Los Angeles To Sedona Road Trip

Depending on notorious LA traffic, your journey from the city to Palm Springs will take in the vicinity of two hours. This resort city set in the Coachella Valley is storied for its distinctive mid-century architectural style and desert beauty. While here, be sure to escape the heat of the desert by taking the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to the cool pine forests of Mt. San Jacinto State Park, where you’ll be treated to sprawling vistas of the valley below.

Of course, it’s imperative to soak up that desert-cool with a wander through downtown Palm Springs and the Backstreet Art District, where you’ll find a collection of galleries and museums that celebrate the area’s impact on culture. Also explore the galleries, boutiques, and outdoor dining along Palm Canyon Drive.

While there’s not a lot of camping options in Palm Springs itself, you can park it for the night at Joshua Tree’s Black Rock Campground in the northwest of the park, it’s 40 minutes from Palm Springs via Hwy 62. And you’ll wake up ready to explore Joshua Tree the next morning.

Stretching for a staggering 800,000 acres, Joshua Tree National Park has an otherworldly and arid beauty. Despite its seemingly hostile and hot conditions, it’s home to menagerie of wildlife from big horn sheep to coyotes and jack rabbits. Named after the agave species, here you’ll find unpolluted starry nights and vast blue skies, a detailed cultural tapestry and fascinating geological formations. It’s a must-see on any trip through the region.

There are plenty of short walks and nature trails in the park, such as Skull Rock and the Cholla Cactus Garden, as well as longer ‘moderate hikes’ and ‘strenuous hikes’, the latter of which should never be undertaken in the heat. No matter which you choose, always tell someone where you’re going and take plenty of water, food, a map and wear protective clothing.

You’ll likely want more than a day to explore the beauty of this extraordinary place, so spend another night at Black Rock Campground. Or you could try one of Joshua Tree’s many other campgrounds, just be aware, you’ll need to book well in advance at Recreation.gov.

Drive on for another 223 miles and you’ll arrive in the Sonoran Desert city of Phoenix, Arizona. This sprawling hub is a cosmopolitan oasis, where you’ll find the 140-acre Desert Botanical Garden featuring desert plants from around the world, as well as Old Town Scottsdale, a walkable arts district with galleries, restaurants, and the historic Fifth Avenue shopping district.

Don’t skip Camelback Mountain, just 20 minutes from downtown it’s one of Phoenix’s most iconic hikes. The challenging 2.4-mile round trip rises over 1,200 feet with sweeping 360° views of the city and Sonoran Desert below.

Usery Mountain Regional Park Campground is one of the closest campgrounds at about 40 minutes out of the city in the Tonto National Forest foothills east of Phoenix.

Well worth a punctuation point on your map, Montezuma Castle is a truly extraordinary five-storey, 20-room cliff dwelling built by the Sinagua people around 1100 AD. Essentially an ancient apartment building, it perches 90 feet above Beaver Creek and is one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America. While you’re here, just 20 minutes from the Castle is Montezuma Well, a natural limestone sinkhole fed by 1.5 million gallons of water daily, with its own cliff dwellings and irrigation canals still visible.

Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood is just 30 minutes from the monument. Here you’ll find more than 100 sites with water and electric hookups, hot showers, and direct access to Verde River trails.

Less than an hour from Montezuma Castle is the curious and once thriving town of Jerome.  When the copper mines closed in 1953, the town was set for ghost status with just a few dozen inhabitants remaining. Refusing to let go of the promise it once held, Jerome held on and eventually began to draw artists and creatives during the ’60s and ’70s. Today, it’s a designated Historic Landmark and well worth a stop on your trip.

Head to Jerome State Historic Park to engage with the history of the area in the museum and picnic on the grounds where you’ll enjoy views of the Verde Valley.

Spend another night a Dead Horse Campground after adventuring through Jerome.

Also known as State Route 179, the Red Rock Scenic Byway is a non-negotiable on any Sedona road trip. The gateway to Red Rock country, this 7.5-mile stretch offers up some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes of the entire trip.

