We went on the Pink Jeep tour several years ago and did not think it was too rough. We were in our fifties at the time. We went on one of the first tours of the morning and we were the only people on the tour so we had a private tour. We loved Sedona and would love to do another Pink Jeep tour if we ever return.

I think you could just drive around and do your own tour.

Does the tour mention where they take you? Is this like the Pink Jeep Tour that goes over to Broken Arrow?

I would just stop at the visitors center near the Y and get some maps and info. They are very helpful.

I would encourage you to hike. You get great red rock views and you would all have a great time. The hikes are not difficult and the red rock view from the trails are amazing.

We took the Pink Jeep Tour since it was so highly rated but I think that since we had hiked I was somewhat disappointed. My kids would have liked it. You definitely want to get on a trail and if you don't hike, you would probably want to do the jeep tour

Look at www.hikearizona.com for some hiking suggestions. We really enjoyed Doe Mountain--when you get to the top(it's a mesa),walk to the edges of the mesa for great views. Brins Mesa is beautiful hike with scenic expansive views. We were on some trails that were not really well marked. You need to follow the cairns(piles of rocks to help direct hikers) that hikers have set up--some are even caged. Pick up a map at the visitors center to find the trailheads.

You would also enjoy lunch on the patio at the Enchantment Resort. You can hike Boynton Canyon--there is a vortex there, eat lunch and then head down the street to hike Doe Mountain. The drive out to the Enchantment on Dry Creek Rd. is beautiful. You can stop at Red Rock Crossing on your way back.

If it's warm enough for swimming, families seem to enjoy Slide Rock State Park. Take water shoes. We were there in the winter so didn't visit.

We totally enjoyed Sedona but the town is a disappointment. Great hiking tough and great scenery.

Thanks nlg and LindainOhio
The reason I was looking at Red Rock Tours is because we would have control over where we went and the type of terrain. We would like to hike also so I appreciate the trail suggestions.
LindainOhio, what is the difficulty of the trails you mentioned? Length of hike?

What do you know about the location of Best Western Arroyo Roble? I know it's in or near town -- is it congested or will we still have good views?

Thanks!

P.S. What kind of shoes should we bring for easy to moderate hiking? Do we all need hiking boots or will gym/running shoes be sufficient?

Hi Julie:

I'm jealous that you're going to Sedona, DW & I just love it there.

I would agree with LindainOhio in that if you are fit enough to hike you may find it much more rewarding than a jeep tour. Here is a website I found very useful for hiking:

http://www.greatsedonahikes.com/

Hiking shoes are useful, though not essential, because the trails can be rocky, and good hiking shoes do help to keep your feet from getting sore. I like Merrell shoes the best, but I think Keen is pretty good too. Merrells seem to be cut wider, which is better for me. But plenty of people hike with just running shoes, so I wouldn't worry about it too much.

These are a few of our favorites:

Cathedral Rock
Brin's Mesa
Devil's Bridge
Coffee Pot Rock / Sugarloaf

There are lots more that we haven't done. It's so beautiful there, just make sure you get out and hike.

Also, the sunset at Airport Mesa is amazing.

Thanks, smetz. Don't really want to outfit 5 of us in hiking boots...although I have keens sandals which are pretty good for easy hiking.
Any thoughts on the Best Western Arroyo Roble? Good location? Deciding between that and Sky Ranch Lodge and are thinking we might want a few amenities with 3 older kids.

I didn't see the Best Western when I was there, so I can't comment, though I know it get's very high marks on reviews. I did notice Sky Ranch Lodge when we went up to Airport Mesa for the sunset. Nothing too fancy, but the location is very nice, almost on top of the mesa. With kids, though, the amenities may come in very handy. And the other thing to keep in mind is that when you're out and around in Sedona, the views are all around you, all the time. So having a view where you stay is not necessary.

Thanks, smetz...good point about the views being all around. I'm thinking the Best Western which includes full breakfast might just be the way to go.
Anything else we should do or see other than the hiking?

I was in Sedona 5 years ago.

The town itself was nothing more than t-short store, art galleries and restaurants that close at 9PM.

