Thinking of visiting Sedona but not entirely sure? Get to know the Arizona city a little better first. Although it has amazing natural beauty that attracts millions of tourists throughout the year, Sedona is also a spiritual place with a rich cultural history.
While Sedona is home to well-known attractions like Tlaquepaque, Red Rock State Park, and several Verde Valley wineries, it’s not much fun to travel around the inspiring city without seeing more than just the average tourist.
Here are 12 interesting facts about Sedona that will have you planning your next vacation here.
1. The city of Sedona was named after the wife of its first postmaster in the early 20th century.
2. Sedona receives an average of 330 days of sunshine per year. That’s more than Florida, the Sunshine State.
3. Sedona looks amazing when it snows. The red rock formations are dusted with majestic white.
4. There are more national parks and monuments in Arizona than in any other state, and Sedona is close to most of them.
5. Sedona has a rich Native American history. Archaeologists have found countless evidence of Paleoindians who were the first known humans to encounter the Sedona region. Around 650 AD, Sinagua settled and prospered for several hundred years before leaving the land for unknown reasons.
6. There’s only one McDonald’s in the world with turquoise arches instead of the iconic golden arches, and it’s in Sedona. The signature yellow clashed with the natural colors of Sedona’s beautiful landscape.
7. Sedona was a movie hotspot from the 1940s to the 1970s. Classic movies like Apache and Billy the Kid, as well as over sixty other films, were made in the area.
8. In 2012, the comedy-drama film Sedona was the first feature film shot entirely in Sedona since the 1970s. The film’s cast includes Frances Fisher, Seth Peterson, and Barry Corbin.
9. Sedona is known for its spiritual vortices. A vortex is a spiraling, funnel-shaped energy that can emanate a positive force, giving you an uplifting feeling days after you’ve left the site.
10. The Sedona canyon walls exhibit nine layers of stone. They date back to different geological periods and span millions of years. top layer
11. The famous red color of the rocks comes from iron oxide (rust) that has stained the formation over a long period of time.
12. Sedona is a tourist hub with four million people visiting the city each year. Its population is only a little over 10,000.