Spring Break in Sedona in 2027

March afternoons in Sedona average about 68 degrees and April afternoons about 75, by NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals, and nights settle near 40 and 44. Sedona runs about 10 degrees cooler than Phoenix by day, so the trails stay comfortable from mid-morning through the afternoon, and the evenings are cool enough for a jacket on the deck.

Oak Creek runs through its canyon north of town, and in spring the cottonwoods and sycamores along the water leaf out. The days are long: on March 20, 2027, the sun rises at 6:31 a.m. and sets at 6:39 p.m., with time for a morning hike and an afternoon at the creek before a game on the court.

The large districts we checked break in four weeks between March 8 and April 2, 2027. The next chapter lists each district's dates, and the chapter after it helps you pick a week.

Sedona Pickler sleeps eight in four bedrooms, with a full kitchen, a round dining table, a BBQ grill and a fenced yard with a picnic table. The covered deck has a pergola, a gas fire table and two freestanding soaking tubs. The private indoor pickleball court has its own steel building on the property, heated, air-conditioned and lit, so a game fits before breakfast or after dark. Paddles and balls are provided; bring court shoes.

The house is about 10 to 15 minutes by car from town, and about 20 minutes from Cottonwood. Our guides to Sedona in March and Sedona in April cover each month on its own, and our best time to visit guide compares the seasons.

Start with the school calendar. In October 2026 we read the 2026-27 calendars of 13 large districts, in Arizona and in the cities many families travel from, plus the Los Angeles Unified fact sheet, and the spring breaks fall into four weeks.

Mesa Public Schools and Houston ISD are off from Monday, March 8, to Friday, March 12. Chandler Unified starts a two-week spring intersession the same Monday, running through March 19, and adds Monday, March 22, as a teacher workday with no school, so Chandler families have from Saturday, March 6, through Monday, March 22.

Scottsdale Unified, the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Dallas ISD and Austin ISD are all off from March 15 to 19. Gilbert Public Schools takes two weeks, from March 15 to March 26.

Tucson Unified and Chicago Public Schools are off from March 22 to 26. Albuquerque Public Schools breaks from Monday, March 22, to Thursday, March 25, and adds its Vernal Holiday on Friday, March 26. LAUSD's fact sheet shows March 22 to 26 (expected).

San Diego Unified marks Monday, March 29, through Friday, April 2, as days with no school, and Denver Public Schools is off the same five days, with Wednesday, March 31, listed as a holiday inside the break.

Friday, March 26, the Friday before Easter, is a day off in Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Clark County, Dallas, Houston and Austin, and Clark County adds Monday, March 29. For families from those districts, Easter weekend makes a three-day trip of its own, or four days for families from Las Vegas.

If your district is not on the list, look up its own 2026-27 calendar and match the dates to these four weeks. The table has the details for each district, including the extra days off around Easter.

Families on the March 8 week, from Mesa, Chandler and Houston, get crisp mornings, afternoons in the 60s and a sunset at 6:29 p.m. that Monday. The new moon falls early on March 8, which makes it one of the darkest weeks of the spring for stars from the yard. Families who stay through Saturday can catch Sedona's St. Patrick's Day Parade in Uptown, expected on March 13, since the city holds it on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day.

Families on the March 15 week, from Scottsdale, Gilbert, Las Vegas, Dallas and Austin, arrive the day after clocks change across most of the country, though not in Arizona; the chapter on Arizona time explains the difference. Afternoons warm through the month from the March average of 68 toward April's 75, and the Camp Verde Pecan and Wine Festival is expected the weekend of March 20 and 21, about 35 to 40 minutes from the house.

Families on the March 22 week, from Tucson, Albuquerque, Chicago and, expected, Los Angeles, have a full moon early on Monday, March 22, and sunsets after 6:40. Easter falls at the end of the week: Good Friday is March 26 and Easter Sunday is March 28. A Saturday-to-Saturday stay that week ends on March 27, the day before Easter, so for Easter morning at the house, book Sunday, March 21, to Sunday, March 28.

