Best Places for a Vacation with Your Dog: Sedona, Arizona

With breathtaking scenery and miles upon miles of nature to explore, Sedona, Arizona, makes for an ideal travel destination for the adventurer at heart. From Sedona’s impressive red rocks—sandstone formations that light up red and orange in the sunlight—to its happening arts scene and new age vibe, this free-spirited place is an ideal place to vacation with your dog.

“Pets and their owners will enjoy the beautiful views and fur-friendly events held throughout our welcoming community,” says Kegn Moorcroft, director of communications for the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau. “From hiking the stunning red rocks to cooling down in Oak Creek, pets and their owners are sure to love their stay in the most beautiful place on earth.”

You can find a variety of pet-friendly hotels in Sedona, from luxury resorts to more budget-friendly accommodations.

Located just off the main road in downtown Sedona, L’Auberge de Sedona is a secluded, luxurious property with pet-friendly cabins. The hotel’s close proximity to Oak Creek, which runs besides the property, makes for a soothing, relaxing atmosphere, complete with a babbling creek, tall trees and private cabins throughout the rustic setting.

Pet parents can stay at the Garden Cottages, which are surrounded by tall trees and include private patios. Prices range from around $200+ per night in the summer to $800+ in the cooler months. There is a fee of $35 per night for pets under 50 pounds, and $50 per night for pets over 50 pounds.

The hotel offers a Red Rocks and Ruff package that includes a gift bag of “Pet Pawducts” from Whiskers Barkery in nearby Prescott, a L’Auberge dog leash and a collapsible food bowl.

Additional amenities include dog beds, food and water bowls, and a goodie bag containing a toy, treats and waste bags. Available services include pet sitting and dog walking.

This pet-friendly hotel is about 20 minutes from Sedona’s downtown area and near pet-friendly hiking trail, Bell Rock. This resort offers complimentary pet-sitting services, including dog walking around the resort and in-room playtime.

The lobby includes a grab-and-go puppy treat station, and every furry guest receives a complimentary welcome amenity that contains a custom pet bandana, a special collar tag (in case anyone gets lost), treats and a hiking trail map.

The resort’s restaurant, ShadowRock Tap + Table, even serves a specialty pet menu on the restaurant’s patio or in-room. The menu features items like “Red Whine,” a blend of chicken broth, beef broth and cranberry juice, and salmon pasta served with broccolini and tossed in olive oil.

Price per night starts in the mid-$200s in the off-season. Pets under 75 pounds are welcome to stay at the resort for a nonrefundable fee of $50.

Nestled in lush Boynton Canyon, which features stunning red rocks studded with bright green trees, Enchantment Resort is one of the newer properties in town to offer a pet-friendly program.

The luxurious resort offers a Tails & Trails Pet Program. Dogs receive a plush dog bed, a special door hanger to let hotel staff know there’s a pet in the room, dog poop bags and food.

Price per night starts in the mid-$300s in the off-season. Call ahead to book a room, as only select lodging is pet-friendly at this secluded, tranquil location. The resort charges a $100 pet fee, and pets must weigh 75 pounds or less.

Two pets of any size can stay at boutique hotel El Portal Sedona where all 12 suites allow dogs. Just steps from Sedona’s outdoor shopping district, Tlaquepaque, each room at El Portal is unique and decorated with Southwest-style furniture.

All furry guests receive a welcome basket with a blanket, doggy bags and treats. Some rooms even have dog-friendly patios.

Most suites are around $300 per night. The hotel does not charge a pet fee.

• Sky Ranch Lodge is an affordable lodging option with all ground-floor rooms and some of the best views of Sedona’s famed red rocks. It’s located at the top of Airport Road. You can find a room for less than $200 a night. Pets are welcome in the select rooms for a fee of $10 per night per pet (maximum of two pets).
• Arabella Hotel is another inexpensive choice near downtown that has its own dog park and is where the Margs Draw trail begins. When staying here, try the on-site restaurant Elote for some of the city’s best Mexican food. Price per night is around $200. There is a pet of $25 per night for up to two dogs, $25 for each additional dog after that.

Whether you’re hungry for something sweet or savory, Sedona has you covered. And chances are pretty good that you could bring your dog with you while you sample what the Sedona’s food scene has to offer.

Creekside American Bistro serves a gourmet pet menu featuring steak tartare and venison stew that dogs can enjoy al fresco while sitting on a provided blanket. All dogs are served filtered water. Chef Mercer Mohr, who has a white American Eskimo dog, lists his cell phone number on the menu so guests can contact him directly to provide feedback about their experience.

This dog-friendly pizza joint slings authentic wood-fired pies that pet parents can enjoy outdoors on the patio with their pups, who get a complimentary bowl of water. Helmed by one of Sedona’s most notable chefs, Lisa Dahl, guests can look forward to traditional thin-crust options like the Fra Diavolo, topped with the restaurant’s house-made marinara sauce, provolone-mozzarella, spicy prawns and oregano.

Dogs are welcome at the Secret Garden Café in Tlaquepaque. The staff will bring your dog a fresh bowl of water when you’re seated at the restaurant’s outdoor patio. Many praise the restaurant—which focuses on made-from-scratch healthy cuisine like hummus pizza—for its friendly service.

The downtown Sedona outpost of the Phoenix-based Wildflower chain allows dogs on its patio. Parents receive complimentary water for their dogs while they nosh on the chain’s signature breakfast sandwiches, pastries, soups and salads. Wildflower also supports Home ‘Fur’ Good, an Arizona nonprofit that aims to eliminate euthanasia of adoptable animals.

Every dog-friendly vacation needs dog-friendly attractions. Sedona is renowned for its hiking trails that have earned the city the title of “day hike capital of the US.” Accessible year-round, the trails give hikers—and their pups—a chance to get up close to the city’s stunning rock formations and natural splendor.

Before heading out, put on sunscreen and bring plenty of water for you and your pup. Dog travel bowls, like Prima Pets’ collapsible travel bowl, make it easy to keep you dog hydrated in the arid desert.

Leashed dogs are welcome on the Boynton Canyon Trail. At 6.1 miles long, this out-and-back trail is rated easy and perfect for hikers of all levels. It also is home to one of Sedona’s vortexes—thought to be centers of spiritual energy.

The 3.6-mile round-trip Bell Rock Pathway is a moderately rated dog-friendly trail that circles around iconic red rock formations including Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte.

Leashed dogs also are welcome on the one-way, 3.6-mile-long, moderately rated Brins Mesa Trail located about 8 miles from downtown Sedona. Expect sweeping views of green trees, red rocks and Sedona’s vibrant burgundy-colored soil.

If you’re not much of a hiker, you can drive through Oak Creek Canyon to take in scenic canyon views. You can even stop at certain spots and get in the water with your pup.

If hiking’s not your thing, get a rugged look at Sedona’s red rocks by taking your dog on one of the city’s notable Jeep tours. Join a guide and the company’s guide dog, White Paw, at Sedona Red Rock Adventures or take a private tour with A Day in the West as you venture out into backcountry. You also can rent and drive your own vehicle with Barlow Adventures.

Leashed, well-behaved, small pooches are welcome to sit on their owners’ laps as they ride on the Red Rock Magic Trolley Tour and view some of the city’s most notable attractions, like Chapel of the Holy Cross or Boynton Canyon.