Oak Creek runs cold and clear from the Mogollon Rim through the canyon north of Sedona, and the swimming holes it feeds are the finest natural swimming in Arizona. Slide Rock State Park, seven miles north of uptown, is built around an 80-foot natural sandstone water slide — worn smooth over centuries — that drops swimmers into the pools below. It made the Travel Channel's list of America's top ten swimming holes and earns the designation every summer.
Grasshopper Point, two miles north of uptown, is smaller and slightly wilder — a shaded pool at the base of the canyon walls with a calmer character than Slide Rock and the same cold water. The season runs June through September when water temperatures are comfortable and the creek is running at summer levels. Both sites fill their parking lots before 9am on summer weekends — arrive before 8am or plan to wait. Spring swimming is possible from late April but the water stays cold until June.
| Month | High / Low | Rain Days | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr | 73° / 43°F | 3 | Okay |
| May | 82° / 51°F | 2 | Good |
| Jun | 91° / 59°F | 2 | Good |
| Jul | 95° / 65°F | 9 | Peak |
| Aug | 92° / 63°F | 9 | Peak |
| Sep | 87° / 56°F | 6 | Good |
| Oct | 76° / 46°F | 4 | Okay |
Main commercial strip. Restaurants, galleries, tour operators, gear shops. Can be congested on weekends.
1.2-mile roundtrip scramble. Most photographed landmark in Sedona. Vortex site. Parking prohibited Thu–Sun — use shuttle.
Largest natural sandstone arch in the Sedona area. 4-mile roundtrip. Most photographed hike. Go early.
7-mile roundtrip through a box canyon. Vortex site. Shaded and excellent for wildlife and birding.
6.5-mile roundtrip along Oak Creek with 13 creek crossings. The most iconic canyon hike in Sedona. Shaded and cooler than other trails.
80-foot natural sandstone water slide. One of America's top ten swimming holes. Open year-round. Crowded in summer.
Shaded swimming hole at the base of Oak Creek Canyon. Smaller and wilder than Slide Rock. $15/vehicle.
43-acre riparian park along Oak Creek. Best single-site birding in Sedona. Guided bird walks and nature programs.
360-degree panoramic views of Sedona. Vortex site. Best sunset viewpoint in town. 3.3-mile loop.
Bell Rock Pathway — easy 1.2-mile loop with iconic formations. Vortex site. Village of Oak Creek.
The canyon north of Sedona toward Flagstaff. Swimming holes, birding, West Fork Trail, Slide Rock. Highway 89A runs through it.
Quieter southern area. Bell Rock, Courthouse Butte, and Buddha Beach swimming hole on Oak Creek.
A Red Rock Pass ($5/day, $15/week, or covered by America the Beautiful passes) is required at most Sedona trailheads and day-use areas including West Fork, Boynton Canyon, and Bell Rock. Purchase at the trailhead kiosk or at the Red Rock Visitor Center on Highway 179. Grasshopper Point charges a separate $15/vehicle fee not covered by the Red Rock Pass. Have both covered before you drive to the trailhead.
July and August monsoon storms can drop an inch of rain in twenty minutes, and that water moves through slot canyons and washes with no warning. West Fork Trail and any narrow canyon hike can flood from a storm that is miles away and invisible from inside the canyon. Check the National Weather Service forecast for the full watershed — not just the sky overhead — before any canyon hike from July through mid-September.
On peak season weekends, Cathedral Rock parking fills before 8am and Highway 89A through uptown backs up. The same trails on a Tuesday morning are genuinely quiet. If your schedule allows any flexibility, arriving Sunday evening and hiking Monday through Wednesday delivers a quality of experience that the weekend crowd does not get.
Wildist-vetted hotels for Sedona & Red Rocks, Arizona coming soon.