Sedona · With kids
WITH KIDS
A natural waterslide, a flat red-rock path and a hard rule about starting early.
Slide Rock State Park
A natural sandstone chute in Oak Creek that children slide down all summer, in water that stays cold. Arrive at opening; the car park closes when full.
Bell Rock Pathway
Wide, nearly flat and about 3.6 miles end to end, with red rock on both sides and turnarounds throughout. Works for small legs, balance bikes and all-terrain strollers.
Pink Jeep on Broken Arrow
Open-top jeeps down slickrock ledges with a guide who knows exactly how frightening to make it. Minimum ages apply; roughly two hours.
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
Thirty minutes south at Camp Verde, with a safari bus through zebra and giraffe paddocks and big-cat feeding shows. Half a day, ages three and up.
Heat and monsoon storms
Summer afternoons pass 100°F, so hike at dawn. From July to September monsoon storms bring flash floods — stay out of Oak Creek and the slot canyons when rain threatens.