Families on the March 29 week, from San Diego and Denver, run into April, when afternoons average about 75 and the sun sets close to 6:50 p.m. Their break starts the day after Easter, so arriving on Saturday, March 27, puts Easter Sunday at the start of the trip.

Two families from different districts can often share a week. Mesa and Chandler overlap from March 8 to 12, Chandler and Scottsdale from March 15 to 19, and Gilbert and Tucson from March 22 to 26, so cousins from across the Valley, or from Phoenix and Tucson, can meet in Sedona. Gilbert's two weeks overlap with every district on our list that breaks on March 15 or March 22.

The calendar below shows every date in this guide; tap your arrival and departure days to see what falls inside your stay.

Sedona sits at about 4,350 feet, and the dry air lets the temperature climb about 30 degrees between dawn and mid-afternoon. In March the average high is 68 and the average low is 40; in April they are 75 and 44, by NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals. Early mornings call for a fleece and a hat, most hikers are in a t-shirt by late morning, and the jacket comes back out after sunset.

Phoenix averages 78 in March and 86 in April, so Sedona runs about 10 degrees cooler by day, and Tucson averages 76 in March. For families flying in from colder cities, a 68-degree afternoon in bright sun is shorts weather on the trail and a 40-degree morning is jacket weather on the deck, so several light layers work better than one heavy coat.

The days lengthen through the season. Between the first spring break week and the last, the day gains almost an hour of light, from 11 hours 42 minutes on March 8 to 12 hours 36 minutes on April 2. The table below has sunrise and sunset in West Sedona for the Monday of each week and for Easter, worked out with NOAA's solar calculator method.

Hike from about 8 to noon, while the air is cool, and take the warm part of the afternoon for the creek, a picnic or the court. The hour before sunset suits a viewpoint or the deck, and our sunset spots guide lists the places locals go for the last light.

A sunny spring day at this height calls for sunscreen and sunglasses even when the air feels cool, and more water than most people drink at home, since the dry air takes it from you quickly. A hat with a brim helps on the open trails. A cool, cloudy day suits a long lunch, an afternoon in the galleries at Tlaquepaque or a round-robin on the indoor court, and our guide to rainy days in Sedona has more ideas for a day close to the house.

Arizona stays on Mountain Standard Time all year and does not move its clocks for daylight saving time. Most of the country springs forward at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March, which in 2027 is Sunday, March 14. From that day on, Sedona keeps the same time as Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas, is one hour behind Denver and Albuquerque, two hours behind Dallas, Houston, Austin and Chicago, and three hours behind the East Coast.

The change lands in the middle of the spring break season. A Houston family on the March 8 week finds Sedona one hour behind home. Families from Texas or Chicago who come after March 14 find it two hours behind, and families from Denver and Albuquerque gain an hour on the drive or the flight.

For families from the Central time zone, the gap shows at both ends of the day. A child who wakes at 7 a.m. at home will be up around 5 a.m. in Sedona after March 14, an hour or more before the sunrise at about 6:30, so keep cocoa and a board game ready for the first morning or two. Bedtime comes early on the first nights as well. Families from Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas keep their home clock after March 14, and Phoenix and Tucson families see no change at all.

Flight times print in local time, so a 7 p.m. departure from Phoenix Sky Harbor means 7 p.m. Arizona time. Video calls with family at home, a game on TV and the last school-night bedtime all shift by the same one, two or three hours. The Navajo Nation, in the northeast corner of the state, does observe daylight saving time, so if a day trip takes you onto the Navajo Nation, confirm which clock your tour runs on; our Antelope Canyon day trip guide covers that long day out.

With the sun going down around 6:40 p.m. in late March, there is daylight for a full afternoon after a midday break, and dinner on the deck can start in the last light.

Check the calendar once your district posts its dates. Book on Airbnb, Vrbo, Booking.com or directly; the Book Now button opens all of them. Sedona Pickler is rated 5.0 on Airbnb.

