Sedona has a reputation for being expensive. The rocks are free, though, and so are a surprising number of the things around them. This page lists what costs nothing, what needs only a parking pass, and a few free things in the rest of the valley that are a short drive away. Everything here was checked against the source on the date at the top.
Free, no pass needed
Ride the Sedona Shuttle. The trailhead shuttle is free, with no ticket or reservation. It runs Thursday through Sunday year-round and daily during spring break and some holidays, from park-and-ride lots to Cathedral Rock, Soldier Pass, Little Horse, Dry Creek Vista, and Mescal. Details in the parking and shuttle guide.
Walk Tlaquepaque. Tlaquepaque Arts and Shopping Village on SR 179 is built like a Mexican village, with courtyards, fountains, and galleries. Walking through costs nothing. Shops are generally open 10 AM to 5 PM.
Browse the Sedona Arts Center gallery. The Sedona Arts Center in Uptown is a nonprofit gallery and school. The gallery is open daily (10 AM to 5 PM, from noon on Sunday) and free to walk through. It hosts the Sedona Plein Air Festival each October; the 2026 festival starts October 16.
Go to the Sunday market. The Sedona Community Farmers Market runs every Sunday, 8 AM to noon in summer and 11 AM to 3 PM from November through May, in the Wells Fargo bank parking lot at 2201 W. State Route 89A in West Sedona. Free to walk around.
Drive the scenic roads. SR 179 from the Village of Oak Creek into Sedona is a national scenic byway. SR 89A north through Oak Creek Canyon climbs to the overlook at the top of the switchbacks. Pull-outs along both are free. Oak Creek Vista, the overlook at the top, is not on the Forest Service list of sites that require a Red Rock Pass, though we could not reach a page stating its fee status outright, so carry a pass if you have one.
Watch the sunset from Airport Mesa. The overlook on Airport Road is the standard sunset spot, and the view costs nothing once you have parked. Parking is the catch. The lot belongs to the Sedona-Oak Creek Airport Authority rather than the city or the Forest Service, it charges, and neither the city nor the Forest Service publishes the rate, so we will not print a number we cannot stand behind. Bring a card and expect to pay. Airport Mesa is not on the Forest Service Red Rock Pass list.
Free with a Red Rock Pass
Most trailheads on Forest Service land around Sedona need a Red Rock Pass (or an America the Beautiful pass) on the dashboard. It is $5 a day, $15 a week, or $20 a year. Higher fees were proposed in 2025 but do not appear on the agency pass page, which was last updated in June 2026, so the old prices are what it publishes. Once you have one, the trails themselves are free: Bell Rock and Courthouse Butte from the Village of Oak Creek, Cathedral Rock, Fay Canyon, Boynton Canyon, Huckaby and the rest.
Arrive by shuttle and you need no pass at all. The shuttle site says it plainly: riders are not charged a parking fee at the trailhead. So the cheapest way to hike Cathedral Rock is the free bus from the free park-and-ride, which costs nothing end to end. The parking and shuttle guide has the routes.
Free in the rest of the valley, 20 to 40 minutes away
Montezuma Well near Rimrock is a spring-fed sinkhole with cliff dwellings around the rim, run by the National Park Service. There is no entrance fee. It is about 30 minutes from Sedona by I-17 exit 293, paved the whole way. The nearby Montezuma Castle charges $10.
Riverfront Park in Cottonwood is free, on the Verde River, with a dog park, disc golf, and a skate park.
Old Town Cottonwood is free to walk, and parking is free. The Old Town guide has the details. Tastings cost money; the stroll does not.
Free live music at Cliff Castle Casino in Camp Verde, Friday and Saturday nights at 8 PM. The gaming floor is 21 and over. We do not hold the age rule for the music venue itself, so call ahead if you are bringing anyone younger.
Jerome. Walking the streets of the old mining town costs nothing, and the Jerome Mine Museum on Main Street is only $2 (children under 12 free). Jerome charges $5 for the day in its paid lots, from 10 AM to 4 PM, paid by card at a kiosk. The free option is the 300 Level lot on Perkinsville Road, which has a free shuttle into town on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Cheap, not free, but worth knowing
- Red Rock State Park: $10 adults, $5 youth, $5 walk-in. Easy creek-side trails; last entry 4:30 PM.
- Slide Rock State Park: $30 per vehicle in summer, $20 from August 22, 2026 through April 2027. Lot fills early on warm weekends.
- Palatki Heritage Site: free with a Red Rock Pass, but a Recreation.gov reservation is required and tours are limited to 14 people.
- Sedona Heritage Museum: $10, children under 13 free. Open 11 AM to 3 PM daily.
Check before you go
- Trail and creek closures change after fires and storms. See the closures page.
- Shuttle days expand during spring break and holidays; check the shuttle site.
- Farmers market hours flip in late October and early June.
Data on this page comes from the City of Sedona, the Sedona Shuttle, the National Park Service, Arizona State Parks, the U.S. Forest Service, and each place’s own website.