Slide Rock State Park (Sedona): A Pretty Little Park.
Visited Tuesday, October 8, 2013; reviewed October 26, 2013 See this review on Trip Advisor.
It was a beautiful drive up Oak Creek Canyon from Sedona to Slide Rock State Park. We had clear, blue skies and lots of light; the red rocks were glowing. We paid the $10 entry fee and rolled into the parking lot at 10:00 AM.
It was a beautiful drive up Oak Creek Canyon from Sedona to Slide Rock State Park. We had clear, blue skies and lots of light; the red rocks were glowing. We paid the $10 entry fee and rolled into the parking lot at 10:00 AM.
Not crowded at all when we arrived. The map we were given listed three short trails, probably a mile or so total, so we walked them all in about an hour. The first trail is just a paved trail through the old buildings, the Pendley Homestead Trail; a nice easy stroll. Some interesting historical displays and nice photo ops of the old farm equipment and buildings. The first structures we passed were three old tourist cabin built in 1933. Not much left of them now. The most interesting artifacts were the restored tractors in the fruit packing barn; bright red just like they were new.
At the end of the paved trail are steps leading down to the river. A completely different look from here. We walked the short distance to the swim area. Even though it was a little cool there were still several kids frolicking in the water and sliding down the rocks (get it, Slide Rock State Park). We got some nice reflection shots of the red rocks and green pines in the large pool below the slide. We also spied a few lizards scurrying about in the rocks below the route 89A bridge. Back at the top of the steps, we continued around to the right and along the short Clifftop Nature Trail (just a 3/8-mile loop). There were a couple of OK overlooks that looked down on the river and up the valley but otherwise this is an unremarkable little trail. The loop brings you back to the Pendley Trail just below the orchard. We snapped a few more photos of the old buildings and a lizard behind the fruit packing barn. He was doing push-ups on top of a corn husk. We hit the little gift shop on the way out for a cold drink then headed for the parking lot and on to other adventures in Red Rock Country. So Slide Rock State Park is a nice scenic stop that also provides some history of the area. I would not say it is a “must see” while in Sedona, but it is certainly worth an hour to check out the views and the displays. Of course the kids might enjoy playing around in the water; not something that was high on my list of activities. |