Have your camera at-the-ready to snap landmarks along the way, such as the adjacent formations of Bell Rock & Courthouse Butte, which are visible from the road and easily explored on the paved Bell Rock Pathway trail. As well as the Chapel of the Holy Cross – a striking Roman Catholic chapel built directly into the red rock buttes in 1956.

If you’d rather get among all that craggy, rust-hued beauty on foot, stop the campervan and take the Little Horse Trail, an easy-to-moderate 4.2-mile-return trail that delivers impressive vistas.

Along the SR179, you’ll also want to make time to stop at Cathedral Rock, one of Arizona’s most photographed landmarks, best viewed from Red Rock Crossing at Crescent Moon Ranch picnic area.

Spend a night or two at Pine Flat Campground, which is accessed directly from the sealed stretch of State Route 89A north of Sedona in Oak Creek Canyon.

A true highlight of a hot and dusty drive, Slide Rock is a natural waterslide carved into the red sandstone of Oak Creek. The 30-foot chute has been a popular swimming hole since the 1910s and remains a must do. It’s better to go early, if you can, to beat the crowds.

Once you’ve refreshed in the creek, take the short drive north of the park to Oak Creek Canyon Overlook, where you’ll be treated to a sprawling view of the entire canyon. It’s a theatrical end-point to a truly transformative journey.

If you’re traveling in the Travellers Autobarn Minivan you can stay nearby at the Manzanita Campground, which is tent-only. This Forest Service campground is just 2 miles north of the Slide Rock. Given Slide Rock’s popularity, it’s naturally quick to fill up, so be sure to make a reservation. Otherwise, Cave Springs Campground in less than half-an-hour from Sedona, which is access via the sealed Cave Springs Campground Road off State Route 89A.

Typically, the peak season for this drive is April, but shoulder seasons can offer their own perks. Just plan to avoid high summer, as extreme temperatures can be dangerous.

Early January through mid-February offers a peaceful, budget-friendly alternative with beautiful, cooler weather and less crowded trails. However, nights can drop to freezing, so pack warm layers.

Come spring and daytime temperatures are mild. March can still be cool and May starts getting busier, but both offer more availability than peak April. April is peak season in Sedona, at this time temperatures are ideal and the desert colors are at their most vibrant.

Fall returns to milder days with temperatures around 60°F–70°F, crisp evenings, and stunning fall foliage. It’s less crowded than spring and the season for leaf peeping, hiking, and photography.

Avoid July through to August, as in the summer months, temperatures can reach above 100°F, but the highs are usually in the low-to-mid 90s. July and August also bring peak monsoon season with dramatic afternoon thunderstorms that can affect driving conditions.

1.     Pack more water than you think you need: The desert stretch between Palm Springs and Phoenix is exposed and hot. Carry a minimum of 4 litres per person per day, plus emergency water reserves in the campervan.

2.     Book campgrounds well ahead in peak season: Spring is busy, so be sure to book tours, restaurant reservations, and accommodation in advance. Most campground bookings are open 6 months in advance via recreation.gov.

3.     Check road and weather conditions: In winter, snow and ice are a problem in Flagstaff and can occur in Sedona on a cold day. Allow extra time on the Flagstaff–Sedona stretch of AZ-89A in winter.

4.     Hit trails early: The crowds and heat both peak by mid-morning and summer temperatures in Sedona hit 90 to 95 degrees. Arriving at trailheads by 7–8am is the best tip for any season to avoid both the heat and carpark queues at Devil’s Bridge and Cathedral Rock.

5.     Don’t forget your Red Rock Pass: While you don’t need a pass just to drive this SR 179, you will need to have one to park at any of the trail heads along the way.

You can begin your LA to Sedona road trip directly after picking up your affordable Travellers Autobarn rental in the city. With free, unlimited miles with every hire, you can take your time to make this a truly memorable journey.

If this is just the tip of your road-tripping iceberg, be sure to take a look at some these iconic Los Angeles itineraries:

• LA to Sacramento Road Trip
• California Gold Rush Road Trip
• Los Angeles to Houston road trip
• LA to Yosemite National Park Road Trip

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