Sedona Options

I see that Guy posted a great photo of Sedona. I'm headed down there for a week, mostly as a family vacation since I just returned from a photography trip. I am however planning on getting out to shoot a number of mornings or evenings. Can anyone suggest some good locations in the Sedona, AZ area for photography? I will also be spending a little time on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Anywhere there that I should particularly pay attention to?

Upstream from Red Rock Crossing would be good-look for reflections in rain pockets.

At Sedona, yes, Red Rock Crossing is practically a must - and, think about getting your feet wet there, too, with your camera, for a really great perspective.

At the South Rim, for an easy, quiet hike, where you'll likely either have the spot all to yourself or you'll be there with other people who enjoy the quiet, then try going to Shoshone Point. It's not marked on the maps; you'll either have to ask a ranger at the Info Center or email me directly, and I'll send directions.

Tim!
Tim@TimMulholland.com

As far as Sedona goes....I'd recommend picking up the book Sedona Hikes for a good reference on the day hiking in the area. The aforementioned Red Rock Crossing is a great late day spot, but the cottonwoods will be losing their leaves soon and that'll take away a bit from that. There's also some great overlooks along the Red Rock Loop leading to the crossing. If you get a nice evening (with an interesting sky), there's some nice panos to be had. If Schnebly Hill Road is open, that is a great road to explore in the morning. High clearance is recommended for that. It's hard to go wrong with any of the hikes, especially when its your first time there. I've enjoyed photographing along the Sugarloaf loop and Soldiers Pass trail in past trips. Slide Rock State Park (up in Oak Creek Canyon) is probably your best location for shooting Oak Creek at this time of year. The summer crowds will be non-existent during the cool winter mornings and you'll get some nice red rock glow on the water.

I'll echo everything Guy said, and add a bit (I live in Sedona). Schnebly *should* be open, and it is indeed a very beautiful drive around late afternoon. Fall is mostly over, but you can find patches of color here and there. I haven't been down, but I imagine the lower elevation of the Verde has caused fall to come a bit later than here - you may find some great color still to be had. Red Rock Loop is nice, but expect to have the city in your photos - it's really everywhere at this point.

West Fork is always a beautiful hike, however, the color there is far gone at this point, as it sits at about 6500 feet. Still, worth it. Slide rock has some great little cascades (hard to come by on Oak Creek). Get there early, no people, beautiful glow. I'd also recommend Dry Creek Road in the Secret Mountain Wilderness - again, high clearance or you'll move VERY slowly. Devil's Bridge is out there, as well as Vultee Arch, and 5-6 canyons. There are several waterfalls and cascades at and north of Grasshopper point - however, you'll have to wade the creek and route find - no 'trails' in that area.

Make sure you stop by the Red Rock ranger station and pick up either a weekly pass, or 'Grand Annual' pass. 40$ for the latter, and you'll never spend another dime for trailhead parking, or area access. Also, if you have an Annual National Parks pass, it works as a 'Red Rock Pass', however, you'll still have to pay for access to numerous sites (West Fork, Grasshopper, North parking lot of the Crossing, etc).

Any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer.

At the South Rim I would suggest Hopi Point for sunset and Yavapai Point for sunrise. If you walk east of the museum there's junipers and pinyon pines for some foreground interest. Mather Point is good at sunrise but it was a little crowded when I was there. I'd have to say my favorite was Lipan Point on the East Rim. I had the place to myself for hours in the early morning. The Colorado River makes a S curve below.

In Sedona the Red Rock Loop is nice with a different view of Cathedral Rock. It's been awhile since I've been to Sedona but I remember some nice views on Airport Road. About 1/2 mile up is a small pullout on the left. There's another parking lot up there that has great views of the area. If your looking for a place to eat the Airport Restaurant at the end of Airport Road had very good food.

Thanks for all the great ideas! I can't wait to check them out in person!