One day in Sedona

[austinboothphoto]

<p>I will be visiting Arizona for 4 days a week from now. I am going with my girlfriend and the trip is mainly a visiting trip to see her grandma who is not doing well. However, on Friday(9/18) we will spend one day in Sedona which is about an hour from where her grandma lives. I hear the back country jeep trails are the most scenic areas but unfortunately we will only be traveling by passenger car and we can't really afford one of the Jeep tours this trip. We are willing to do a short 30 minute to an hour hike to get to any viewpoints(we would do a longer one if it weren't for the heat). I am going to attempt to be there for both sunrise and sunset to maximize my potential for the right light during both magic hours as I mostly shoot landscapes. So if you only had one day in Sedona and were traveling by passenger car where would be the places you would go? Is there anything worth shooting during the day or should I just take a break and try and stay out of the heat at that time? What about wildlife? I do have the Canon 100-400mm lens so I may be interested in shooting some wildlife during the day if there are any good recommendations on places near Sedona for that. Thank you, I really appreciate any suggestions you guys can offer me.</p>

[simon_bygdell]

<p>NYTimes has already done the homework for you.<br>

http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/02/11/travel/11hours.html</p>

<p>I was planning on visiting Sedona for it's famous night sky tours, this Labour day weekend but might postpone it till Thanksgiving. Good luck with your trip and hope your girlfriend's grandma gets better soon.</p>

[William Kahn]

<p>There are so many good hikes in the Red Rocks area that it's hard to pick one, especially with your time limit. However, I don't think the heat will be too bad by then, but always carry plenty of water, regardless. For passenger car tours, Highway 89A through Oak Creek Canyon, and/Highway 179 would be good. There are also some side roads off of 89A between Sedona and Cottonwood that are worth checking. Here's a link to some info on hiking trails:</p>

<p><a href="http://www.greatsedonahikes.com/">http://www.greatsedonahikes.com/</a></p>

<p>But, if there's any way you can afford it, a Jeep tour up Schnebly Hill Road would be perfect. The only problem with Jeep tours is that they may not always stop where you want them to for shots. Maybe you can borrow a high-clearance, 4WD vehicle from a friend or relative (but don't tell him where you're going!)</p>

[SCL]

<p>Not to belabor a point, almost anywhere you go will give you opportunities for incredible shots...but I remember taking the evening jeep trip which wound its way up to a ranch above Sedona looking down which was absolutely breathtaking. Oak Creek canyon in gorgeous, but very different from the main formations in Sedona proper. The Schnebly Hill drive takes you to some large colorful formations which you can climb around to take shots which appeal to you. Boynton Canyon, when I was there, was private property of several homeowners and the Enchantment Lodge, and has some wonderful shooting sites as well. Like I said, you will be hard pressed to select, because as the day goes by and the colors and shadows shift, there is something to shoot everywhere. Have a great time, and plan to go back at a later date and catch up on what you couldn't begin to encompass on your one day there.</p>

[Ed_Ingold]

<p>You will need to purchase a Redrock Park pass, which must be displayed in your windshield, even if you merely pull off the road and leave your car. This pass helps pay for maintenance and improvements to the park. You can get a pass for free if you have a National Park or Golden Eagle pass. I got my pass at at the Visitor's Center in the middle of town. I'm sure there's other places too.</p>

[William Kahn]

<p>I think they have visitor pass kiosks at most, if not all trailhead parking areas.</p>

[frank uhlig]

<p>If I only had one day in Sedona, I would sleep off my travel weariness. There is five days and nights worth seeing in Sedona, just open your window, door, eyes ... : limitless beauty. </p>

<p>One must learn to budget to see places like that for a week, no less. So enjoy catching up on your sleep. You must have been overtired when you made these arrangements, sounds like Paris for one night, Venice in one afternoon, New York City in the morning: absolutely senseless travel consumption. Horrid is the feeling that these wonders of the world will leave you with, I am afraid.</p>

<p>Can you at least leave your camera behind somewhere before you even get there? Then (cameraless) you might actually enjoy strolling down through red rock country. </p>

[austinboothphoto]

