Sedona Guys Trip — May 15

At a Glance

Day	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Fri 5/15	Travel	Arrive, grocery run	Cook at the house
Sat 5/16	Hike (pick your adventure)	ATV tour	Mesa Grill
Sun 5/17	Slide Rock / swimming	Farmers Market → hang	Cook farewell dinner
Mon 5/18	Devil's Bridge	Wine Trail	Elote Cafe
Tue 5/19	Drive to Phoenix	✈️

Friday, May 15 — Arrival Day

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🛬 Afternoon

Arrive, settle into the house, crack beers, unpack.

Grocery run — Safeway (2300 W Hwy 89A) or Basha's (160 Coffee Pot Dr). Stock up for tonight, breakfast supplies, and Sunday's big cook.

🔥 Evening — Cook at the House

First-night energy — fire up the grill, throw on steaks or burgers, settle in. Save the restaurant nights for when you've earned them.

Saturday, May 16 — Hike + ATV + Mesa Grill

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🥾 Morning Hike — Pick Your Adventure

Bear Mountain Hard

Distance

5 miles round trip

Elevation

2,100 ft (steep — you'll use your hands)

Time

3.5–5 hours

Start by

8:00 AM — no shade, don't start after 9

Why

Second-highest point in the area (6,463 ft). Red rock to white sandstone. 360° panoramic views. Way less crowded than tourist trails.

Trailhead

Doe Mountain / Bear Mountain, off Boynton Pass Rd. Red Rock Pass required.

Bring

1.5L+ water per person, sun protection, grippy shoes. Trekking poles help on descent.

West Fork Trail Easy

Distance

7 miles round trip (turn around whenever)

Elevation

Minimal — mostly flat

Time

3–4 hours

Start by

9–10 AM is fine — the whole thing is shaded

Why

Gorgeous shaded canyon along Oak Creek. Creek crossings, towering red rock walls, lush canopy. Nature walk, not a grind.

Trailhead

West Fork / Call of the Canyon, off AZ-89A north of Sedona. $12/vehicle.

Best if the crew wants a vacation-pace morning.

Fay Canyon Easy

Distance

2.4 miles round trip

Elevation

~100 ft

Time

1–1.5 hours

Start by

Anytime — partially shaded

Why

Short and scenic with a hidden natural arch at the end. Quick win without breaking a sweat.

Trailhead

Fay Canyon Trailhead, off Boynton Pass Rd. Red Rock Pass required.

Best if everyone's still sore from ATVs and just wants a quick walk before lunch.

🏜️ Afternoon — ATV Tour

Operator

Vortex ATV Rental (self-guided) — Cottonwood, ~20 min from Sedona

Duration

4-hour half-day rental

Setup

Three 2-seaters — everyone drives (~$185/person with tax)

Routes

Outlaw Trail (technical, red rock ruins) · Shaman Cave (hidden cave overlook) · Mingus Mountain (3,500 ft climb, valley views)

Book

vortexatvrental.com — book ahead

🍽️ Dinner — Mesa Grill Sedona

Bobby Flay's Sedona outpost. Southwest-inspired, great steaks, tableside guac. Perched near the airport with views of red rocks and planes landing. Fun guys-trip energy.

Reservations

Book on OpenTable, party of 6

Price

~$50–70/person with drinks

Sunday, May 17 — Swim + Market + The Big Cook

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💦 Morning — Swimming

Slide Rock State Park

Natural waterslide on slick red rock in Oak Creek. $30/vehicle. Get there by 9 AM. Wear shoes you can get wet. 6871 AZ-89A, ~15 min north of town.

Grasshopper Point

Swimming hole + cliff jumping. Less crowded, more chill. $2/person. Off AZ-89A, ~3 mi north of uptown.

The Crack at Wet Beaver Creek

3-mile easy hike to a narrow canyon swimming hole with cliff jumping. Most adventurous, fewest crowds.