The house sleeps up to eight. The person booking needs to be 25 or older, and the house is smoke-free, pet-free and hosts no parties or events. Check-in is after 4 p.m. and checkout is by 10 a.m. The driveway fits four cars.

A Saturday-to-Saturday stay gives seven nights, with the driving at each end. A Sunday-to-Sunday stay leaves Saturday at home to pack, and on the March 22 week it keeps Easter morning at the house. Gilbert and Chandler families, with two weeks off, can stay ten or twelve nights and still have a weekend at home before school. Families with only the Friday before Easter off can come on Thursday night and stay through Easter morning.

Our guide to what a Sedona trip costs breaks down lodging, food, tours and park fees, and the park fees chapter below has this season's prices. Two families sharing one house also share one full kitchen, so breakfasts and picnic lunches come from the same grocery run, and the yard, the deck and the court are there whenever anyone wants them.

Before the trip, send the room plan from the sleeping chapter to everyone, agree on who brings which car, and start one shared grocery list. A family group chat with the shuttle days and the park hours pinned at the top answers most questions before the first morning.

Plan the first and last days around the drive. Arrival day is for groceries, unpacking and a first game on the court, and departure morning is for a big breakfast, a last look around the yard and the road home. The days in between are the trip.

“The house was so comfortable for all 8 of us.”

Erin, a guest in July 2026

Driving gives you the car all week for trailheads, the creek and a day trip. From Phoenix it is about 116 miles and two hours: I-17 north to Exit 298, then State Route 179 through the Village of Oak Creek into Sedona. From Tucson it is about 232 miles and three and a half hours without stops. From Las Vegas, plan on about four and a half hours of driving, and from Albuquerque about 350 miles and five to five and a half hours, west on I-40 to Flagstaff and then south. Our Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas and Albuquerque pages cover each drive and the stops along the way.

From the Valley, a start around 11 a.m. puts you in Sedona in time for lunch and a short walk, with a grocery stop on 89A on the way to the house in the afternoon. On Friday and Sunday afternoons, give the Phoenix drive closer to two and a half hours. On the way home, a morning start after checkout has Valley families back by early afternoon.

Families from farther away can fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor, rent a car or a minivan, and drive about two hours north. A mid-afternoon landing gets you to the house for dinner. Our guide to getting to Sedona compares the airports and the drive.

Two families in two cars, or three generations in three, keep the week flexible: one car can head to the Grand Canyon while another stays close to the house. If the group brings bikes or a lot of gear, a roof box on one car leaves the back seats free for people.

Flagstaff is about 45 minutes away by State Route 89A through Oak Creek Canyon, and the canyon road makes a scenic way in for families driving from Albuquerque or Las Vegas. Once you are here, the car takes you to the creek and on day trips, and the free Sedona Shuttle takes you to the most popular trailheads; our getting around guide covers both.

Sedona Pickler has four bedrooms, five beds and two baths on a single level. Bedroom one has a king bed and its own bath, bedroom two has a second king, bedroom three has a queen, and the bunk game room has twin-over-twin bunks, a foosball table and a TV.

For two families of four, each set of parents takes a king room, and the kids split the queen room and the bunks. One couple gets bedroom one with its ensuite bath, and the second bath serves the other three bedrooms, so the family using it can take first turn at bath time in the evening. The queen room suits two siblings who share at home, and the bunks are the beds most kids ask for first.

For three generations, the grandparents take bedroom one with its ensuite bath, the parents take the second king, and the grandchildren share the queen room and the bunks. With everything on one level, nobody climbs stairs between the bedrooms and the kitchen, and the grandparents can step out to the covered deck for morning coffee without waking anyone.

The bunk game room, with its TV and foosball table, makes a good den for older kids and teenagers, and that leaves the living room to the adults in the evening. A family from Kentucky wrote that their kids loved movie night in the bunkroom while the adults watched their own shows in the living room.

The room planner below lets you type a name into each bed and copy the plan into the family group chat before anyone packs.

