottonwood
The holidays are exciting in Sedona and although we don’t celebrate our nation’s birthday with fireworks, we do offer a fun festival that will help you stay cool as the temperatures rise. Costing nothing, the Sedona Summer Fest occurs at the pool at Posse Park, offering swimming, music, food trucks and more from noon until 4 PM. Because we are a dark sky community (remember we eschew light pollution) we don’t offer fireworks, but you will have plenty of time to drive to Cottonwood, located just 15 miles away, which IS offering a fireworks show, the grand finale to their Fantastic Family 4th of July. Their celebration doesn’t start until 4, and it offers free food, inflatables, a VFW Patriot Salute, a flyover of fighter planes from Luke AFB, and of course, the big booms you are seeking. Also offering kid’s activities and vendors selling everything from art to zebras, this all-American celebration is a Sedona favorite.
Let’s Take the Adventures Home
As you explore Sedona and the surrounding towns during your sensational summer vacation, you are truly going to have a vacation experience that will linger in your heart forever more and some of your favorite summer adventures may be the cozy ones you enjoy in our air conditioned retreats. Below we have listed a few of our favorite things to do in Sedona in Summer, and remember, many of these are activities you can enjoy year-round, so be sure to come back and explore during the cooler months of the year!
Hot Sun, Cool Waters
A private pool is perhaps going to be your favorite summer amenity, offering the opportunity to stay chill no matter what the thermometer reads. Many of our stand alone homes and quite a few of our condo communities will provide this amenity, and even though it is summer and warm in the daylight, you will greatly appreciate the hot tubs when the sun falls behind the red rocks. This second water adventure is popular no matter when you visit and after hikes, travel, or long rides on the pink jeeps, your muscles will thank you for the respite.
Home Theaters and Game Rooms
Although it doesn’t rain that much during the summer months, on the nights it does, holing up in our home theater rooms, snuggling under colorful throws with beverage and popcorn in hand may become your favorite memory. The game rooms, equipped with any combination of game tables, arcade games, and video game consoles, also provide more ways to play and relax during your fantastic summer escape to red rock country!
Reserve your Favorite Summer Sanctuary Today!
Every day is a new adventure in comfort, style, and fun when you choose Sedona.Org for your vacation accommodations, and when your seasonal journey brings you to our doorstep, we can promise that you will not regret your choice! Reserve your favorite seasonal retreat today.
