One of the many familiar places of my Arizona adventuring as a kid is Oak Creek Canyon. Nestled deep down into the bottom of the famous and spiritual balancing red rocks of Sedona, Oak Creek is a natural spring fed from head waters in Fry Canyon. It meanders through Coconino County, down through the sheer cliffs and epic high desert forests between Flagstaff and Sedona.
Apparently, it is not just a creek but actually a gorge. It eventually connects with the Verde River. This, plus the underlying Oak Creek watershed, provides an important water source in the state. Oak Creek is known as one of the few constantly flowing rivers in the state.
When I was a kid, we would venture up from Phoenix once in a while at the hottest points in the summer. True, Oak Creek and Sedona are considered “high desert,” but they are almost always at least 10 degrees cooler than the arid, hot, dry barren land around Phoenix. Locals love this place as an easy drive up I-17 and quick escape. However, the allure of Sedona has made overnight lodging prices spike through the roof. But there is camping around Flagstaff and also right in Oak Creek. If you head south on the 89A from Flag, that’s what I am talking about. The first campground you will see is Pine Flat Campground. Further south and lower in the canyon is Cave Spring campground.
On a recent road trip, on the way back from Flagstaff, my boyfriend and I stopped to collect fresh natural spring water from a spigot at a pull off (Cookstove Draw). We saw a man with a full-size van filling dozens of gallon and five gallon containers; it must be the place he gets all of his water for the rest of the year!
If you are going to camp, it absolutely makes sense to pull off the main road onto one of the side parking areas and pay the fee for your vehicle. If you are just stopping for a day hike, parking on the side of the road can be tricky. The 89A gets narrow and there are tons of blind turns. Expect to drive slow and also expect a lot of pedestrians, especially around the water access areas and definitely in the hot summer months. Watch for the no parking signs—I am SERIOUS! I always see tow trucks down there. Even if it seems like a tight squeeze and you are doubtful, trust me, you WILL get towed if you don’t follow directions.
I had mentioned to my partner that there were lots of hiking trails around. We ended up paying about two dollars each to enter a forest service park and began a short hike on a trailhead called Call of Canyon Trailhead. We went down a cliffside first but came to a dead-end. Then we went back to the sanctioned trail. Here is something I really like about Arizona: we discovered modern-day ruins carved into a red rock cave face. There were remnants of a once very posh and exclusive vacation ranch. This was a little ghost town I had never seen before in a place where I never even knew any human history existed. And I’ve visited Oak Creek dozens of times!
Be careful on the back woods trails. Many of them crisscross the creek. If you aren’t paying attention, you can easily slip off a rock and into the water, as my partner did. Not fun in the cold autumn or winter. Might not be a bad idea to bring extra shoes and socks.
It was very interesting so see private residences tucked back there in the park. Actually, the designers were smart; several of these homes were made with local stone and painted forest colors, so they blend right in with the scenery. I have been reading that Sedona faces a housing shortage now for permanent residents because of all the short term rentals going on. This, coupled with a recent bad experience and misleading rental, makes me not want to use “house sharing” apps anymore.
It was fun to relive the place as an adult. I remember coming to the Slide Rock State Park with my friends as a pre-teen, laying out our brightly colored beach towels, and sliding through the creek in the most slippery places wearing our bathing suits and cut off jean shorts.
There is so much natural beauty and interesting local history in the place, it is worth many return trips.
Mediasaucy in Cyberspace 