Best Time to Visit Sedona

The best time to visit Sedona is March to May and October to mid-November, when NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals show average highs of 67.5 to 83.7 F in spring and 66.9 to 78.7 F in fall. July averages 96.9 F. We pulled the weather data and read the Forest Service, National Weather Service, Sedona Shuttle and event pages on 15 October 2026.

Sedona by month: temperature, rain and daylight

Note: Temperature and rain are NOAA 1991 to 2020 monthly normals for the Sedona station (USC00027708, named "SEDONA, AZ US"), read from the NCEI data service on 15 Oct 2026. Rain days are the average number of days with 0.01 inch or more. Hot days have a high of 90 F or more, and cold nights a low of 32 F or less. Daylight is sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month in 2026, in Arizona time with no daylight saving, from the US Naval Observatory (aa.usno.navy.mil, read 15 Oct 2026). NOAA's station list puts the station at 34.8611 N, 111.8197 W, at 1,350 meters (about 4,430 feet). The data we pulled had no snow normal for it

These are 30 year averages for one station. A single week can be much hotter, colder or wetter. If you fly into Phoenix, its own normals are in our Phoenix guide, where July averages 106.5 F.

The best time, by plan

• Hiking in comfort: April, October and early November, by our reading. The average highs are 74.7, 78.7 and 66.9 F. March also works if you accept cold mornings, with a low of 39.8 F on average.

• Warm days with few hot days: April and October. They have 0.7 and 2.5 days at 90 F or more.

• Hiking in summer: go at sunrise. Sunrise is at 5:13 a.m. on 15 June. Highs of 94 to 97 F are the average from June to August.

• Mild winter days: December to February have highs of 57.8 to 61.3 F, with nights at or below freezing on 9 to 17 days a month.

• Fall color: October, then into November in the canyon. See below.

The monsoon

Note: The National Weather Service in Flagstaff says the monsoon "officially runs from June 15th to September 30th", and that in northern Arizona moisture "typically does not reach the region until the first week of July". It calls flash flooding "the biggest threat in northern Arizona during the Monsoon season", warns that 12 inches of water can sweep a car off the road, and says never to drive through flood waters. It also warns that no outside location is safe when thunderstorms are near (NWS Flagstaff monsoon page, weather.gov/fgz/monsooninfo, read 15 Oct 2026; the page shows no update date)

In the NOAA table, rain in Sedona rises from 0.16 inches in June to 1.62 in July and 2.04 in August, the wettest month of the year. August has rain on 9.0 days. Check the forecast on the day before any canyon hike or creek visit.

Oak Creek Canyon fall color

Note: The Coconino National Forest says fall color "often begins to appear in late September and peaks throughout the month of October", with trees at higher elevations turning first. Deciduous trees in Oak Creek Canyon, in the Red Rock Ranger District, "continue to display stunning hues well into November". The FAQ says the highest trees usually start around mid-September and the season typically wraps up in late October. The page warns that "parking at popular locations will likely be limited" and to park only in designated areas (Coconino National Forest fall colors page, updated 22 Sep 2026, read 15 Oct 2026)

Note: The same page says the Call of the Canyon picnic site in Oak Creek Canyon is closed because of the Pocket Fire. The forest's alerts page lists a closure of land within 100 feet of the West Fork of Oak Creek, the canyon the West Fork Trail follows, from 26 September to 31 October 2026, because of rockfall and flood debris risk after the Pocket Fire (Forest Order 03-04-00-26-007). Lockett Meadow Road near Flagstaff is closed for maintenance from 14 July to 30 November 2026 (Coconino National Forest alerts, read 15 Oct 2026)

Slide Rock State Park is in Oak Creek Canyon. Arizona State Parks lists $20 a vehicle for 1 to 4 people from 22 August 2026 through April 2027. It is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. from 31 January to 20 November, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from 21 November to 30 January, with last entry an hour before closing (Arizona State Parks, Slide Rock page, read 15 Oct 2026).

The Sedona Shuttle by season

Getting there: The trailhead shuttles run year-round, Thursday to Sunday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. They run daily during spring break, listed as 25 Feb to 25 Apr 2027. The holiday calendar also shows daily service from 19 to 29 Nov 2026 and from 17 to 24 Dec 2026, and service from 26 to 31 Dec. There is no service on Thanksgiving (26 Nov 2026) or on Christmas Day, and the page labels 25 Dec 2026 as a Thursday although it is a Friday. The site lists 928-203-5152 for Sedona Shuttle Connect dispatch (Sedona Shuttle site, read 15 Oct 2026)

If you want the free shuttle to Cathedral Rock, Soldier Pass or Devil's Bridge, plan for Thursday to Sunday. Monday to Wednesday you need to park at the trailhead with a Red Rock Pass. Our things-to-do guide has the lots and the pass prices.

Events with dates

Note: The 33rd Sedona International Film Festival is listed for 20 to 28 February 2027 (sedonafilmfestival.com home page, read 15 Oct 2026)

Note: The Sedona Arts Festival was listed for 10 and 11 October 2026 at Sedona Red Rock High School, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road, with $5 tickets per day. The festival site also shows a notice, with no year, that says "due to the weather the festival is canceled". Its artist call page says applications were open only to 2025 artists "due to the recent weather cancellation", so the notice may be about 2025. The site lists no 2027 dates (sedonaartsfestival.org and its EntryThingy call page, read 15 Oct 2026)

We could not confirm whether the 2026 arts festival went ahead. We did not check other events, ticket sales or hotel rates for these dates.

Crowds and prices

We found no official visitor count by month for Sedona. In our estimate, spring and fall are the busiest, because they have the best weather, and the Forest Service confirms limited parking in fall. Summer weekdays are probably the quietest, because of the heat. This is our reasoning, not a count. We did not check hotel rates, so we give no price bands.

The worst time to visit

For hiking, it is July and August, in our view. The average highs are 96.9 and 94.2 F, the average count of days at 90 F or more is 27.8 and 25.7, and the monsoon peaks, with flash flood risk in the canyons. The NWS names flash flooding as the biggest monsoon threat in northern Arizona. If you must go in summer, hike at sunrise. December and January have mild days but freezing nights on about half the days. This is a view, not an official ranking.

What we checked and what can change

Read on 15 October 2026: NOAA's NCEI 1991 to 2020 monthly normals for the Sedona station (USC00027708); the US Naval Observatory sunrise and sunset service for Sedona at 34.8697 N, 111.7610 W; the National Weather Service Flagstaff monsoon page; the Coconino National Forest fall colors page (updated 22 September 2026); the Coconino National Forest alerts for West Fork and Lockett Meadow Road; NOAA's GHCN station list; the Sedona Shuttle site; Arizona State Parks' Slide Rock page; and the Sedona International Film Festival and Sedona Arts Festival pages.

Not confirmed: snow normals, monthly visitor counts, the Sedona Arts Festival outcome and its 2027 dates, other events, hotel rates, the Red Rock Ranger District's live color report, whether Call of the Canyon has reopened, and whether the West Fork closure is extended past 31 October. Averages are 30 year normals, so any single week can differ. Shuttle days, closures and event dates change, so check the official pages before you book.