The Wonders and Excitement of Slide Rock

Slide Rock State Park is an iconic Sedona landmark located north of downtown by about six miles. This popular destination has a lot to offer its visitors…from hiking, exploration, swimming to a historic look into the past. As one of the few homesteads left intact in Oak Creek Canyon, Slide Rock State Park provides an example of how early agricultural development took place in this part of the state.

The Park has been an instrumental destination to the development of tourism for Sedona and the surrounding areas of Oak Creek Canyon. The paved road through the Canyon was completed in 1938, during those early years many had built rustic cabins to cater to vacationers and sightseers.  The Briar Patch Inn is a good example of this…during the 1940s a number of cabins were built along the creek to accommodate folks from the movie industry.

The park was named for the stretch of slippery, smooth sandstone that formed into a natural slide. Hundreds of thousands flock to Slide Rock year to slide down the slick chute or wade in the deep clear pools.  If you decide to partake and take a run down the slide, do be careful…the wet rock is extremely slippery.

Those interested in escaping the crowds can hike up the canyon a ways to explore the diversity of Oak Creek Canyon. There are also several hiking trails that meander throughout the park.  You can walk through the orchards and historical structures, which provide spectacular views of the canyon walls of Oak Creek.  Or, you might opt for the ridgeline trail that takes you high above Slide Rock…each area provides a unique vantage point.

The smooth sandstone rock against the jagged cliffs of Oak Creek make for a wonderful contrast and a photographers’ delight. During the summer months, Slide Rock experiences extremely high visitation. The parking lot will typically fill up from late morning through early afternoon.

Be sure to check out my video above—this footage has not a soul in sight, which is an extremely rare event.  I’d like to say that it was because Mike’s Road Trip has such swag, but the fact is, the park was closed for a couple hours and I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time.

If you’ve been to Slide Rock State Park, please let me and my readers know what you like best.  Also, please share this post with friends and family by clicking the “Like” button below.

Information:

• What to bring: If you visit Slide Rock, go prepared…bring sunscreen, towels, water and some snacks.  It’s worth mentioning that the walk from the parking lot to the Slide Rock area, is a bit of a trek.
• Weather: Summer (95 high, 65 low); Fall (78 high, 48 low); Winter (56 high, 30 low); Spring (65 high 37 low)
• Fees. $10.00 fee per vehicle.
• Directions. Drive about 6 miles North of Sedona up Oak Creek Canyon on Highway 89A. Parking will be on the west side of US 89A.

Contact Info:

• Slide Rock State Park website: https://azstateparks.com/slide-rock
• P.O. Box 10358
• Sedona, Arizona 86336
• (928) 282-3034