Travel | October 23, 2026 10:54 a.m.

The images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest archives will have you packing your bags for the mountains of the American Southwest

Iconic Cathedral Rock is just one example of the natural beauty found in Sedona, where iron oxide (or rust) stains the sandstone a vibrant red.

Arvin Vicente, 2018

These 15 Photos Perfectly Capture the Beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona

The images from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest archives will have you packing your bags for the mountains of the American Southwest

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October 23, 2026 10:54 a.m.

Iconic Cathedral Rock is just one example of the natural beauty found in Sedona, where iron oxide (or rust) stains the sandstone a vibrant red. Arvin Vicente, 2018

That’s what welcomes visitors to Sedona, Arizona, also known as Red Rock Country. The rust color is a product of iron oxide found in the land where a sea helped to shape caves, hills and buttresses millions of years ago.…