If Sedona is basecamp, the Verde Valley is everything within arm’s reach. Verde Valley day trips are the easiest way to stretch a Sedona visit, or a Sedona life, past the red rocks and into the small towns, wineries, and canyons that surround them. Most of these spots are twenty to forty-five minutes from Uptown, which means you can knock out a full day trip and still be back for dinner. Here is how a local would spend that day.
Why Verde Valley Day Trips Are Worth the Drive
Sedona sits at about 4,350 feet inside the Verde Valley, and that position is the whole point. Within a short drive you go from red rock canyon country to a historic mining town perched on a mountainside, to wine country along a spring-fed creek, to a river town with a walkable Old Town district. Few places pack that much variety into such a small radius. Verde Valley day trips work whether you have one afternoon free or a full week to explore, and they give visitors a much fuller picture of the region than Uptown alone ever will.
Jerome: The Ghost Town on Mingus Mountain
Jerome is the day trip most people ask about first, and for good reason. This former copper mining town clings to the side of Mingus Mountain, with narrow switchback streets, old brick buildings, and views that stretch across the entire Verde Valley on a clear day.
What to do there
- Wander the galleries and shops along Main Street, most of which are housed in buildings from Jerome’s mining heyday
- Stop at one of the tasting rooms in town if wine is on the agenda
- Take in the valley views from one of the overlooks along the switchbacks
- Grab lunch at a local spot with a patio, since the elevation makes for cooler, breezier dining than down in the valley
The drive up from Sedona takes you through Cottonwood and Clarkdale, so it is easy to combine Jerome with a stop in either town on the same trip.
Cottonwood’s Old Town and the Verde Valley Wine Trail
Cottonwood is about twenty minutes from Sedona and has quietly become one of the best half-day trips in the area. Old Town Cottonwood is walkable, with a strip of tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops housed in early twentieth-century buildings.
Cottonwood is also one of the three stops on the Verde Valley Wine Trail, alongside Cornville and Page Springs. If wine is the theme of your day trip, a natural route looks like this:
A simple wine trail route
- Start in Page Springs, where several tasting rooms sit along the creek
- Continue to Cornville for a couple more stops in a quieter, more rural setting
- Finish in Old Town Cottonwood, where you can walk between tasting rooms and stay for dinner
Because the towns are close together, this route works well as a relaxed, no-rush kind of day, especially if you have a driver or are staying somewhere in Cottonwood or Clarkdale overnight.
What Are the Best Verde Valley Day Trips for Outdoor Lovers?
If hiking and scenery are the priority, the Verde Valley has options beyond the red rock trails right around Sedona.
Oak Creek Canyon
The drive north out of Sedona toward Flagstaff climbs through Oak Creek Canyon, a dramatic, forested canyon that feels completely different from the red rock terrain around town. Slide Rock State Park sits along this route and is a popular stop for cooling off in the creek, especially in the warmer months.
Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock
Both of these formations are technically within Sedona, but they anchor day trips of their own for visitors who want to hike, take photos, or visit two of the four well-known energy vortex sites in the area, along with Airport Mesa and Boynton Canyon.
Camp Verde and the lower valley
South of Sedona, Camp Verde offers a change of pace and a look at the more rural, ranching side of the Verde Valley. It is a good stop if you are continuing further south toward the Phoenix metro area, since Sedona is roughly two hours north of Phoenix.
Planning a Verde Valley Day Trip From Sedona
The good news about Verde Valley day trips is that almost nothing requires an early start or a long haul. A few things to keep in mind when planning:
- Cottonwood and Clarkdale are both about twenty minutes from Sedona, making them the easiest add-ons to any day
- Jerome adds curvy mountain driving, so budget extra time and go slow on the switchbacks
- Summer afternoons bring the monsoon season, typically in July and August, so an earlier start helps you avoid afternoon storms in the higher elevations
- Sedona is about forty-five minutes south of Flagstaff, so a Flagstaff stop can bookend a trip up through Oak Creek Canyon
Most of these towns are small enough that you will not need a strict itinerary. Pick one or two anchors, like Jerome and Cottonwood, or the wine trail towns, and let the rest of the day fill in.
Combining Multiple Towns in One Trip
Because Cottonwood, Clarkdale, and Jerome sit so close together, they are easy to string into a single loop. A common version starts in Sedona, heads to Cottonwood for coffee and a walk through Old Town, continues to Clarkdale, then climbs up to Jerome for the afternoon before heading back down through Cottonwood for dinner or one more wine stop. It is a full day, but not a rushed one, and it covers mining history, small-town charm, and wine country without much backtracking.
Final Thoughts on Verde Valley Day Trips
Part of what makes living in or visiting Sedona so good is that the town is just one piece of a much bigger area. Verde Valley day trips give you access to mountain views in Jerome, walkable wine tasting in Cottonwood, canyon scenery along Oak Creek, and the quieter ranch country around Camp Verde, all within a short drive of the red rocks. Whether you have one afternoon or several days to explore, the Verde Valley rewards anyone willing to get off Highway 89A and see what is just around the bend.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best day trip from Sedona in the Verde Valley?
Jerome is one of the most popular, thanks to its historic mining town setting on Mingus Mountain and sweeping views of the Verde Valley. Cottonwood’s Old Town and the Verde Valley Wine Trail are close seconds for a more relaxed pace.
How far is Cottonwood from Sedona?
Cottonwood is about twenty minutes from Sedona, making it one of the easiest and most popular day trip destinations in the Verde Valley.
Can you visit Jerome and Cottonwood in the same day?
Yes, since Jerome and Cottonwood are both close to Sedona and to each other, they are commonly combined into a single day trip, often with a stop in Clarkdale along the way.
What towns make up the Verde Valley Wine Trail?
The Verde Valley Wine Trail runs through Page Springs, Cornville, and Old Town Cottonwood, with multiple tasting rooms spread across the three areas.
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