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7 Most Instagrammable Spots in Sedona, Arizona
Sedona's red sandstone formations, set against the pine forest of Arizona's Verde Valley, have made it one of the American Southwest's most photographed small towns.
Sep 25, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Sedona sits roughly two hours north of Phoenix in Arizona's Verde Valley, where red and orange sandstone buttes rise abruptly out of pine and juniper forest. The formations are the main draw, but a scattering of trailheads, a hilltop chapel and one striking arch have turned the town into a genuine circuit for photographers, most of it reachable without technical hiking.
1. Cathedral Rock
Sedona's signature formation, a cluster of sandstone spires best photographed from the Red Rock Crossing area on Oak Creek, where the rock reflects in the water on calm mornings.
2. Bell Rock
A dome-shaped butte just off Highway 179 with an easy, mostly flat approach trail, Bell Rock is one of the more accessible formations for a close-up shot without a serious hike.
3. Chapel of the Holy Cross
Built into the red rock in 1956, this small Catholic chapel is set directly into a sandstone cliff face south of town, with a glass front wall framing the surrounding buttes.
4. Airport Mesa
A short climb near Sedona's small municipal airport gives one of the widest panoramic views over the town and its red rock formations, particularly at sunrise and sunset.
5. Devil's Bridge
Sedona's largest natural sandstone arch, reached by a moderate trail that gets busy by mid-morning; the arch itself, with its narrow span and sheer drop, is the area's most recognisable single frame.
6. Slide Rock State Park
Set in Oak Creek Canyon north of town, this state park centres on a natural rock waterslide in the creek, framed by red canyon walls and orchard terraces.
7. Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village
A Spanish colonial-style arts complex built in the 1970s, with courtyards, fountains, sycamore trees and ironwork balconies that give it a distinctly different, more architectural character from the surrounding red rock scenery.
Traveller tips
- A Red Rock Pass or National Forest day pass is required for parking at most trailheads, including Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and Devil's Bridge.
- Sunrise and sunset bring out the red rock's colour most strongly; midday light tends to look flat.
- Devil's Bridge and Cathedral Rock trailheads fill their car parks early on weekends; arriving before 9am is advisable.
- Sedona airport (Phoenix Sky Harbor is the nearest major international airport, roughly two hours' drive south) has no scheduled commercial passenger service.
Where this is
Sedona, Arizona