The house has a washer and dryer for dusty hiking clothes and wet creek socks, Wi-Fi for anyone checking in with work, and board games for the evenings. The round dining table seats the whole group for breakfast, and the picnic table in the fenced yard takes the overflow on a warm afternoon. Our guide to a family reunion in Sedona has more on hosting several households under one roof.

“The game room with bunkbeds was a dream come true for our kids and our family had a blast playing pickleball on the indoor court.”

Victoria from Corona, California, June 2026

Three grocery stores line State Route 89A in West Sedona, so the first shop fits on the way in. Whole Foods Market, at 1420 West State Route 89A, is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Natural Grocers, at 1915 West State Route 89A, opens at 8:27 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 8:57 a.m. on Sunday. Safeway, at 2300 West Highway 89A, is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, with a deli, a bakery, a meat and seafood counter and a pharmacy. Those hours are as listed in October 2026.

The kitchen is ready for a week of cooking. It has an oven and stove, a dishwasher, a microwave, a refrigerator with a freezer, a coffee maker with coffee, a toaster, a blender, a baking sheet, wine glasses and cooking basics, and outside there is a BBQ grill with utensils. That makes the first shop all food: breakfasts for the week, sandwich makings and snacks for picnic lunches on the trail, and two or three easy dinners for the busy days. A first shop for eight might be eggs, bread, fruit, milk, cereal, deli meat, cheese, crackers, granola bars, a case of water for the trail and something for the grill that night.

With two cars, split the list: one car stops at Safeway for the big shop while the other picks up anything special. A 3 p.m. stop at the store gets you to the house right at check-in time.

The first evening works best kept simple: burgers or chicken on the grill, dinner at the picnic table in the fenced yard, and time for the kids to explore the house while the adults unpack. Then walk everyone over to the indoor court for a first game after the drive. Paddles and balls are on the rack, and the lights, the heat and the air conditioning make it comfortable at any hour.

After dark, light the gas fire table on the covered deck and plan the next morning: which trailhead, which shuttle day, what time to leave. Our guides to the best restaurants in Sedona and to breakfast and brunch are there for the nights and mornings you would rather not cook.

The free Sedona Shuttle carries hikers from park-and-ride lots to five of the area's most popular trailheads: Dry Creek Vista, Mescal, Soldier Pass, Cathedral Rock and Little Horse. The shuttle runs Thursday through Sunday; if the city adds daily spring service, trail mornings can move to any day.

“Leave the house and drive a mile or so on 89A to a free shuttle at the high school to take us on hikes.”

Mark, a guest in May 2026

With the shuttle, nobody thinks about parking: leave the car at the park-and-ride, ride to the trail with day packs and water, and ride back together. Riders do not need a Red Rock Pass, since they are not parking at the trailhead. The TransLoc app shows the buses in real time, and the shuttle's phone line is (928) 203-5152.

Start early on any trail, shuttle or not. The morning air is cool, the light is soft on the red rock, and you are back at the house for lunch and an afternoon on the court. Weekday mornings are the quietest on the trails. Where you drive to a trailhead yourself, display a Red Rock Pass where the sign asks for one; the next chapter has the prices.

Pick the trail to fit the group. Cathedral Rock is a short, steep climb, while the Bell Rock Pathway and the trails around it are gentler and wide. Our guides to easy, family-friendly hikes, Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock describe each trail, and our best hikes guide covers the longer days for the keen hikers in the group.

Devil's Bridge, Sedona's largest sandstone arch, is the trail many families ask about first. From the Mescal or Dry Creek Vista trailheads, both on the shuttle, it is about 4.2 miles round trip with about 400 feet of climbing, and the last stretch is a steep staircase of rock steps, so give it two to four hours and bring older kids who like a climb. Our Devil's Bridge guide has the route and the timing.

Pack more water than you think you need and a salty snack for each person, and agree on a turnaround time before you start, so the youngest hiker sets the pace and everyone has energy for the walk back.

