Sedona is one of those places that I’m sure you’ve heard of before. If not, let me enlighten you—it’s beautiful. It’s probably one of the most beautiful places you’ll see. As you enter the area you see wonderful smelling mesquite trees along the beautiful red, dirt hills. The hills turn into cliffs with spires and arches all around you. If you aren’t able to hike, no worries, there are plenty of places to view these sights from the comfort of your own car (or a jeep tour). You could even just stroll through town and be greeted at every turn by the imposing, red wonders.

The town of Sedona is a bit funny to me. It’s full of some of the best views in the world that attract the wealthiest along with the day-to-day travelers more like me. In town you’ll see amazing mansions, high end shops and restaurants, and everything to invite a tourist to stay. Surrounding that are numerous hikes to immerse you in the views, and just outside that are many places to camp, even for free! I loved wandering through the forest of Mesquite along the hills where we camped.

It was nice that so many hikes in Sedona are dog friendly. Unfortunately, most national parks are not. I understand why and respect it, of course, but I love when I get to take my “little” fluff butt along. We did end up bringing Shiloh along on several of our adventures, but there were hikes where it would be just too much scrambling for our sweet, old pup. Really, it was difficult for the very few dogs we did encounter along the way. Some paths ended with a sign saying “end of maintained trail.” That meant that you may continue, but the path would not be as clear or smooth. Really, it meant that there was a scramble ahead. If we brought Shiloh on a hike like that, we would take her as far as we could then we would take turns waiting with her while the other continued on to see what was just ahead. “Scramble” hiking has become one of my favorite things because it led to so many amazing views like the ones I loved most in Sedona.

We stayed only a short time in Sedona, but boy did we make the most out of our two day visit! We did two hikes each day and each came out with a different favorite.

Ty’s favorite was a hike that led us up to the top of a small mountain. Again, it had some scrambles up, but the main attraction was the plateau and view at the top. Everywhere you looked you had a new view around the rocky, red land.

My favorite hike was the last we did in the area. It started as a leisurely stroll through a canyon on a smooth path that crossed a creek several times. At the end, however, it had one of those signs saying “end of maintained trail.” You guessed right, scramble hiking ahead. The views were beautiful and I wouldn’t mind going back without Shiloh so Ty and I could have wandered together further in and further up. Shiloh did pretty good on a side fork leading to a natural arch, though! Though, she did get a little help once or twice.

If you have the chance to visit Sedona, I’d definitely say to do it. It’s a beautiful place with views and hikes for all abilities. Go and appreciate the beauty God made. :)