<p>Frank...I realize there is no way I can fully appreciate the beauty of Sedona in one day but thats what I am stuck with. I would never plan a trip which was strictly for photography to an area like this for just one day. Photography isn't the reason I am going to Arizona, its a visiting trip. However, as a photographer being in Arizona for 4 days so close to Sedona I would feel cheated out of an opportunity to take photos of a beautiful place. One day was all I was able to convince my traveling companion and I am very grateful for it because the reason we are going in the first place was to visit with her grandma. I'm sure I will go back with a different agenda some day and a lot more time to fully appreciate the area but for now all I have is 24 hours to make the best of it so I plan on trying to experience the very best of it that I can in the limited time I have there. Leaving my camera behind would be a stupid idea, I don't exactly have a photographic memory so I would curse myself for months if I got to witness an incredible sunset over Cathedral Rock with no camera to record it and help me remember how beautiful it was.</p>

[justthings]

<p>You are visiting your companion's grandmother who lives an hour away - perhaps there are other areas closer or handier to there that will give some awesome scenery as well and you can have less stress and still see some nice areas. I live in Phoenix and if you're in the Phoenix area while visiting I'd recommend exploring the South Mountains park here - lots of easily accessible hiking trails, some very nice scenery to be had and lots and lots of cactus. There are also the Papago Buttes which are home to the Desert Botanical Garden and the Phoenix Zoo. I understand your desire to go see Sedona, but you could end up just badly teased and left frustrated =).</p><div></div>

[austinboothphoto]

<p>So this is the Itinerary I've made so far. I'm open to suggestions so please let me know what you think.<br>

<br /><strong> 1st stop</strong> - West Fork Trail. Hopefully it won't be too crowded as its past labor day now so there won't be quite as many tourists because kids are back in school and we will be there on a weekday morning.</p>

<p><strong>2nd stop</strong> - Slide Rock State Park. Time to cool off after that 3 mile hike we just did. Maybe there are some worthwhile photo ops here too?</p>

<p><strong>3rd stop</strong> - The town of Sedona. My girlfriend likes to look at little shops so this is for her so the whole day isn't just about me taking photos.</p>

<p><strong>4th stop</strong> - undecided and whether or not this stop happens depends on how much time we have until sunset.</p>

<p><strong>5th stop</strong> - Red Rock Crossing. Time to get that iconic shot of Cathedral Rock. I know, I know a million people have done this shot before but I want my chance at it too, maybe I'll find a way to be more creative with it and make it unique in one way or another.</p>

<p>Well thats my plan for Friday. Depending on how much time all of this takes I do still need some suggestions for other areas to explore that are accessible by car or a short hike so that I can kill some time before sunset. I may also attempt to get some star trails in the evening. I have one more stop to make in the morning...</p>

<p><strong>6th stop</strong> - I am planning on getting up for sunrise before we leave Saturday morning but haven't decided where to go yet. I'd like a sweeping panoramic vista if there are any good ones which are easily accessible by passenger car and won't require me to hike too far in the dark before the sun rises. I was thinking of heading north to the Oak Creek Canyon Viewpoint which I originally planned on doing friday morning to start things off but that would have meant I would have had to leave for Sedona around 4:00am to get the full sunrise show. It looks like a great view of Oak Creek Canyon but doesn't have views of the red rock buttes which I would like to shoot if possible. So if anyone has any suggestions for an easily accessible panoramic view of the red rocks around sedona please share your knowledge with me otherwise I'll probably just do the Oak Creek Canyon Viewpoint. Thank you.</p>

[hernan_enriquez]

<p>Thank you for this thread! I will be there the 21st for three days, have never been and my son says the views are spectacular from anywhere! I did not know about the park pass so thank you very much. Have a great time Austin and I wish a promp recovery to Grandma!</p>

[michaeljlawson]

<p>It won't fit into your current itinerary, but if you ever find yourself back in the northern portion of AZ, a trip just across the Utah border to Lake Powell is worth some time. I was just there all last week. It's about a 3 hour drive from Sedona (also requires the National Park Pass).</p><div></div>

[doug_dolde]

<p>

 

<p>I have quite a few Sedona shooting spots mapped in my book Western Dreams:<br>

http://douglasdolde.com/wd_book.html</p>

 

</p>

[hiking_sedona]

<p>Yep, there are many great hikes that surrounds Sedona area. You may get a lot of information about hiking trails in Sedona at <a href="http://www.thehikehouse.com/home">The Hike House</a> website</p>