Here is what the passes cost for a week. Most national forest trailheads around Sedona ask parked cars to display a Red Rock Pass, about $5 for a day or $15 for a week, and an America the Beautiful pass counts too. Riders on the free shuttle do not need one.

Most fees are charged per car, so a group in two cars pays twice at Slide Rock, the Grand Canyon and the West Fork lot, and needs a Red Rock Pass in each car that parks at a trailhead. Red Rock State Park charges per person instead.

The Call of the Canyon lot for the West Fork Trail, in Oak Creek Canyon, has its own day-use fee of about $15 per car and does not take the Red Rock Pass.

Slide Rock State Park charges $20 per car for one to four people from August 22, 2026, through April 2027, plus $5 for each additional person, and children under 6 get in free. A family of eight in one minivan, all over 6, pays $40.

Red Rock State Park charges $10 for adults 14 and over, $5 for ages 7 to 13, and nothing for children 6 and under. Two parents with kids of 8 and 11 pay $30, and the 10 a.m. nature walk runs every day.

Grand Canyon National Park charges $35 per private vehicle, good for seven days, so a second visit later in the week costs nothing more at the gate. Grandparents or friends who live outside the United States are welcome along; the park adds a $100 fee for each of them 16 or older, which an annual pass waives.

For one car for one week, the Grand Canyon fee plus a weekly Red Rock Pass comes to about $50. The $80 America the Beautiful annual pass covers both, so it pays off when the family has more national park trips planned for the year.

Give one day of the week to Oak Creek, the creek that carved the canyon north of town. In spring the water is brisk, and the sycamores and cottonwoods leaf out along the banks.

Slide Rock State Park, a 43-acre former apple farm in Oak Creek Canyon, is known for its natural creek slide. From January 31 the park opens at 8 a.m. and closes at 6 p.m., and entry and the swim area close at 5. In March the creek is brisk, great for wading and rock-hopping, and the slide is fun to watch as the water pours down the rock. Come around the 8 a.m. opening with a card for the gate.

The park keeps the story of the Pendley Homestead. Frank Pendley came to the canyon in 1907, planted his first orchard in 1912 and built rustic cabins for vacationers in 1933, and the historic cabins are still there to see. The park still uses the irrigation system he built. Our Slide Rock guide has the rest.

The West Fork Trail starts about 10 to 11 miles north of Sedona, a 20- to 25-minute drive from town up the canyon, and follows the creek between tall walls. The maintained trail crosses the water 13 times, so wear shoes that can get wet and bring a dry pair for the car. The walking is gentle, and families can turn around at any crossing. Our West Fork guide covers parking and the day-use fee.

Closer to West Sedona, Oak Creek runs in front of Cathedral Rock at Red Rock Crossing, with shallow water and smooth rocks along the bank. The drive up State Route 89A through the canyon makes an outing on its own, with pullouts for the creek; our Oak Creek Canyon drive guide lists the stops.

Pack the creek bag the night before: water shoes, a towel per person, a change of clothes, sunscreen and a picnic. After a morning in the brisk creek, the soaking tubs on the deck are the place to warm up before dinner.

Our pick for a creek day with younger kids is Slide Rock in the morning and a picnic by the water. For older kids who like a longer walk, the West Fork Trail and its creek crossings fill a happy half day.

In spring the high desert around West Sedona turns green. The living-room window at the house looks out on juniper, green hills and big sky.

In past springs the Red Rock Ranger District Visitor Center, on State Route 179 south of town, has set out a free table of live wildflowers and other native plants, each one labeled, presented by the Yavapai Master Gardeners and the Friends of the Forest. The display usually goes up in late March and early April; the visitor center can confirm 2027. Stop in on the way back from a hike near Bell Rock, then look for the same flowers on the next walk.

Red Rock State Park is the easy place to learn the rest of the landscape. A volunteer naturalist leads a nature walk every day at 10 a.m., covering geology, wildlife, history, archaeology and plant life through the park's different life zones. Bird walks, led by a veteran birder, start at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The park is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30, and the visitor center from 9 to 4:30. Our easy hikes guide lists more gentle trails with good footing for a family walk. Our pick for a family nature morning is the 10 a.m. walk at Red Rock State Park, since a naturalist sets the pace and answers the kids' questions along the way.