🥬 Late Morning — Farmers Market

When

Sundays, 11 AM – 3 PM

Where

Wells Fargo parking lot, 2201 W State Route 89A, West Sedona

Grab

Local grass-fed beef, farm eggs, artisan sausage, sourdough, fresh greens, herbs, hot sauce, local honey

Stock up here for tonight's farewell dinner cook.

🏡 Afternoon — Hang at the House

Cards, grill prep, sit outside, do nothing. This is the whole point.

🔥 Evening — Cook the Big Farewell Dinner

The spread. Farmers market steaks on the grill, full sides, the works.

Monday, May 18 — Devil's Bridge + Wine + Elote

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🌉 Morning — Devil's Bridge

The iconic one. Largest natural sandstone arch in Sedona. Easy-Mod

Distance

4 miles round trip

Elevation

550 ft

Time

2–3 hours

Start by

8:30–9:00 AM — Monday crowds are light

Trailhead

Mescal Trailhead, Long Canyon Rd. Red Rock Pass required.

🍷 Afternoon — Verde Valley Wine Trail

Drive ~25–30 min to Page Springs / Clarkdale / Jerome. Rhône & Mediterranean grapes — Grenache, Mourvèdre, Vermentino. Stick to the whites.

1. Page Springs Cellars — Cornville

The OG. Roussanne "Colibri," Vermentino, Picpoul. Creekside patio. ~$15-20 tasting. Open daily 11am–6pm.

2. Chateau Tumbleweed — Clarkdale

Best Vermentino in AZ — zingy, mineral. Picpoul Blanc, Sangiovese rosé. Reservations required for 6+ — call (928) 634-0443. Confirm Monday hours.

3. Caduceus Cellars — Jerome

Maynard from Tool's winery. White blends, Mourvèdre. Confirm Monday hours. Walk Jerome's Main St — haunted hotels, artist studios, cliff views.

🍽️ Dinner — Elote Cafe

The best restaurant in Sedona. Wood-fire Mexican. Smoked brisket enchiladas, lamb shank adobo, the namesake elote. Perfect last-supper energy.

Monday advantage

Way easier to get in on a weeknight vs. weekend

Reserve

Call (928) 203-0105, party of 6

Address

350 Jordan Rd, Sedona

Tuesday, May 19 — Departure

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Pack up, clean the Airbnb.

Drive

~2 hours to Phoenix via I-17 South. Leave by 8–9 AM.

Scenic option

Take AZ-89A through Oak Creek Canyon to I-17 — stunning red rock canyon drive, adds ~15 min.

Quick Reference

Restaurants

Restaurant	Night	Vibe	Reserve?
Mesa Grill	Saturday	Bobby Flay, SW, airport views	OpenTable
Elote Cafe	Monday	Best in Sedona, wood-fire Mexican	Call (928) 203-0105

Hikes

Trail	Day	Dist.	Elev.	Diff.	Start
Bear Mountain	Sat	5 mi	2,100 ft	Hard	By 8 AM
West Fork	Sat alt.	7 mi	Min.	Easy	9–10 AM
Fay Canyon	Sat alt.	2.4 mi	~100 ft	Easy	Anytime
Devil's Bridge	Mon	4 mi	550 ft	Easy-Mod	8:30–9 AM

Key Bookings

Vortex ATV — Sat PM, 3× 2-seaters — vortexatvrental.com
Mesa Grill — Sat dinner, party of 6 — OpenTable
Elote Cafe — Mon dinner, party of 6 — call (928) 203-0105
Chateau Tumbleweed — Confirm Mon hours + reserve for 6 — (928) 634-0443
Caduceus Cellars — Confirm Monday hours
Red Rock Pass — $15/week × 2 cars

Budget Estimate (per person)

ATV rental (split 6 ways)	~$185
Wine tasting (3 rooms)	~$50–60
Mesa Grill dinner	~$50–70
Elote Cafe dinner	~$40–50
Groceries (shared, 3 nights)	~$60–80
Red Rock Pass (split)	~$5
Slide Rock (split)	~$10
Total	~$400–455

(Not including Airbnb or rental cars)