What are the biggest attractions of Sedona? How Arizona's 'new-age Mecca' became a haven for hippies and influencers
SEDONA, ARIZONA: Arizona city Sedona has evolved into a 'Mecca for the new age', drawing a varied mix of hippies, influencers, and sightseers. Renowned for its breathtaking red rock landscapes and mystical vortexes, Sedona presents a distinctive fusion of scenic splendor and spiritual encounters.
Its major highlights encompass the Cathedral Rock, the lively Uptown Sedona, the picturesque Red Rock Scenic Byway, and the revered Chapel of the Holy Cross, to name a few.
The transformation of Arizona's Sedona
Sedona’s metamorphosis into a new-age ‘Mecca’ can be attributed to its allure for West Coast hippies and influencers. The city’s spiritual ambiance, therapeutic red rocks, wellness retreats, and a top-rated spa have drawn a significant influx of visitors.
The city’s burgeoning popularity has ushered in a wave of tourists, subjecting Sedona’s 10,000 inhabitants to an average of three million visitors annually. This surge has led to traffic bottlenecks and overcrowding, prompting locals to initiate an anti-tourism campaign, per the New York Post.
Arizona's new-age 'Mecca'
In an editorial for the San Francisco Chronicle, aptly titled 'It's lovely here in Sedona, so stay away,' Tom Zoellner, a native of Arizona, chronicles the town’s evolution into a sanctuary for West Coast hippies.
The town's major draws include 'healing' red rocks, a 'birthing cave' shaped like a vagina, wellness retreats, and a spa that has won awards and the heart of Gwyneth Paltrow.
Zoellner further observed how the town’s new-age spiritualism has escalated beyond control. He mentions that following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, the city government of Sedona and its chamber of commerce collectively decided to cease promoting the town in high-profile national travel magazines.
Concerns about heavy influx of tourists
However, he points out that the "experiment has not yielded the expected serenity." Instead, thousands of Instagram-enthusiastic tourists continue to flock to the area, leading to congested hiking trails and roads.
As per the Sedona Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, Sedona’s population of 10,000 is now subjected to an average of three million visitors annually, translating to just over 8,000 visitors daily.
While Sedona has been welcoming visitors since the 1950s, in recent years, residents have expressed that the economic advantages of tourism, along with the accompanying traffic congestion and overcrowding, need to be balanced against the impacts on the environment, community ethos, and lifestyle.
Notably, concerns about the heavy influx of tourists have been raised not only by locals but also by the visitors themselves, per Daily Mail.
Sedona - small town surrounded by red rocks
In a TikTok video, Kyle, known online as @KyleGoesOff, shares his experience of visiting Sedona during a road trip across the US. However, he was less than impressed with what he discovered.
In the video, he described Sedona as a "small town surrounded by red rocks" and known for its "abundant UFO sightings." He notes that while the hippies have moved on, they've been replaced by "new age LA girls on a spiritual journey to the 100th crystal store in the area."
During his walk down the main street, he even stumbled upon a store offering aura readings for dogs.
In his summary of Sedona, he admitted, "It was crazy beautiful and we found a few spots to kind of hide away from everybody but in conclusion, the spiritual tourism here is not the vibe."