The green of the junipers and the new leaves along the creek sit well against the red rock in spring photographs, and the long evening light gives a soft glow to the cliffs. Our photography spots guide has the places and the times of day.

Slide Rock State Park is a Leave No Trace Gold Standard Site, and the same habits work on every trail: stay on the path, take photos of the blooms and leave them for the next family.

Here is what is on Sedona's calendar between late February and early April 2027, and what is expected from the pattern of past years.

The 33rd Sedona International Film Festival runs from Saturday, February 20, to Sunday, February 28, 2027, nine days of independent film in West Sedona, a few minutes from the house. It closes about a week before the first spring breaks begin, so it suits a long weekend in late February. Our film festival guide covers the festival.

Sedona's St. Patrick's Day Parade is a long-running community tradition on Jordan Road in Uptown, held at 10:30 a.m. on the Saturday before St. Patrick's Day, so expect the 2027 parade on Saturday, March 13. It is free and family-friendly, run by the City of Sedona's parks and recreation team. Find a spot along Jordan Road and make a morning of it in Uptown.

The Camp Verde Pecan and Wine Festival filled the third weekend of March in 2026, with Arizona wineries, pecan vendors, artisans, live music and food, free to attend with wine tasting tickets for the adults. Expect it again on March 20 and 21, 2027. Camp Verde is about 35 to 40 minutes from the house.

Easter Sunday is March 28, and the Easter weekend chapter below has our plan for it. For stargazers, the week of the March 8 new moon is one of the darkest weeks of the spring, the next new moon follows on April 6, and the full moon early on Monday, March 22, brightens the evenings that week.

For festivals, races and film nights through the rest of the year, see our Sedona events guide for 2026 and 2027 and the Sedona events calendar.

The indoor court sits in its own steel building on the property, heated, air-conditioned and lit, and guests report about 68 degrees with the AC on. That means a game at 7 a.m. before a trail, a midday match while the day warms up, or a tournament after dinner with no one waiting for a court. Paddles and balls are provided, and everyone needs a pair of court shoes.

A family tournament can run all week: a few games on arrival night to sort out partners, a short round each evening, and a final on the last night. Our guide to running a round-robin for 8 players has a checked rotation table with seven rounds and a new partner every round. On one court that makes 14 short games, two per round, while the other four players rest and keep score.

New players learn quickly. The serve goes underhand and diagonal, the ball has to bounce once on each side before anyone volleys, and nobody volleys from the kitchen, the no-volley zone next to the net. Our beginner's guide to the rules and scoring and the rules page cover the rest. The one shot worth teaching early is the dink, a soft shot that drops into the kitchen; it keeps rallies going and evens out the gap between a teenager and a grandparent.

For mixed ages, play to 11, or set a timer for 8 to 10 minutes, and let the youngest players serve from a step inside the baseline. With 14 games, a 10-minute timer finishes the whole round-robin in an evening or two. On a rest day after a long hike, a slow session of dinking drills is gentle on the legs.

Whenever the kids want an hour indoors, the court is a few steps from the back door.

“For our family, the highlight was the indoor air conditioned pickleball court. Our family had so much fun being able to play whenever we wanted to.”

Karen from Mesa, Arizona, August 2026

Here is how we would spend a Saturday-to-Saturday spring break week with a family of eight. On the March 22 week, shift it one day to run Sunday to Sunday and wake up at the house on Easter morning.

Saturday is arrival day: groceries on 89A in the afternoon, a grilled dinner, a first game on the court and Sunday's plan at the fire table.

Sunday is a shuttle day, so start with a trail. Ride to Cathedral Rock or Soldier Pass in the cool of the morning, and be back at the house for lunch. Spend the afternoon at Tlaquepaque or on the court.

