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West Fork of Oak Creek

Sedona offers some of the best hiking in Arizona. There are dozens of trails, many of them open and exposed, with fantastic views of the famous Red Rock formations, while others take you through thick pine forests, and some wind through narrow canyons. Undoubtedly the most beautiful of the canyon hikes is West Fork of Oak Creek. It is a deep, forested canyon, with high rock walls towering hundreds of feet above, showing off many beautifully eroded rock formations. A stream flows through the canyon year-round, rushing in the late Spring after snow melts from the high country, and slowing to a quiet flow by the end of October. The forest floor is covered in the Spring with lupine and fern (along with poison ivy), and in the Fall both the trail and the stream is coated with red and yellow leaves that have fallen from the maple and ash trees that you will find along the way. Pools of water reflect the sun-lit cliffs high above or the curved walls of the streambed, sometimes with light from the stream dancing on the underside of the overhangs. Most of the cliffs are of reddish-orange sandstone, with white limestone near the top. The multi-layered rocks are eroded by the stream into elegant curving shapes, sometimes with short, tunnel-like passages.

We had a chance to hike the West Fork trail on a beautiful October day. Although we got an early start, we were not the only ones with this idea, so for most of the way along the maintained trail, we had plenty of company (and way too much noise from the constant chatter of the hiking groups). But at the end of the maintained trail, where most people turn around, we made our way through the narrows and found a quiet spot further upstream, where two placid pools of water were separated by the gentle flow of water over a shallow rock ledge. Sitting on a large boulder, our view to the left offered us a lovely tree with a full canopy of yellow leaves reflecting in the wide pool, and to our right was a wall of multi-colored rock glistening above the flowing water of the stream. Looking both upstream and downstream we could see the high canyon walls brightly lit in the late afternoon sun.
On our way back, at the mouth of the narrows, the still water mirrored the many shapes and colors of the tunneled rock, as the stream relaxed after a busy day hosting the loud crowds. It was an inspiring sight that we dwelled upon for over half an hour, taking dozens of photos from different angles. It was a gift that we will always cherish, as we view both the images captured by the camera and those that imprinted themselves in our mind.

The West Fork trail is an easy three miles each way, but there are 13 creek crossings that require balancing on rocks and logs if you want to keep your feet dry. Although the West Fork hike can be done is 3-4 hours round-trip, we arrived back at our car after ten hours on the trail, giving us time to better appreciate the beauty of the canyon and absorb the views, sounds, and spirit of this sacred place. In spite of its popularity, West Fork trail offers the thoughtful hiker a nearly constant stream of impressive images that more than make up for the lack of solitude. The babble of the hiking groups has already faded away, and we are left with rich visual impressions that will last a lifetime.