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10 Airport Mesa Sunset Spots | Don’t Go To The Sedona Scenic Lookout
An Airport Mesa Sunset is a sunset spot in Sedona you don’t want to miss. You’ll easily find hundreds of people (even in the off-season) watching the sunset from the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout. However, that’s not actually the best place for an Airport Mesa Sunset.
There are a handful of spots for a proper Airport Mesa Sunset, and trust us when we say, you’ll want to keep reading to find them!
Map of Airport Mesa Sunset Locations
In the map below, you’ll see two different colored pins. The blue pins are the sunset locations, while the gold pins are the parking locations. Use two fingers to scroll and move around on the map.
Understanding The Airport Mesa Sunset Locations
In the following Airport Mesa sunset spots, I have geotagged the actual place to watch the sunset under the “location”. “Parking” is the closest parking lot to that location. However, keep in mind there are multiple parking lots, some free, and you can find those in the map above.
The “hike” portion lets you know if you have to walk a couple of steps, no hiking at all, or a short hike to the location! This is based on the closest parking lot to each given location. Obviously, if you choose a different parking lot, you’ll add a bit more distance to each sunset spot!
Airport Mesa Sunset Parking Locations
$3 Airport Parking Lot | 34.85312, -111.7896
This parking lot is at the top of Airport Mesa Sedona and is a paid-for huge lot. Both the Red Rock Pass and the United States National Park Pass do not work in this parking area.
Parking here is pretty self-explanatory, it’s a massive parking lot with a manned ticket booth to enter. Be warned, as the time gets closer to sunset, a line forms to get into the parking lot. So plan your trip accordingly, and plan to arrive early.
RVs and larger rigs can park in this lot with no problem.
Free Airport Loop Parking Lot | 34.85565, -111.78021
This parking lot only has 10 parking spaces, and it fills up quickly. You’ll find that even though it’s typically full, a lot of people park here just to visit the uber popular Airport Mesa Vortex site.
With that said, although it’s often full, people are also in and out really quickly.
If you can safely pull off the road into the parking area as someone is walking town from the vortex to their car, you can wait. However, make sure you are COMPLETELY pulled out of the road.
Be sure to only park in designated parking spaces, as we witnessed someone getting a ticket here due to being parking halfway out of the white lines. There is one handicap space in this lot, and it’s not recommended for RVs, though we did see a small bus fit in one of the spaces!
This is the parking lot we recommend to use for all of these Airport Mesa Sunset locations. We recommend getting here extra early, like an hour before sunset, and take time to explore the area.
Heck, you could even get here a few hours early and do the whole Airport Loop Trail before catching sunset at whatever place you fancy most. (That’s what we did the first time, and it worked out perfectly!)
Sunset Park Free Parking | 34.85532, -111.79587
The Sunset Park Parking area is a free place to park, and is highly unlikely that you’ll have any difficulty finding a spot.
Note though, this parking lot is at the base of Airport Mesa. To get to any of the Airport Mesa sunset locations in this post, you’ll have to hike uphill from the parking area.
RVs and larger rigs can get in and out of this parking area with ease.
We highly recommend parking here if you are running late for sunset and just need to park and run up the hill to catch the sunset from Airport Mesa.
Mesa Grill Sedona + Lodge Parking | 34.85088, -111.78868 + 34.85233, -111.79035
These two parking areas are limited to only guests of either the restaurant or the lodge. Do not park in these areas if you are not guests, as you will very likely get a ticket and even have the chance of being towed!
Speaking of hotels, if you haven’t booked one yet, check for the best prices here!
Airport Mesa Sunset Locations in Detail
Airport Mesa Sunset | most popular location
Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout
Location | 34.853434, -111.789765
Parking | $3/day Airport Parking Lot | 34.853073, -111.789599
Hike | no
The most popular Airport Mesa Sunset location is the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout. It’s accessible with $3 parking just steps away. It’s large and spacious so loads of people can fit. And it overlooks the city of Sedona.
However, it’s really not that great!
