Sedona is a great base, and some of the best things about it are just outside town. Within an hour’s drive you’ll find a mining town clinging to a mountainside, a cliff dwelling built into a limestone wall, a train through a roadless canyon and a cool mountain city under the San Francisco Peaks.
Fall is the best time to take these Sedona day trips. The heat is gone, the crowds thin after the summer, and the cottonwoods along the rivers turn gold. Here are five worth planning a day around, with honest drive times, costs and the best time to go.
1. Jerome: A Mining Town on the Side of a Mountain
Drive: about 45 minutes via State Route 89A through Cottonwood and Clarkdale. Time needed: half a day.
Jerome sits more than 5,000 feet up on Cleopatra Hill, and it looks like it might slide off at any moment. In the 1920s this copper town had about 15,000 residents. When the last mine closed in 1953, the population dropped to around 50. Today about 450 people live there, and the town is full of galleries, tasting rooms and old buildings that have been lovingly reused.
What to do: walk the switchback streets, stop by Jerome State Historic Park for the mining history, and have lunch somewhere with a view across the Verde Valley. On a clear day you can see Sedona’s red rocks from town.
Fall tip: Jerome is cooler than Sedona, so bring a layer. The final climb on 89A is steep and winding, so take it slowly.
2. Verde Canyon Railroad: The Best Fall Color Trip Nearby
Drive: about 40 minutes to Clarkdale. Time needed: about 5 hours with the ride.
This is the day trip to book if you want fall color without hiking. The train makes a four-hour, 40-mile round trip from Clarkdale through a canyon you can’t see from any road. The route follows the Verde River past red cliffs, over trestles and through a tunnel, with open-air viewing cars for photos.
Fall tip: the railroad runs Fall Colors tours, and cottonwood color along the river often peaks from late October into early November. Tickets sell out, so book ahead.
3. Montezuma Castle: A Cliff Dwelling You Can Walk Right Up To
Drive: about 40 minutes south via State Route 179 and I-17. Time needed: 1 to 2 hours.
Montezuma Castle is a 20-room cliff dwelling built by the Sinagua people high in a limestone cliff. An easy, paved one-third-mile trail takes you beneath it through a grove of Arizona sycamores along Beaver Creek. It’s one of the easiest short outings in the area, and one of the most impressive.
Cost: $10 per person for everyone 16 and older. Your pass also covers nearby Tuzigoot National Monument.
Fall tip: add nearby Montezuma Well, a limestone sinkhole fed by springs, if you have extra time. The sycamores along the trail turn gold in late fall. The monument is closed on Thanksgiving Day.
4. Page Springs Wine Country: The Easiest Afternoon Out
Drive: about 25 minutes. Time needed: an afternoon.
The Verde Valley has its own wine trail, and the closest cluster of wineries sits along Oak Creek near Cornville. Several tasting rooms have patios under old trees beside the creek, which is exactly where you want to be on a warm fall afternoon.
Fall tip: harvest season makes this a lively time to visit. Plan a designated driver, since the roads out there are narrow and dark after sunset.
5. Flagstaff Through Oak Creek Canyon: The Scenic Drive
Drive: about 1 hour via State Route 89A. Time needed: a full day.
The drive itself is the highlight. Route 89A follows Oak Creek up through one of the prettiest canyons in Arizona, then climbs a series of switchbacks to the pine forest. Flagstaff sits at about 7,000 feet, with a lively downtown and the historic Lowell Observatory. West Fork Trail, the canyon’s famous fall hike, is closed this season after the Pocket Fire, so plan to enjoy the color from the road and pullouts.
Fall tip: the aspens around Flagstaff usually turn in late September and early October, while Oak Creek Canyon’s color comes later, from mid-October. Late in the season, check the forecast. Flagstaff can get snow in November when Sedona is still sunny.
Sedona Day Trips at a Glance
| Day trip | Drive from Sedona | Time needed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jerome | ~45 min | Half day | History, shops, views |
| Verde Canyon Railroad | ~40 min | ~5 hours | Fall color without hiking |
| Montezuma Castle | ~40 min | 1 to 2 hours | An easy, impressive short outing |
| Page Springs wineries | ~25 min | An afternoon | A relaxed, slow day |
| Flagstaff via Oak Creek | ~1 hour | Full day | Scenic driving, cooler air |
Good pairings: Jerome and Tuzigoot make a full day, since they’re both near Clarkdale. Montezuma Castle and the Page Springs wineries work well together on the way back into town.
Tips for Any Fall Day Trip
- Start earlier than you think. Sunsets come quickly by late October, around 5:45 p.m.
- Pack layers. Jerome and Flagstaff can be 10 to 20 degrees cooler than Sedona.
- Keep time zones in mind. Arizona doesn’t change its clocks in November, which matters if you have tours booked.
- Don’t try to do two big trips in one day. One trip and a relaxed evening is the better plan.
If you’re heading farther, our guide to how far Sedona is from the Grand Canyon covers the drive and where to stop.
Come Back to an Easy Evening
Day trips are best when the home base makes the mornings easy and the evenings calm. GreenTree Inn puts you close to Route 89A, which makes Jerome, Clarkdale and Oak Creek Canyon simple to reach. Start the day with breakfast before you head out, and come back to free parking and a quiet room. If you’re traveling with friends or family, you can book rooms together so everyone starts the day from the same place.