Monday is creek day. Come to Slide Rock State Park around its 8 a.m. opening, wade and rock-hop, walk the old apple farm, and picnic by the water. Drive home through the canyon and warm up in the soaking tubs before dinner.

Tuesday is the Grand Canyon. Leave the house by 7:30 a.m. for the drive of about 2 hours 15 minutes, spend about four hours along the South Rim, and be home for dinner. The day-trips chapter below has the details.

Wednesday stays at the house. Sleep in, cook a big breakfast, run the family tournament on the court, do a load of laundry and play a board game in the afternoon. Nobody needs to get in a car.

Thursday the shuttle runs again. Ride to a trail you have not done, Dry Creek Vista or Mescal, and give the afternoon to the Verde Valley: Old Town Cottonwood and Jerome, or Montezuma Castle.

Friday starts with the 10 a.m. nature walk at Red Rock State Park, then a favorite trail or a second visit to the creek in the afternoon. On the March 22 week, Friday is Good Friday. Pack in the late afternoon, and finish with dinner at the round table, the tournament final and a last soak.

Families with two weeks off, from Gilbert or Chandler, can add the days that do not fit in one: a morning in Flagstaff, a second creek day on the West Fork Trail, an early start for Antelope Canyon, or a second Grand Canyon visit inside the same seven-day pass.

The second Saturday is departure morning: pack the cooler, load the cars, and head home with a stop for lunch on the way.

Our three-day itinerary has a shorter version for a long weekend, such as the Easter weekend many districts give in late March.

1. SaturdayGroceries in the afternoon, a grilled dinner and a first game
2. SundayShuttle to a trailhead, then Tlaquepaque or the court
3. MondaySlide Rock State Park and a picnic by Oak Creek
4. TuesdayGrand Canyon South Rim, leaving at 7:30 a.m.
5. WednesdayA day at the house, with the family tournament
6. ThursdayShuttle to a new trail, then the Verde Valley
7. FridayRed Rock State Park walk, the tournament final and a last soak
8. SaturdayDeparture morning and the drive home

A spring break week has room for one long day trip and one short one, with a day at the house between them.

The Grand Canyon is the long one. The South Rim is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and Grand Canyon Village is about 2 hours 15 minutes from the house. Entry is $35 per car, good for seven days. The rim sits at about 7,000 feet, and the Park Service lists April highs there in the 50s and 60s with nights below freezing, much cooler than Sedona, so pack warm layers, hats and gloves for everyone. Leave by 7:30 a.m., reach the rim before 10, spend about four hours along the edge, and start back mid-afternoon to be home for dinner. A cooler with sandwiches, water and snacks saves time at lunch. Make the day a loop: drive up through Oak Creek Canyon and Flagstaff, enter at the South Entrance, and come home by the East Entrance along the 23-mile Desert View Drive, past the Desert View Watchtower and the eastern overlooks. Our Grand Canyon day trip guide covers the routes, viewpoints and timing.

The Verde Valley makes the short one. Old Town Cottonwood is about 25 to 30 minutes from the house, with tasting rooms, shops and places for lunch, and Jerome, the old mining town on the hill above it, is about 40 to 45 minutes away. Our guides to Old Town Cottonwood, a Jerome day trip and the Verde Valley wineries cover the towns.

Montezuma Castle, the cliff dwelling in the Verde Valley, makes a good half day with children, and our Montezuma Castle guide has the hours and the nearby Montezuma Well. Pair it with a picnic and an afternoon at the house.

Flagstaff is about 45 minutes north by way of Oak Creek Canyon, with a historic downtown and plenty of places for lunch, and our Flagstaff day trip guide lists the sights. Antelope Canyon, near Page, is a much longer day that needs an early start, and our Antelope Canyon guide helps you plan it.

Put the Grand Canyon early in the week, while everyone is fresh, and keep one day in the middle at the house, as in the plan above, with the court, the yard and the soaking tubs.