There are trees obstructing the full city and red rock view. There are so many people, you’ll be fighting for a spot. And, there are a fence and power lines in any and all photos you take from here!
I think the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout is highly overrated and is truly probably one of the worst places to watch the sunset over Sedona from Airport Mesa. And, it’s not just me that thinks that!
When we watched the sunset from this viewpoint, I overheard multiple people talking about how it wasn’t actually that great. Comments like, “We should be over there for sunset.” and, “Really? Why is this place so talked about?” Or the best one… “I paid $3 for this?!” were comments I heard over and over again.
Skip the $3 parking (with a line to get to the kiosk, I might add), save yourself some money and sanity and skip the Sedona Airport Scenic Overlook for sunset.
Actual Sunset at Airport Mesa | sunset views instead of red rock
Air Terminal Drive
Location | 34.85073, -111.7905
Parking | $3/day Airport Parking Lot | 34.853073, -111.789599
Hike | short and flat on pavement
To watch the actual sunset from Airport Mesa, you actually have to go to the west side of the airport. While there is a trail location (listed below) for this, you can also just walk on the pavement along the road.
There is nothing romantic about watching the sunset from a literal airport road. However, this is the place you want to be if you want to see the sun actually set.
Honestly, I’m not sure if you can park in the parking lot near Mesa Grill or even along the side of the road here. But it’s worth checking out before paying for the $3 parking for the evening at the larger lot around the corner.
Watching sunset from Air Terminal Dr, you likely won’t see a single other soul there. Bring a chair or a blanket and enjoy watching the sun go do in the peace and quiet of this little back road!
Airport Mesa Sunset | sunset views with hike
Airport Loop Trail West Side
Location | 34.84297, -111.79483
Parking | Sunset Park Free Parking | 34.85532, -111.79587
Hike | yes, 1 mile uphill first, then flat | 2 miles return
Watching the sunset from the west side of Airport Mesa, you’ll actually see the sun setting, as this spot faces west. It’s a 1.1-mile hike from Sunset Park, the first of which is all uphill until you get to the flat part of Airport Mesa.
Alternatively, you can turn that hike into a complete loop around Airport Mesa, and just time it so you’re on the west side of the trail for sunset!
There are no benches or tables on this part of the trail, so you’ll have to just hike and enjoy the views from a blanket or a rock. The best part of this hike is that the sunset location is actually right at the end of the runway for the airport. So, if you’re lucky, you’ll see planes taking off just before sunset for some sunset flights!
This location offers roughly the same views as the Airport Mesa sunset location from Air Terminal Drive, so if you’re not up for a hike, just head there instead.
Airport Mesa Sunset | alternative popular spot
Airport Mesa Vortex
Location | 34.85575, -111.77913
Parking | Free Airport Loop Parking Lot | 34.85565, -111.78021
Hike | .2 miles uphill on red rock to the top of vortex
The Airport Mesa Vortex is a great place to watch the sunset, or rather the rocks changing colors from the sun setting.
The actual sunset from the vortex will be behind the airport mesa, so you won’t see the sun dip below the horizon from here. However, you’ll get to see the red rock change colors on both the southern part of Sedona (the Village of Oak Creek) and the northern bit (or Sedona West).
Sunset from the Airport Mesa Vortex offers a super interesting perspective when there are lots of clouds in the sky. We found time and time again that the red rock formations towering over Sedona usually didn’t produce much color or excitement in the sky. However, looking towards Cathedral Rock and to the south, there was loads of color.
From the vortex, you get to see both. And it really puts in into perspective how huge the mesa and surrounding rocks are. As it can really look like two completely different sunsets from here.
To get to the top of the vortex, the trail is called Summit Trail. From the parking lot you go up the red rocks, then immediately swing a left. You’ll walk on some flat red rocks for just a handful of steps, before the trail is marked “Summit Trail” and follows a chain fence up to the top of the red rock. This is the Airport Mesa Vortex.
