Just north of Sedona, the West Fork of Oak Creek Trail is a hidden gem that meanders through a stunning canyon and crosses Oak Creek 13 total times.
The West Fork of Oak Creek Trail (#108) is a 6.5 miles out and back hike near Sedona, Arizona. This hike is considered moderate due to the challenge of crossing the creek 13 times. There is little elevation gain, so if you’re sure-footed or willing to get your feet wet, this is a fun and easy hike. This hike took us under 3 hours with a few stops to take photos, and some slowdowns at the creek crossings.
Details:
Directions (Google Maps): To get to the West Fork of Oak Creek Trail (#108), search for the West Fork of Oak Creek Trailhead near Sedona, AZ or click here.
Directions (old school maps): From Sedona, head north on Highway 89 for about 10 miles. The parking lot entrance will be on your left. The turn is before the highway takes a right curve, so be careful of fast oncoming traffic. There is a decent sized parking lot that opens at 8am and will fill up on the weekends. You do have to pay $11 or have the proper pass to get in.
Driving Info: This is directly off of Highway 89 so the drive is easy. Pay attention to slower speed limits along the Highway, tight curves, and lots of other cars trying to get in and out of Sedona.
Time & Weather: We did this hike in February. Since you’re in a canyon, there are many parts of this trail that will not see the sun all winter. Thus, there is a fair amount of ice and snow along the trail. Dress warm and be prepared for multiple seasons of weather along this trail.
Gear: For any cold weather season hiking, bring micro-spikes or traction devices to navigate the many icy parts of the trail. Hiking poles are also very helpful for the creek crossings since many times you have to balance across a thin log or step onto a wet & wobbly boulder.
Trail Navigation: This trail is easy to follow, but just pay attention at the creek crossings. Usually there is a “Trail” sign on the other side to indicate where the trail pics back up.
Water & Food: Bring water and snacks as necessary. This hike does not take a ton of time, but since you follow the creek the entire time, there are dozens of beautiful areas to stop and rest and enjoy the scenery.
Trailhead Info: There is a decent sized parking lot with bathrooms at this trailhead. Note that there is a closed gate until 8am each morning. You also need to pay $11 or have the proper pass to get in.
Pictures of the West Fork of Oak Creek Trail (#108):
Cross this bridge once you exit the parking lot, and appreciate the easiest creek crossing you’ll have all day.
Before you get into the meat of the hike there are a variety of cabin ruins. You can read up on the history of the pioneers in the area.
Adjacent to the cabin ruins is this neat little cave room.
This view is from one of the first creek crossings. Since we started early (8am) it was very cold, and the only sunlight was hitting high up on the surrounding canyon walls.
This section walks along the right side of the creek.
Every now and then you’ll drift away from Oak Creek and wind your way through pine forests.
Another creek crossing, you can see the logs and rocks to walk across. A lot of the water is still frozen. Also, the sun is starting to hit parts of the creek further up.
Now we’re further into the trail in the areas that don’t see much sunlight. But since it starts to warm up this time of year, you get a lot of melted snow and icy trail conditions. Move slowly, use poles and traction devices.
More beautiful mid-creek pictures, with the towering canyon walls being lit up as the backdrop.
One of the more frozen crossings, this ice can definitely not sustain a hiker’s weight so be careful. Many of the rocks would crack the ice below as we stepped, so using the hiking poles as an extra touch point was extremely helpful.
Again, lots of icy trail in the back parts of this canyon. But the scenery is just gorgeous.
Getting closer to the endpoint of the trail, you’ll eventually cross over that log as well. The entire hike you are serenaded by the mini waterfalls of the creek.
Right near the turnaround point, the curved rock walls above the creek look like a skateboarding half-pipe.
Once you make the turnaround, it’s easy to get over-confident about making the same creek crossings again. But chances are the sun has melted some ice and changed the rate of water flow. Also, when more and more people start hitting this trail throughout the day, the rocks used to make crossings will get wet and often frozen. This makes them very slippery and dangerous so exercise caution.
This is one of the many trails that makes it onto our list of the best hikes in Sedona. If you have limited time be sure to check it out so that you can prioritize properly.
