Your Sedona CME conference.

Sedona after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Sedona time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing near your study setting: a gentle walk on the Bell Rock Pathway, a look at the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which is built into the red rocks, or an early dinner at Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village. Leave time for getting there and for trailhead parking.

Travel, accommodation and attraction admission are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests; the red rock country is simply the setting you choose for it.

Trails within reach

Visit Sedona lists the Bell Rock Pathway, Margs Draw and Herkenham and Centennial among lower-intensity trails, and Mund’s Wagon, Wilson Mountain, Bear Mountain and Brin’s Mesa among longer, harder ones. Popular places such as Devil’s Bridge can be crowded, and the Sedona Shuttle is suggested as a way to avoid traffic.

You may need a Red Rock Pass to hike in Red Rock Country, though not every trailhead requires one. You do not need a pass to park for shops, galleries or restaurants. Check for flooding, road and trail closures before you set out, as the tourism board posts regular advisories.

Creeks, parks and a village for the evening

Oak Creek flows through Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona, where spires of red rock sit beside fringes of green forest. Apple picking at Slide Rock State Park runs September through October, weather permitting. Slide Rock State Park, a 43-acre former apple farm in the canyon, is known for its creek slide. Entry is by vehicle and reservations are not available, and seasonal hours apply, so check the park’s page for its current status.

Red Rock State Park is a 286-acre nature preserve with a 5-mile network of interconnecting trail loops and a visitor center. Its page currently reports it closed because of flood damage, so confirm before you plan around it.

Tlaquepaque sits on the banks of Oak Creek under large sycamore trees and is styled after a traditional Mexican village. It has more than 50 specialty shops and galleries and five restaurants.

Red rock views without a long hike

Visit Sedona recommends Airport Mesa, the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout and Cathedral Rock for views without much elevation change, and notes that golden hour, the last hour before sunset and the first after sunrise, is a good time for photographs. Compare the local sunset time with your 2:00 PM finish when you choose a viewpoint. Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte have trails winding around them in the Oak Creek area.

Crescent Moon Ranch, also called Red Rock Crossing, is a former cattle ranch within Coconino National Forest with views of Cathedral Rock, which rises 1,515 feet above the creek and reflects in the water. It has picnic tables and shaded areas, and its hours vary by season.

The chapel and the visitor center

The Chapel of the Holy Cross is at 780 Chapel Road and closes in the late afternoon. Its page does not mention parking, so call the chapel or the Sedona Visitor Information Center at 331 Forest Road before you go.

Visit Sedona’s pages carry a travel advisory about flooding, road and trail closures, so read it on the morning you head out.

When to visit Sedona

Visit Sedona gives average daily highs of 76 degrees Fahrenheit in spring and 74 in fall, against 95 in summer and 60 in winter. Summer brings monsoon thunderstorms, and temperatures drop noticeably after sunset from October on, so bring a light jacket. Fall color arrives in early November in lower areas, including Sedona. The town sits at 4,500 feet above sea level.

Getting to Sedona and your study setting

Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) is the arrival point shown in this guide. Visit Sedona gives the distance from Phoenix as about 113 miles and roughly 2 hours by road, and lists several airport shuttle providers, including Groome Transportation, the Sedona Shuttle and the Verde Shuttle. Las Vegas is about 278 miles and roughly 5 hours by road. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.