However, the surrounding Red Rocks are amazing. So if you just go to visit the town, I wouldn't.

Unless things have changed, Pink Jeep and the National Park Service maintain the Broken Arrow tour road jointly so only Pink Jeep was permitted to use it. I hiked it and was ammused by the people on the tours that passed me.

The view of Cathedral rock over Oak Creek from the Crescent Moon picnic area is the absolute best sunset sight in or near the town. I went there one evening and the next evening I went to the Mesa Airport. There's a reason Sedona used the Picnic Area photo on there promo literature. Absolutely beautiful.

You can go to the site Julie mentions above for a selection of Sedona area hikes.

My favorites were:
Boynton Canyon Vista.
This is a Vortex sight. Not the full and boring Boynton Canyon hike. The Vista is a detour near the start of the full hike.

Devil's Bridge
Bell Rock area
Broken Arrow

I did a few more but don't remember them all.

I stayed at the BW Inn of Sedona. It had been newly renovated. It's near the "Y" and right across the main road that leads up to the airport. The place is up a short hill so you don't have road noise. The main level is the top level and it goes down from there. Some of the rooms (I had one of them) have two doors. One door goes out into the parking lot and the other goes out to a large shared patio directly facing Chimney Rock. Fantastic view. That was 5 years ago so I don't know what it's like now.

You can see my photos at:
www.travelwalks.com

Select the 2007 hike that includes Sedona.

I have never taken the Jeep tours but see them often when I am hiking in Sedona. The drivers like to do daredevil turns, go up steep embankments and the passengers scream a lot, not my idea of fun. A private Jeep might be the way to go for your family.

I am also considering Sedona in March. We will have about a week and also want to spend some time in Saguaro National Park. About how much time would spend in each?

Thanks HappyTrvlr....an honest opinion is appreciated! It sounds a bit like a roller coaster ride which is definitely not my cup of tea! I'm waiting for a response from Red Rock re a private jeep ride/tour in addition to some of our own hiking.

I agree with HappyTrvlr,

The Pink Jeeps that passed me were terrorizing the passengers. But they were still having a good time.

Another nod to HappyTrvlr. When we hiked Devil's Bridge, we drove to the closest parking area before hiking about a mile to a mile & a half to get to the bridge. The road to get there to the parking lot was about the rockiest I've ever been on, and we probably averaged under 5mph. As we were driving back out after the hike, a pink jeep tour was coming in, moving much faster than I ever would. I don't know about being scared, but the passengers were getting whipped around like dolls, and it didn't look like a lot of fun. If you can't hike, it's probably the best way to get out into the really scenic areas, but renting your own 4WD and going out for hikes is, IMO, the best way to go.

smetz...sounds like a motion sickness nightmare to me! I'm aiming for driving on our own to hiking spots. How was the Devil's Bridge hike? Easy? Moderate?

I would say Devil's Bridge was moderate, same with Brin's Mesa. Cathedral Rock is difficult, but less so if you start from the paved parking lot specifically for Cathedral Rock. We started from a parking area on the opposite side of the rock, off of Verde Valley School Road. It's a much longer hike that goes along Oak Creek, then up out of that canyon, around Cathedral Rock, and the up the face of the Rock. If you start from the paved parking lot, you only do the last part (which is pretty steep and involves some scrambling).

The Coffee Pot Rock trail, which is right in town off of Coffee Pot Road, is easy and has excellent views. Then if you are in the mood for a little more huffing and puffing while on that hike you can go up Sugarloaf Mountain (not much more than a big hill really), which I'd say is moderate.

Not sure where you're from, but if you have any warm weather while you're out there, be sure to take a good amount of water when you hike. Especially if you do a moderate or difficult hike on a hot day, it's very surprising how much water your body loses, and so easy to under-estimate what you need.

The Pink Jeep Tours - particularly the Broken Arrow - are great fun and are an experience in themselves - as they are meant to be. They go over steep and large boulders and take you to some great viewing spots with amazing vistas.

They are not meant to be a substitute for hiking, or even for driving on your own, and the put downs on this thread are silly, especially from people who have not taken one. They may not be everyone's cup of tea but they are what they are, and I think the negatives are exaggerated.

