What you didn’t know about Sedona, Arizona.
Hidden beneath Sedona’s iconic red rock beauty is a geological, cultural, and energetic story far older and more complex than most travelers ever imagine.
Those towering formations, Cathedral Rock, Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, and the deep canyons that cut the valley, were shaped over millions of years as ancient seas rose and disappeared, leaving behind sandstone layers rich with iron that oxidized into the deep, burning red color Sedona is famous for. The region sits at the edge of the Colorado Plateau, where uplift and erosion carved dramatic mesas, spires, and cliffs that continue to shift and weather with every storm, season, and temperature swing. Sedona’s creeks, especially Oak Creek, support some of Arizona’s most unusual riparian ecosystems, home to trout, migratory birds, cottonwoods, sycamores, and shaded microclimates that create dramatic contrast to the surrounding high-desert terrain. Beyond geology, Sedona is also a place of profound cultural history. Long before it became a wellness destination, it was home to Indigenous peoples, including the Sinagua, whose cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and trading routes still echo in the canyons and alcoves. Many travelers don’t realize that Sedona’s famed “energy vortexes” stem from a mix of Indigenous reverence for the land and the area’s unique geomagnetic properties, which some believe amplify emotional grounding and clarity. Whether or not you subscribe to the spiritual reputation, it’s hard to deny the palpable stillness and hum you feel on high overlooks or along red rock trails at sunrise. Sedona isn’t just photogenic, it’s layered, ancient, resonant, and shaped by forces that long preceded human presence.
Five fascinations about Sedona.
5. Sedona’s red rocks get their color from iron.
The iconic hue comes from millions of years of iron oxide oxidizing in the sandstone, basically, the rocks are rusted, and gloriously so.
4. It’s one of the only places with natural energy vortexes.
Sedona’s famous vortex sites are believed to be centers of powerful energy, drawing visitors for meditation, healing, and spiritual awakening.
3. It’s a designated Dark Sky Community.
You’ll see the Milky Way with stunning clarity here, thanks to Sedona’s strict light pollution rules and community-wide dedication to stargazing.
2. Movies have been filmed here since the 1920s.
Over 100 Hollywood films, including Westerns and sci-fi flicks, have used Sedona’s surreal landscapes as their natural soundstage.
1. The Chapel of the Holy Cross is built into a cliff.
One of Sedona’s most iconic sights, this modernist chapel was literally carved into the red rock, appearing to float above the desert floor.
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