When is the Best Time to Visit Sedona? Your Detailed Guide

Sedona is an outdoor lover’s paradise – you can admire the beautiful red rock formations all around town, and you could spend weeks exploring the seemingly numberless trails.

Beyond the trails, Sedona is a very cute city, with a charming downtown filled with local boutiques and restaurants and an interesting art scene.

Because of this, Sedona has become a very popular destination with a lot of visitors coming to enjoy the town’s offerings. As such, large crowds can be a big problem, depending on when you visit.

Additionally, Sedona’s location in a high elevation in Arizona means that they can experience both extremely high temperatures in summer and fairly chilly conditions in winter.

So you can see that there are many factors to consider when visiting Sedona.

In this guide, we’re going to do a month-by-month breakdown to highlight some of the top considerations for each part of the year.

When to Visit Sedona: Month by Month

December + January + February

December, January, and February are great months to visit Sedona. These months tend to have the lowest crowds (outside of the Christmas holidays), and you’ll have many trails to yourself and shouldn’t need to fight for parking spots or encounter traffic jams.

Temperatures are, of course, the chilliest in the winter months, and because Sedona sits at over 4000 feet in elevation, it can occasionally get snow during winter. Seeing the red rocks dusted with snow is a highlight for winter visitors!

Generally, highs during winter are between 50-60°F, and lows are between 20-40°F, making for cold mornings but ideal daytime hiking weather.

These are also the cheapest months for hotels and airfare, with hotel prices often 30-50% less expensive than high season.

As far as events go, the biggest event is the Sedona Half Marathon, which takes place in early February.

March + April

March and April are by far the busiest months of the year in Sedona, thanks to the pleasant spring temperatures, and spring break vacations. Expect full parking lots and trailheads, lots of people on the trails, busy restaurants, and insane traffic jams.

Seriously, the traffic in Sedona during the spring rush can be terrible, with cars backed up and crawling for miles during the daytime hours.

Additionally, hotels are the most expensive during March and April, and do sell out. Book well ahead of time if you plan on visiting during these months.

The good news? The weather in springtime in Sedona is gorgeous. March sees highs in the 50-60°F range and lows around 30-40°F, and April has highs in the 70’s°F and lows in the 40’s°F. Of course, the weather warms up the later you come to Sedona.

Because of the very high crowds during springtime, I would highly recommend avoiding traveling during these months. If you plan to come during spring, book your hotel early, get to the trailheads as early as possible (around sunrise), and try to avoid driving through Sedona during the afternoon/early evening hours especially.

May

May is shoulder season in Sedona, and in my opinion, is one of the best months to visit. You’ll have nice, warm temperatures and lower crowds than March and April (though not as low as winter).

Temperatures increase dramatically throughout the month of May, with highs ranging from 70-90°F and lows between 40-50°F.

Traffic generally isn’t terrible, and though some of the most popular trails can have busy parking lots and trailheads during the middle of the day, it’s still overall very manageable.

>>Read Next: How to Spend 5 Days Hiking in Sedona

June + July + August

The summer months see lower crowds in Sedona, as temperatures get quite warm. Highs range from 90-100°F, with lows staying around 50-60°F.

The other big weather consideration in summer is monsoon season, which brings heavy afternoon rainstorms. These can cause flash flooding in canyons, so be sure to check the weather reports when planning your hikes.

These hot temperatures mean that the rivers and creeks around Sedona feel *excellent*, and spots like Slide Rock State Park, West Fork Oak Creek, and the Crack at Wet Beaver Creek are popular places to cool down on a hot afternoon.

Summer tends to see lower crowds than spring or fall, but not quite as low as winter, and hotel prices do drop in the summertime.

If you do choose to hike in the summer, plan to do your biggest hikes around sunrise and sunset, when the temperatures are much more moderate. You can spend hot afternoon summers:

• Going on an off-roading jeep tour
• Exploring the shops in town
• Relaxing at your hotel pool
• Hanging out by a creek
• Visiting the world-famous Chapel of the Holy Cross
• Enjoying scenic drives like Edge of the World
• Doing some of Sedona’s best short and easy hikes

September + October

September and October marks a secondary high season in Sedona, with crowds swelling with the lessening temperatures. Fall tends to be less crowded than spring, but can still be quite busy.

Highs at the beginning of September hover in the 80s°F, dipping into the 60s°F by the end of October. Average lows stay around 40-50°F throughout the season, making this a very pleasant time to be outdoors.

Hotel prices jump up again in fall, so plan to book ahead as early as possible for the best deals and availability.

Wine lovers will enjoy that vineyard harvest season is in September. Local vineyards are celebrated in the Sedona Winefest, which generally occurs towards the end of September.

November

November is another shoulder season, with pleasant but sometimes chilly temperatures, lower crowds (outside of holiday weekends), and lower prices. Highs are between 50-60°F, with lows between 30-40°F.

How to Beat Crowds

If you’re visiting Sedona during the high season and want to do a lot of hiking, your best bet to beat the crowds is to wake up early and hike the most popular trails right around sunrise.

This strategy is good for trails like Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock and the Courthouse Loop, Boynton Canyon to the Subway Cave, Devil’s Bridge, and Soldier Pass.

After that, consider hiking a more off-the-beaten-path trail – such as Fay Canyon, Doe Mountain, or Keyhole Cave.

Where to Stay in Sedona

These are my top 3 picks for beautiful hotels in great locations in Sedona:

• Enchantment Resort – A luxurious property nestled among the Sedona mountains
• Matterhorn Inn – Beautiful views and in the heart of the shops of Uptown Sedona
• Sedona Springs Resort – A budget-friendly option in the middle of West Sedona

Best Time to Visit Sedona – The Wrap Up

To summarize:

• Winter is the best time for the lowest crowds and cheapest prices
• Spring is the best time if that is the ONLY time you can go (spring is also the worst time to visit Sedona)
• May and November are great shoulder seasons with nice weather and medium crowds
• Summer is good for lower crowds and spending time by the water
• Fall is a nice time for beautiful weather, but comes with higher crowds

But really, Sedona is a wonderful destination, and no matter when you visit, you’ll be absolutely enchanted by the gorgeous red rocks that surround the city. I’ve hiked extensively through Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, and Sedona holds a special place in my heart!