Location: Oak Creek Canyon (Sedona)
When: Usually on the last Sunday of October
Difficulty: Easy
Distance (round trip): Up to 6 miles (you choose)
Elevation Change: 5,280 to 5,480 ft.
Time Estimate (round trip): 5 hours of hiking
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Hike Name: Annual Fall Colors Hike Location: Oak Creek Canyon (Sedona) When: Usually on the last Sunday of October Difficulty: Easy Distance (round trip): Up to 6 miles (you choose) Elevation Change: 5,280 to 5,480 ft. Time Estimate (round trip): 5 hours of hiking |
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Six miles is around the upper distance limit for easy hikes. However, our route is in and out on the same trail, so no one has to hike the whole distance.
The route is easy to follow. Just take the well-used trail from the parking lot. It will take you across a footbridge and to the canyon. Follow the creek upstream as far as you want, up to the point where you have to wade to continue (at about 3 miles in), and then go back downstream. There's very little elevation change. However, Sedona is at a higher elevation than Phoenix, and you'll have to do lots of rock-hopping across the creek.
We're planning for this to be a leisurely, easy hike to enjoy the fall colors. So you might want to bring your kids, your parents, and your camera for this hike.
On past trips, some adults have decided not to do the whole hike, but Kathy's mom and two ambitious six-year-olds have done the whole six miles. This was a long hike for the six-year-olds, but they had fun.
The hardest part of this hike is probably the rock-hopping back and forth across the creek. Some of the wet rocks are wobbly and slippery. A bridge is now at the first creek crossing, which used to be the hardest crossing.
As always, everyone hikes at their own risk.
The book Streamside Trails says:
The West Fork Trail is an easy trek back and forth across a shallow creek at the floor of a thousand-foot-deep canyon. Verdant green pines, firs, and oaks contrast strikingly against the steep-walled red Schnebly and pale Coconino sandstone. You can stroll up to three miles with little difficulty. It's a good point to stop for a picnic lunch, but if you want to go further, up to 13 miles, be prepared for wading up to your knees or deeper. The best time for hiking is October when the maples and oaks light up the canyon with rich yellows and glowing pinks, but go on a weekday or early on weekends to avoid the crowds.
There is a parking fee. (For more details, see this link; estimate: $8 per car, covering up to five people, and $1 for each extra person.) Don't forget to contribute some gas money to your carpool driver.
Wear easily layered clothing for both warm and cool weather. We'll probably experience quite a temperature change during our hiking. Sedona is usually about 10 degrees cooler than Phoenix, too.
In case you fall in the creek (people have accidentally fallen in on past trips), you'll appreciate having some dry clothes and shoes in your car.
A walking stick will really help with the creek crossings.
If you're one of those people who has a hard time hiking leisurely, bring something to slow you down, like maybe a camera.
Radios can really help with the caravaning to and from the trailhead. Our FRS TalkAbout radio setting will be channel 9 code 1.
See below the list of REQUIRED hiking supplies we use for all day hikes.
We're leaving early in the morning to avoid having parking
problems at the trailhead. The closer we are to the best time for fall
colors, the more likely we are to have to wait for parking. For
2009, we're moving the time a half hour earlier since people had to
wait to park the previous year. The schedule below reflects this
change.
Please
carpool! Choose carpool partners who hike about the same speed as
you or have
similar plans to yours. For example, ride together with people
who need to be back at the same time, who also plan to stop at a
restaurant on the way home, who want to hike fast, etc.
Keep an eye on the Sedona weather near the day of the trip. We canceled the hike one year because it was snowing in Sedona, and one year almost everyone bailed because it had rained non-stop for so long before the trip and we were worried about flash floods. (Sedona had another flash flood on 9/10/2009.) Usually, the weather is very nice for our hike, though. We usually go the last weekend of October.
Take I-17 north to the Sedona exit (exit 298), highway 179. Take 179 northwest to the "Sedona Y" (where 179 T's into 89A). Take 89A northeast (right turn) to past mile marker 384. (You will pass Slide Rock State Park around mile marker 381.) On the left side of the road will be a parking lot (fee required) for the Call O' the Canyon area. That's where we plan to park. The entrance to the parking area would be easy to miss if you're not looking for it, so after you pass mile marker 384, keep an eye out for openings to the left (west side of the road) when you come to curves in the road.
Don't forget to check for road closures right before the trip.
Click here for a Google map from Denny's to the trailhead.
Please carpool as much as possible. We have not found any legal place within a reasonable distance for overflow parking, although you may consider using the Sedona Chamber of Commerce parking lot if multiple vehicles would rather spend over half an hour with shuttling before and after the hike than wait an unknown amount of time for a parking spot. We will pass the Chamber of Commerce on the left (west) side of the road shortly after we turn onto 89A, about 17 minutes before we reach the trailhead parking.
I would like for us all to caravan to and from the trailhead together if possible so that no one can get stranded with car problems along the way. With multiple vehicles going on a trip, we have no excuse for letting anyone get stranded.
The caravan hasn't been working well lately. Once one vehicle leaves others behind and out of radio distance, the caravan falls apart. Try to stay with at least one vehicle. People usually drive home at different times, though, since they finish at different times.
We will be driving on paved roads the whole way.
You can get more information, including fee amounts and a link to a PDF trail map, at the following URL.
http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/westfork-tr.shtml
I hope you'll go on this hike (if you feel up to it)!
Please let me (Kathy) know if you plan to go on this hike.
You can just show up at the meeting place, but I'd like to
get an idea of how many people are going.
Since we have recently had to wait for parking places at the trailhead, it's important that we all carpool as much as possible.
We encourage anyone who goes on one of our hikes to write a trip report. You can write anything you like and as little or as much as you like. We really need some new authors! Just e-mail us your report.
Participants might want to exchange cell phone numbers by email before the trip.On hot days bring at least one quart for every 5 miles and every 1000 feet of elevation gain. Each person should carry his or her OWN water, so that people getting separated doesn't cause a problem.
You'll need at least something for carrying your water. One pack for several people may be okay, as long as you can fit everyone's required supplies in the pack.
An el-cheapo plastic poncho is fine. In an emergency, you can use your rain gear to protect you from more than just rain.
We usually do half the hike, eat lunch, and then finish the hike. Make sure you bring foods that don't go bad in the heat. Also, remember that foods in your pack may get squished.
In case the hiking group decides to split up or gets split accidentally, everyone should have a reference.