Easter falls at the end of the March 22 spring break week in 2027: Good Friday is March 26 and Easter Sunday is March 28. Many districts list that Friday as a day off, as the table in the school calendar chapter shows.

To spend Easter morning at the house, families on the March 22 week can book Sunday, March 21, to Sunday, March 28. Families with only Good Friday off can come on Thursday night and stay through Easter morning. Las Vegas families, with Monday, March 29, off as well, can stay through Easter Sunday night and drive home on Monday. San Diego and Denver families, whose break starts on March 29, can arrive on Saturday, March 27, and begin their week with Easter at the house.

The fenced yard with its picnic table works for an egg hunt for the youngest guests, and the round dining table seats eight for Easter dinner. A ham or a leg of lamb fits the oven, potatoes and spring vegetables go on the stove or the grill, and dessert waits for the fire table.

Shop on Friday or Saturday. Safeway on 89A opens at 6 a.m. and Whole Foods at 7 a.m., and stores can keep different hours on a holiday weekend, so buy what you need for Sunday ahead of time.

Easter morning comes early: the sun rises at 6:20 a.m. and sets at 6:45 p.m. on March 28. Early risers can bundle up with coffee and cocoa on the covered deck as the light comes up over the hills, then hide the eggs in the yard while the kids are still in pajamas.

If the family would rather eat out, reserve an Easter brunch when you book the house; our breakfast and brunch guide lists favorites around town.

For families staying through Sunday, the afternoon can be easy: a walk in the sunshine, an egg-and-spoon race or a kids-against-parents match on the indoor court, a soak in the tubs and an early dinner.

The sun sets between about 6:30 and 6:50 p.m. during spring break, the air cools quickly, and the covered deck becomes the gathering place: a pergola overhead, a gas fire table in the middle and two freestanding soaking tubs.

Most of the house's six reviews mention the tubs or the fire table. A soak after a day on the trail or in the creek, then a seat at the fire table with cocoa or a glass of wine while dinner finishes on the grill, makes an easy routine. Bring swimsuits and something warm for the few steps between the tubs and the door, and keep the towels inside so they stay warm.

Clear spring nights are good for stars. The week of March 8 begins with a new moon, one of the darkest weeks of the spring, so turn off the deck lights, give your eyes 20 minutes and let the stars come out. The week of March 22 opens with a full moon, bright enough for a moonlit walk around the yard. Our stargazing guide has more on Sedona's night sky.

On warm evenings, dinner moves outside: the BBQ grill and the picnic table in the fenced yard make easy meals, and the fire table is ready for dessert. On cooler nights, the round dining table under the chandelier seats all eight.

Inside, board games come out at the round table, the bunk game room hosts the kids' movie night, and the court stays lit for one more game.

“After hiking or pickleball, the outdoor tubs and firepit remain big hits.”

Hannah from La Grange, Kentucky, May 2026

The list below covers a family's week, and your ticks stay saved in this browser, so each person can check off their own bag.

Bring layers for mornings near 40 degrees and afternoons near 70: t-shirts, a long-sleeve shirt, a fleece or light jacket, and long pants for evenings on the deck. Warm hats and light gloves are worth packing for early March and for a day on the Grand Canyon's rim.

For the trails and the creek, pack sturdy hiking shoes or trail runners with good grip, water shoes for Oak Creek and the West Fork crossings, a small day pack per adult, and a refillable water bottle for each person. At this height, sunscreen, sunglasses, lip balm and hats with brims go in every day pack.

For the house, bring swimsuits for the soaking tubs, court shoes for everyone who wants to play, and a cooler for groceries and picnic lunches. Paddles and balls are provided, and the kitchen has coffee, cooking basics and a coffee maker, so you can leave the small appliances at home. The washer and dryer mean you can pack for four or five days and wash once.

Bring binoculars for the bird walks, a headlamp or small flashlight per person for the stars, a deck of cards and a favorite board game, and any medicines the family needs; Safeway on 89A has a pharmacy a few minutes away. Our pickleball vacation packing list has more for the players.