Spring Break is here and many families find themselves itching to escape the mundane and experience an ultimate getaway —even if it is just to get away from the weather. The Southwest’s answer is a Sedona escape to 75-degree bliss, offering all the fun a family could want, with amenities against a backdrop unlike any other. Sedona may be known for its rugged red-rock terrain and dreamy colorful skies, but its family-friendly environment and activities are what keeps visitors coming back year after year.
When it comes time to unwind and vacation as a family, the vast desert oasis provides the makings of an unforgettable adventure for families to connect with each other and with nature. Whether it’s biking, hiking, camping, Segway tours, water sliding, ballooning, off-road jeep riding, golf, horseback riding, railroad tours or picnics on the banks of Oak Creek, Sedona is versed in the ways to delight both young and experienced. For little tikes, there are Sunset and Posse Grounds parks, equipped with playground equipment, swings and barbecue grills. For older children and teens, there’s the Sedona Skate Park, municipal tennis courts, miniature golf, four-wheeling, a trout farm and fish hatchery. For those that are just young at heart, there are these options and so much more.
In the city, visitors can bask in the sunshine with these five unique, fun and edge-of-your-seat adventures, which are sure to thrill visitors of all ages.
Horseplay Holiday
Horseback riding in Sedona has a country style all its own. At local ranches M Diamond Ranch, Horsin’ Around Adventures, and Blazin’ M Ranch, visitors can meet real cowboys and enjoy horseback rides, chuck-wagon dinners, wrangle lessons, cowboy cookouts and stagecoach rides. When night falls, families can cuddle up around the fire, listen to ghost stories and roast some marshmallows.
Walk on the Wild Side
Make Sedona your family’s hub and take a quick drive north to Williams or west to Camp Verde to interact with exotic animals and northern Arizona species of all types. Out of Africa offers Safari tours, its local favorite “Tiger Splash,” a reptile show and most recently, the “Predator Zip Line” over the giant predator enclosures. Guests can also make the trek to Bearizona, northern Arizona’s drive-through animal preserve. Park goers can get up-close and personal with bison, Arctic and grey wolves, black bears, big horn sheep and mountain goats
Shred the Red
Many know Sedona has hiking trails of all levels, but some may be shocked to find that most 
trails are also accessible with mountain bikes. More than 200 miles of trails offer beginner to extreme routes, with stunning views at every angle. With the knowledgeable staff at Over the Edge, Sedona Bike & Bean and Absolute Bikes, Sedona will have families zipping through the trails in no time.
Roadside Recreation
There are over 1.8 million acres of stunning red-rock country, ideal for a kindred off-road excursion. Renting a Jeep, Tom Car or ATV is the perfect option for families who like to live life on the edge and experience new places with a sense of adventure. Whether in a four-seater Tom Car and Jeep or a two-seater ATV, all three rides will give all passengers a lively bounce around the red rock outback.
Creek-side Charm
The fresh waters of Oak Creek gently flow right through town and many visitors enjoy the oasis offerings at Slide Rock State Park and at Red Rock State Park as early as March despite its chilled waters. This Spring Break, families can check out local hot-spot favorites Grasshopper Point and Chavez Crossing for popular watering holes, with sandy shores and shallow entry areas. The destinations also provide out-of-this-world, wide-open spaces for picnicking and lounging in the sunshine.
