Sedona Parks and Heritage Sites
Being able to view beautiful sunrises and sunsets is one of the reasons to stay multiple nights in Sedona. In addition to all that you can do and see in Sedona which is surrounded by 7 wilderness areas, Sedona is lucky to have many parks and attractions that you can visit using Sedona as a hub.
Especially if you love being outdoors with big open space or if you are interested in the Native American culture and local history, you may want to consider adding couple more nights to stay in Sedona! Did you know that there are 2 National Parks, 6 National Monuments, 1 National Recreation Area, 7 Arizona State Parks, and numerous Native American Tribal Parks and heritage sites within 200-mile radius from Sedona?
According to archeologists, the Sinagua (meaning “without water”) lived in the Sedona Verde Valley area from around 600AD to 1400AD. There are many heritage sites to learn and feel the Sinagua culture in the area, and they are all surrounded by colorful landscapes. Arizona is currently home to 22 Native American tribes. The Navajo Nation, the largest Native American reservation in the US is to Sedona’s north, and the Yavapai Apache Nation is the closest Native American reservation to Sedona.
If you love wide open space where you can learn the Native American culture and history or interact with them, here are the parks that you may want to add to your itinerary. These are also dream destinations for photographers to capture amazing colors of the unique landscapes.
Tribal Parks
- Antelope Canyon (164 miles / 2 hrs 59 min)
- Antelope Point Marina (166 miles / 3 hrs)
- Monument Valley (204 miles / 3 hrs 34 min)
National Monuments
- Montezuma Castle National Monument and Montezuma Well (27.9 miles/41 min)
- Tuzigoot National Monument (19.9 miles/28 min)
- Walnut Canyon National Monument (39 miles/55 min)
- Wupatki National Monument (75.6 miles/1 hr 40 min)
- Tonto National Monument (140 miles / 2 hrs 45 min)
National Forest Heritage Sites
- V-bar-V Heritage Site (19 miles / 34 min)
- Palatki Heritage Site (15.6 miles / 34 min)
- Honanki Heritage Site (18 miles / 44 min)
To view and feel the history of this planet Earth, there are more places to visit from Sedona. Here are the must-visit attractions to experience the great outdoors and beautiful landscapes.
National Parks
- Grand Canyon National Park (112 miles / 2 hrs 6 min)
- Petrified Forest National Park (146 miles / 2 hrs 26 min)
National Recreation Areas
Glenn Canyon National Recreation Area (166 miles / 2 hrs 57 min)
State Parks
- Slide Rock State Park (9.2 miles / 19 min)
- Red Rock State Park (7.2 miles / 15 min)
- Dead Horse Ranch State Park (18.4 miles / 25 min)
- Verde River Greenway State Natural Area (19.6 miles / 29 min)
If you are interested in more recent history of the region, you may be interested in the following State Parks and museums.
State Parks
- Fort Verde State Historic Park (29 miles / 45 min)
- Jerome State Historic Park (25.6 miles / 40 min)
- Riordan Mansion State Historic Park (31 miles / 51 min)
Museums
- Sedona Heritage Museum (3 miles / 8 min)
- Clemenceau Heritage Museum (17.8 miles / 25 min)
- Clarkdale Historical Society and Museum (20.8 miles / 30 min)
- Museum of Northern Arizona (34.7 miles / 59 min)
In 1964, the U.S. Congress passed the Wilderness Act. Areas that are designated as “wilderness” are protected forever from both development and motor vehicles. There are seven wilderness areas around Sedona. Visitors and residents are able to enjoy the colorful cliffs, soaring rock formations, pinyon-juniper forests, rich riparian areas, various fauna and flora. Many of Sedona’s popular hiking trails are in these wilderness areas. Naturally these areas are some of the most heavily visited in the Nation. Please do not forget to Leave No Trace when you travel through these areas.
Here are the Wilderness Areas near Sedona.
- Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness
- Sycamore Canyon Wilderness
- Munds Mountain Wilderness
- Wet Beaver Creek Wilderness
- West Clear Creek Wilderness
- Fossil Springs Wilderness
- Woodchute Wilderness
To incorporate these amazing attractions in the area, please view our sample itineraries here.