READ MORE | A Complete Guide to the Airport Mesa Vortex
Airport Mesa Sunset | best location
Sedona View Trail Benches
Location | 34.85413, -111.78777
Parking | Free Airport Loop Parking Lot | 34.85565, -111.78021
Hike | yes, uphill
Originally when we passed the benches along the Sedona View Trail, we didn’t think much of them. We were in somewhat of a hurry to get to the Sedona Airport Scenic Lookout, thinking that was the best place for sunset.
However, we quickly realized that wasn’t the case. On our way back down from the scenic lookout, we were paying more attention to the views the Sedona View Trail offered. And, as the name suggests, the views were great!
There are a couple of different benches places on the trail that offer great viewpoints of Sedona. Moreover, we’d argue those benches offer better viewpoints of Sedona than the actual Sedona scenic lookout!
If you’re looking for unobstructed views over the city and a more private Airport Mesa sunset experience, find a spot along the Sedona View Trail, and enjoy the sunset from there!
Have you booked your transportation for Sedona yet? Check out the best prices for flights (we suggest flying into Phoenix) and rental cars here!
Sunset at Airport Mesa | best for high season
Airport Loop Trail North Side
Location | 34.85471, -111.7921
Parking | Free at Sunset Park | 34.85532, -111.79587
Hike | yes, short, uphill
When we hiked the Airport Loop Trail, we thought, holy smokes, this trail would be great for sunset. In fact, we hiked it just before sunset, and even then it was beautiful!
The reason this trail is excellent for high season is that you don’t have to deal with parking up on the actual Airport Mesa at all… something you definitely want to avoid if visiting during busy season!
Parking at Sunset Park, enjoy the park for a bit, if you have kids, let them play in the splash pad to cool off (open May-October), and then hike up the Sunset Trail, linking to Airport Loop Trail.
At the Airport Loop Trail junction, go to the left. This is where you’ll find the shortest hike for good views. Going to the right, you’ll have to go up a couple switchbacks, but the views are good from there too!
The view here is again looking over Thunder Mountain over west Sedona, instead of the actual sun setting, but that’s really what Sedona sunsets are all about anyways!
If you want to visit the Airport Mesa Vortex, take Sunset Trail to Airport Loop, swinging left onto Airport Loop Trail. You’ll walk for about five minutes before it crosses over Airport Road, and you’ll see the Airport Mesa Vortex just behind the parking lot.
Airport Mesa Sunset Over the South | great red rock formation views
Airport Loop Trail South Side
Location | 34.84978, -111.78215
Parking | Free Airport Loop Parking Lot | 34.85565, -111.78021
Hike | yes, relatively flat
If you want to watch the sunset over Courthouse Butte, Bell Rock, and Cathedral Rock, this is the location for you. Just a short, and relatively flat hike from the parking lot, you’ll loop around the south side of Airport Mesa and have gorgeous views.
The hike is relatively flat, however, there are rocks and the famous slick rock to walk over to get there. Once you’re on the south side of the Airport Loop Trail, finding a place for sunset is really just wherever you are comfortable!
You’ll have views of all the most famous rock formations on the Village of Oak Creek side of Sedona, and can find a seat on the rocks wherever it tickles your fancy!
Indoor Sunset at Airport Mesa | dinner and a show
Mesa Grill Sedona Restaurant
Location | 34.85043, -111.78878
Parking | Free at Restaurant for Guests | 34.85088, -111.78868
Hike | no
Mesa Grill Sedona on Airport Mesa is a super popular place to indulge yourself in a meal. We did not eat at Mesa Grill, so we can’t personally recommend this place. With that said, the reviews of Mesa Grill Sedona are pretty good, so it’s worth including here.
In the dining area at Mesa Grill, the walls are glass, offering a great viewing of the sunset surrounding Airport Mesa.
You can reserve a table at Mesa Grill Sedona, or test your luck and head there early. If you do the latter, expect to wait in line for 30+ minutes!
Airport Mesa Sunset + Stay | accommodation with views
Sky Ranch Lodge Resort
Location | 34.85233, -111.79035
Parking | Free at Lodge for guests | 34.85233, -111.79035
Hike | no
If you’re staying in a hotel in Sedona, why not stay at one with great sunrise sunset views!? The Sky Ranch Lodge Resort is meant to have some of the best sunset views in Sedona. Understandably so, at it sits right on top of Airport Mesa.
