Slide Rock State Park

Slide Rock is an 80-foot chute worn into the sandstone bed of Oak Creek, 2.5 to 4 feet wide and sloping about seven percent. Algae on the rock makes it slippery enough to ride. Half a mile of creek is open for swimming, wading and sliding, and on a hot day this is one of the most crowded spots in the Sedona area. Parking is limited, reservations aren't available, and rangers won't let you wait along the highway if the lot is full, so arrive early or come on a weekday.

The rock is only half of the park. Frank Pendley arrived in the canyon in 1907 and formally acquired this land under the Homestead Act in 1910. He built an irrigation system that the park still uses, planted his first apple orchard in 1912, and added rustic tourist cabins in 1933 as the new canyon road brought visitors. The state acquired the homestead in 1985 and opened it as a park in October 1987. Today the 43-acre property keeps the homestead house, cabins, a packing shed and around 300 apple trees, and rangers open the shed on weekend mornings.

Three short trails cover the site. The paved, quarter-mile Pendley Homestead Trail passes the orchards and buildings and suits all visitors. The Slide Rock Route, 0.3 miles and moderate, is the primitive path to the swim area: it goes down steps from near the apple barn and crosses the creek on a small footbridge, which is removed during high runoff. The quarter-mile Clifftop Nature Trail overlooks the swim area from above.

Take the creek seriously. The water can drop to near freezing depending on the season, there are no lifeguards, and the submerged rock is very slippery to walk on. Glass containers are prohibited, and coolers are checked for them. Amplified music isn't allowed. Pets can't go in the creek area at any time and aren't allowed in the park at all from May 1 to September 30.

Water quality is monitored. Park staff and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality test Oak Creek weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and an alert appears at the top of the park's website if a test exceeds the E. coli standard. Such readings are typically linked to rainstorms. Look at the site on the morning you go. It will also show any other closure or access notice.