If you are looking for Sedona real estate where you can spend your time year-round enjoying nature, take your pick. Since we are surrounded by National Forest land,
going for a hike is a simple matter of walking out the door for most of us. A few minutes in a car will get you to some of the most varied and scenic trails in the world and that’s not an exaggeration. In a twenty minute hike from my home in the Village of Oak Creek, I can be sitting on top of my favorite “secret” rock formation surveying an incredible panoramic scene without a person in sight, even on a busy weekend. Twenty minutes by car will get me to the trail head of my favorite wet forest trek, the West Fork of Oak Creek or to the breathtakingly beautiful and sacred Boynton Canyon. For quick respite to bask in the sun, listen to the sounds of the river, and visit an ancient Indian ruin, a short bike or car ride will take us to picture post card, Red Rock Crossing.
Trout Fishing in Oak Creek is popular and there are number of lakes within considerably less than an hour’s drive of town. The slower moving Verde River also offers boating and a variety of fishing.
The plethora of trails and sandstone creek beds make the area a mountain biker’s heaven. There are at least three first rate bike shops who will rent you bikes and supply you with maps and advice. For those who enjoy exploring the back country on four wheels, there are a number of jeep tour companies that take you on scenic, if bone jarring, rides in restricted areas as well as to a number of ancient ruins. Early morning balloon rides provide a spectacularly different perspective of the red rocks as do helicopter and single engine plane rides.
Living here has introduced me to the joys of bird watching whether I’m out hiking or just looking out the window as I work at my computer. At the moment I am distracted a bit by a covey of goofy Gambel Quail, a brilliant scarlet Cardinal, and a couple of Curved-billed Thrashers chomping seeds on our deck. With over 500 species, Arizona trails only Texas and California as a top birding region in North America.
Golfers can play year-round on the three courses in the Village of Oak Creek at Oak Creek Country Club, Canyon Mesa Country Club, and the newest, Sedona Golf Resort, billed as one of the top ten public course in the country. Relatively close to Sedona are the Beaver Creek Country Club in Lake Montezuma and the brand new Verde Santa Fe Country Club between Sedona and Cottonwood. The best golf in the area is clearly to be found at the new Seven Canyon Resort. It’s a private club with a very pricey initiation fee centered on a nationally renown Tom Weiskopf course. Check out our recently updated Golf page for more information.
Tennis courts abound with a number of public courts, two racquet clubs, and the Enchantment Resort which originally started out as a Gardiner’s Tennis Ranch.
Having moved here from Colorado, I was a bit condescending about the seemingly absurd idea of downhill skiing in Arizona. I was very pleasantly surprised by my first visit to the Snowbowl, an hour or so away near Flagstaff. Decent sized area, challenging runs, plenty of snow, and excellent conditions. The high country around us also provides plenty of opportunity for cross country skiing among the pines and aspen without having to contend with snowmobilers.