There is a pool and hot tub where you can soak and enjoy the sunset all at the same time!
Staying at Sky Ranch, you’ll not only not have to deal with people while you watch the sunset, but you can also enjoy a glass of wine or beer with the sunset because you don’t have to jump in a car and drive to your accommodation right after! That’s a win-win!
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Sedona View Trail Sunset | short hike facing south
Sedona Trail Viewpoint
Location | 34.85527, -111.77959
Parking | Free Airport Loop Parking Lot | 34.85565, -111.78021
Hike | yes, only one minute
The Sedona View Trail is the short, .6-mile trail that connects the paid-for parking area to the Airport Mesa Vortex and the Sedona Trail Viewpoint. While you’ll have to walk along that trail to get to this viewpoint if the bottom free parking area is full, when you can score a parking spot in the free lot, this viewpoint is just steps away from your car!
The viewpoint overlooks the southern side of Sedona. However, doesn’t quite give you a full look at Cathedral Rock at sunset, like hiking along the Airport Loop Trail does.
At this viewpoint, there is a short rock wall making a great spot to take a seat, and two information boards about the Munds Mountain Wilderness in the distance!
If you can, we recommend hiking to the top of Airport Mesa Vortex from here and enjoying the sunset from there. Otherwise, this spot will do for those who are unable to hike up to the vortex.
Quick Tips on Sedona Airport Mesa Sunset
Arrive Early
Plan on arriving to each of these locations around 20-30 minutes prior to sunset. Obviously, if there is a hike involved, arrive even earlier. Oftentimes, the sunset colors are better just before sunset because the sun sets behind mountains in the west.
Stay Late
Staying just after sunset can also provide some really nice colors in the sky. While the red rocks will no longer be illuminated, the clouds in the sky can change into some pretty epic colors just after the sun sets.
Bring Lights
You are visiting Airport Mesa for sunset after all. And yes, there is limited light after the sun goes down! Grab a headlamp, one of our must pack items for Sedona, or a flashlight at the bare minimum.
Pay Attention To The Clouds
In our three weeks in Sedona, we chose our sunset locations based on the clouds in the sky. Clouds often offer great texture and color during sunrise and sunset. So we would go where there were some clouds, not heavy coverage, in the sky, so we could have the chance of them lighting up in bright pinks and oranges!
Don’t Trust The Weatherman
More often than not, our weather app said it was going to be straight cloudy during sunset. However, also more often than not, this wasn’t the case. The sky was gorgeous on the days when it was supposed to be straight clouds!
We almost missed a couple of the best sunsets in Sedona due to us thinking there wouldn’t be any sunset at all. Don’t let this happen to you. Just go out and chance catching the sunset, its a fun experience regardless!
You Won’t See The Sun Set
Sedona Sunsets are funny in the sense that you actually don’t get to see the sun setting on the horizon. There are too many mountains to the west, so you won’t see the sun go down all the way.
Likewise, watching the sunset in Sedona is better looking away from where the sun sets. This way you can watch the red rock change to gorgeous colors as the sky changes colors behind it.
Check Sunset Times
Before heading out for sunset, check when the actual sun sets by simply googling “sunset in Sedona times”. Google will show you not only the time of sunset, but where the sun is going to set as well.
You can also look on the weather app on your phone to see when the sun sets in Sedona while you’re there.
More On Sedona!
We spent a month in Sedona finding the best hikes, sunset locations, sunrise spots, and more. We even made complete guides for each trail that wasn’t so easy to find.
Keyhole Cave | A Complete Guide to This Sedona Cave (with a map)
Airport Mesa | The Ultimate Guide to The Famous Airport Mesa Vortex
Sedona Sunsets | 31 Places to Catch The Sunset in Sedona
Sedona Itinerary | 1 EPIC Day in Sedona | Sunrise to Sunset