Pink Jeep Tours

Pink Jeep Tours, now operating under the Pink Adventure Tours name, is as much a part of Sedona's identity as the red rocks themselves: a fleet of bright pink open-air jeeps that has been carrying visitors into the backcountry for decades under permits on the Coconino National Forest. A tour is the easiest way to experience terrain that most rental cars can never touch, and the guides double as naturalists, geologists and storytellers. The lineup is broad. Broken Arrow, the flagship, is a two-hour ride rated bumpy, climbing and descending slickrock ledges to Submarine Rock and Chicken Point, with views of Bell Rock and the Mitten Ridge cliffs; the name comes from the 1950 western filmed in the area. The Scenic Rim tours, rated rugged, crawl along rocky shelves above Sedona and are the wildest rides in the catalog, and a Broken Arrow and Scenic Rim combo stretches to three hours. Gentler options include the mild Red Rock Range ride, the Honanki Cliff Dwellings tour to a Sinagua ruin and rock-art site in the backcountry, and paved Scenic Sedona tours such as Chapel Bells and the State Park Loop for travelers who want commentary without the bouncing. There is a seasonal Broken Arrow Twilight departure, and private jeeps can be booked for groups. Each tour carries a roughness rating from paved to rugged, which is the single most useful number when choosing: the rugged rides are genuinely jarring and not for anyone with back or neck problems, pregnancy or motion sickness, while the mild and paved tours suit almost everyone. Prices vary by tour and season; check the current rate for your date.

The pink jeeps began in the 1960s, when Sedona was still a small ranching and art town, and the company grew alongside the town's tourism, eventually adding operations in other Southwest destinations. The color was a marketing stroke of genius — every photo of a Broken Arrow ledge seems to feature one — and the company's long history on the Coconino means its guides have access to permitted routes such as Broken Arrow that private drivers cannot match. The backcountry roads are maintained for this kind of travel, and the jeeps are customized with bench seating, roll bars and open sides so that everyone gets a view.

Choosing the right tour comes down to three questions: how rough, how long, and what you want to see. For a first-timer who wants thrills, Broken Arrow is the classic — it is the route that makes people laugh and grab the rails, and the stop at Chicken Point is one of Sedona's great viewpoints. Adrenaline seekers should book the Scenic Rim or the combo. Families with young children, older travelers or anyone sensitive to bumps will be happier on Red Rock Range or the paved Scenic Sedona tours. History lovers should consider the Honanki tour, which combines a mild backcountry drive with a guided visit to cliff dwellings and rock art that are otherwise reached only by rough Forest Service roads; there is also a combo pairing Honanki with Red Rock Range.

Practical advice. Book a few days ahead in spring and fall, when popular departures sell out, and consider the morning for cooler air or the late afternoon for richer light. Dress in layers — the jeeps are open, so it can be cold in winter and very sunny in summer — and bring sunglasses, a hat and a secure strap for your phone. Loose items fly on the rugged tours. Guides appreciate tips. Pink Adventure Tours also runs long Sprinter van day trips to the Grand Canyon and to Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend; those are long days on paved highway and a different trip from the Sedona backcountry. If you want an off-road experience without the pink, other outfitters run jeep tours in Sedona too, but the pink jeeps remain the original and the most iconic, and a ride up Broken Arrow is as much a Sedona tradition as sunset on Airport Mesa.