Sedona Night Hike and Stargazing: Dark Sky City Tour

UV flashlights reveal glowing scorpions while constellations trace overhead.

A 4-hour guided night hike in Sedona combines sunset views with stargazing in a nationally certified Dark Sky City, led by expert naturalists. You'll hike through peaceful wilderness as the desert cools, use UV flashlights to spot glowing scorpions, and follow your guide's laser pointer tracing constellations and the Milky Way across the night sky. The route adjusts seasonally for wildlife activity and weather.

Step-by-step itinerary

Evening hike and stargazing in Sedona

• Watch Sedona sunset over red rocks
• Begin guided night hike in wilderness
• Observe constellations with laser pointer
• Listen to stories about wildlife and astronomy
• Search for glowing scorpions with UV flashlight
• Enjoy peaceful high desert night

The experience

The hike starts with Sedona's sunset, when the red rocks shift from gold to purple as daylight fades. Once the sun drops below the horizon, the high desert cools and quiets, revealing the night sky in ways the daytime never shows. Sedona holds certification as a Dark Sky City, which means the stars here are genuinely dark-sky dark: constellations, planets, and the Milky Way appear with clarity most places can't match. Your guide carries a high-powered laser pointer to trace the night's constellations, turning the overhead expanse into something you can follow and name.

The wildlife piece sets this hike apart from a standard stargazing stop. Armed with UV flashlights, you'll search the desert floor for scorpions that glow under ultraviolet light: an eerie, unforgettable moment that pulls the night sky down to ground level. Your guide shares stories about desert wildlife and astronomy as you move through wilderness areas kept far from crowds. The route itself shifts with the seasons and weather, so the terrain and wildlife encounters change throughout the year. Cooler evening temperatures make the physical effort manageable, and the solitude of the high desert at night creates a different kind of connection to the landscape than daytime hikes offer.

You'll carry a headlamp for safety, and the operator provides bottled water, healthy trail snacks, rain ponchos, and a UV flashlight. Hotel pickup and drop-off in the Sedona area are included, so the logistics of getting to the trailhead are handled. The whole experience runs about four hours from start to finish.

What’s included

• Headlamps.
• bottled water.
• laser pointer astronomy talk.
• rain ponchos.
• healthy trail snacks.
• high-powered UV flashlight.
• Red Rock Pass.
• guide trained in wilderness first response.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in the Sedona area.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 17:00

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 32 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by ARRA

Is this one for you?Small groups keep the experience intimate and allow your guide to adjust the pace and stops for the people on the hike. If you're comfortable hiking for four hours in the evening with cooler temperatures and uneven terrain underfoot, this tour works for most fitness levels. The guide is trained to support the group as you move through the wilderness.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What makes Sedona's night sky different from stargazing in other places?

Sedona holds national certification as a Dark Sky City, which means light pollution is controlled and the night sky is genuinely dark. Constellations, planets, and the Milky Way appear with clarity most locations can't match, and your guide uses a high-powered laser pointer to trace the constellations overhead so you can follow them.

What do the UV flashlights actually show you on the hike?

The UV flashlights reveal scorpions that glow under ultraviolet light as they rest on the desert floor at night. It's one of the most distinctive moments of the hike: a way to see desert wildlife that stays hidden during the day.

How does the route change throughout the year?

The hiking routes adjust seasonally based on weather, wildlife activity, and conditions on the ground. This means the terrain and the animals you encounter shift with the seasons, so the experience is different depending on when you go.

Will I be hiking in complete darkness?

You'll hike with a headlamp provided by the operator, so you can see the trail safely. The darkness is managed. You have light for the path, but the sky above stays dark enough for stargazing and the laser pointer astronomy talk to be fully visible.