I did the pink jeep and enjoyed it and did not get whipped around or terrorized, nor did I scream a lot. I just had a good time.

I also did lots of hiking in different areas of Sedona and drove there on my own. The Boynton Canyon area, which has several options, was my favorite. I saw people hiking in sneakers but I was very glad to have my hiking boots. In the very least, good hiking shoes are useful on the rocks.

I was underwhelmed by the sunset from the airport area.

smetz, we are from the midwest. I've heard from many about the need for a lot of water. Thanks for reminding again! The Coffee Pot Rock Trail sounds like a good starting point.
panecott, thanks for your ideas. I think I'll show the Pink Jeep videos to my family and let each of them decide.

I have also done the pink jeep tour and I highly recommend!

I agree with Panecott. We also did the Pink Jeep trip and it was very fun and I would do it again. Our daughter was 11 at the time and she loved it too. No terror involved.

I was just about to suggest the website greatsedonahikes, but I see that smetz has done so. We used it, and found it very useful.

The main thing about Sedona (unless you're into the vortex thing) is getting out and seeing the views. The town is just a bunch of t-shirt and souvenir shops.

I remember passing by and noting that the location of the BW Arroyo Roble is fantastic -- make sure you are on the "rocks" side, rather than the road-side. The views should be spectacular!

I do recommend breakfast at The Coffee Pot.

To Isabel -- Saguaro National Park (east and west branches) is in Tucson --- a 4 hour drive from Sedona. Stick o Sedona.

Julie1958 -- I would question you taking a Red Rock tour that you can customize. How do you know where you want to go?

The Pink Jeep tours are great. We have done Broken Arrow 4 or 5 times (highly recommend), Diamondback Gulch once (I would not recommend this one -- it is really rough), and Scenic Rims once (I would also recommend this one, but not as highly as Broken Arrow). In addition to seeing the red rocks on the tours, the guides provide a wealth of information on the geaology of the area and the flora and fauna. So very worthwhile to do.

If you haven't made your hotel reservations yet I can tell you that he Best Western Arroyo Roble was great! (My family of four, including two adult children, just stayed there a couple of weeks ago.) We rented a 2-story townhouse complete with living room, kitchen, and ….halleluiah….washer and dryer. They prepared a hearty buffet breakfast for their guests (included in the price). We loved it there! Enjoy your trip! PS We decided not to take the pink jeep tour and drive around ourselves. The view is wonderful from the Chapel of the Holy Cross.

thanks, music tub. we do have a reservation at BWAR. We have a villa also since there are 5 of us. I'm leaning toward BWAR over Sky Ranch Lodge mainly because we would have more space and I do like the breakfast included. Thanks everyone for your ideas!

MikePin, They say the customize tours are based on your interests and thrill level...I guess they tell you what is possible?!

Julie,
You are getting quite opposite opinions of the Pink Jeep tours.

Why don't you hike Broken Arrow (I did that) and no doubt you'll see Pink Jeeps passing you.

Then, if you like what you see go on it the next day.

If you want a hike that's the most amount of scenery for the shortest amount of time and only some effort do the Boynton Canyon Vista. It's a short detour very near the start of the full Boynton canyon hike.

I remember Devil's Bridge. The road to the trailhead is an adventure. Full of ruts and VERY rocky. The hike itself was ok.

At the end there are some very steep rock stairs to the top of the bridge. I started to go up but my camera was smacking against the rocks in front of me so I decided against it.

If you want a tour and also want Broken Arrow it will have to be Pink Jeep. They maintain that road together with the National Park Service so they have exclusive rights.

Also, if you happened to have a Senior or Annual National Park Pass it's good for parking in the trail parking lots as they are on national forest land.

When you buy your pass at the entrance to one of the parks ask them for as hang tag. You place your pass backwards in the tag so that the number shows and hang it from the mirror.

I had Sky Ranch Lodge booked because of the view.I knew it would be tight with four adult family members in one room. We ended up having to change the dates and rooms were not available there. That's when I found the Best Western RA. It worked out great because of all the extra room (washer & dryer! yea!!!)and the better than average breakfast. You won't be disappointed. Have fun!