Slide Rock Swim Area
Sedona, Arizona · on Oak Creek · Coconino National Forest
Verified · 4 independent sources
- WATER
- creek
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $30 per vehicle
- SEASON
- May
About Slide Rock Swim Area
Slide Rock State Park is an Arizona State Parks unit in Oak Creek Canyon about 7 miles north of Sedona, co-managed with the U.S. Forest Service on Coconino National Forest land. It is centered on Oak Creek's namesake natural slickrock water slide and an official 'Oak Creek swim area,' a natural swimming hole that helps make it one of Arizona's most-visited state parks (278,330 visitors in 2024).
The park sits within red-rock Oak Creek Canyon along Oak Creek in Coconino National Forest. It also preserves the early-20th-century Pendley Homestead, settled in 1907, planted as an apple orchard in 1912, with cabins added in 1933, listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Pendley Homestead Historic District since 1991.
Swimming at Slide Rock Swim Area
Oak Creek's smooth, slick sandstone streambed forms a natural chute ('slide rock') that visitors slide and swim through. The state park designates this stretch of Oak Creek as the official swim area, with swimming/entry permitted only during posted hours (access closes one hour before the gate).
How to get to this swimming hole
Located in Oak Creek Canyon, approximately 7 miles north of Sedona, Arizona (Coconino County).
Parking: Entry is by personal vehicle only through the park entrance; Arizona State Parks does not allow walk-in, drop-off, or bicycle access, and visitors may not line up along the entrance roadway before opening or once the lot is full.
The hike in
Slide Rock Route
- To the water
- ~0.3 mi one-way (per Wikipedia's park-trail listing)
- Time on foot
- roughly 5-10 minutes on foot from the lot
Difficulty: easy
Trailhead: Park's main parking lot, reached via the gated entrance station off SR 89A in Oak Creek Canyon
Not a backcountry hike -- this is the short, maintained path connecting the main parking area to the creek-bank slide/swim area. The park also has two other short interpretive loops on-site (Pendley Homestead Trail, ~0.25 mi; Clifftop Nature Trail, ~0.25 mi) that are optional sightseeing add-ons, not required to reach the water.
No official source gave an exact parking-to-water walk time; the ~0.3 mi figure is the length attributed to the 'Slide Rock Route' trail, which appears to be the access route to the slide feature itself rather than a separate excursion trail.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Official sources describe the swim area as a natural slickrock creek chute/slide rather than a supervised pool, and no lifeguards are mentioned on the park's own page. The site is also currently closed (through September 2026, per Arizona State Parks) specifically because of flash-flood risk on the burned Pocket Fire watershed above the canyon, which underscores that Oak Creek here can rise/behave unpredictably after rain. No specific depth, current-strength, or slip-hazard data for the slide itself was found in sources checked this session.
Parking
Paid, $30/vehicle (1-4 occupants) May-Sept; $20/vehicle Oct-April; +$5 per additional occupant; kids under 6 free
Entry/parking is by personal vehicle only through the park's gated entrance station; Arizona State Parks explicitly does not allow walk-in, drop-off, or bicycle entry, and visitors may not line up along the entrance roadway before opening or once the lot is full. Payment by Visa/Mastercard is 'strongly preferred'; cash users must have exact change.
Hours
8 a.m.-6 p.m. (Jan 31-Nov 21) / 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Nov 22-Jan 30); entry and swimming close 1 hour before the gate closes; shortened hours on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day. As of this research, Arizona State Parks has the Oak Creek swim area closed through September 2026 (updated from an earlier Aug 3, 2026 target) due to flash-flood danger on the Pocket Fire burn scar upstream -- the rest of the park (hiking trails, picnic areas, historic orchard) remains open.
On the water
No source found mentions kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, tubing, or motorized watercraft at Slide Rock. The site is a narrow, shallow, rocky creek stretch defined by its natural slickrock slide/chute, not a boating destination, and no rental outfitters advertising service to this specific stretch of Oak Creek were found (search access was blocked this session -- see notes).
Backstory
Frank L. Pendley settled the property in 1907, planted an apple orchard in 1912, and built cabins in 1933. Arizona acquired the land in 1985 and dedicated it as a state park in October 1987; the Pendley Homestead Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. The canyon has also served as a filming location for classic Westerns, including Angel and the Badman (1946), Broken Arrow (1950), Drum Beat (1954), and Gun Fury (1953).
Slide Rock Swim Area: FAQ
Does Slide Rock Swim Area charge a fee?
$30 per vehicle (1-4 occupants) May through September; $20 per vehicle October through April; $5 for each additional occupant; children under 6 free. Exact cash or card payment.
Is Slide Rock Swim Area kid friendly?
Official sources describe the swim area as a natural slickrock creek chute/slide rather than a supervised pool, and no lifeguards are mentioned on the park's own page. The site is also currently closed (through September 2026, per Arizona State Parks) specifically because of flash-flood risk on the burned Pocket Fire watershed above the canyon, which underscores that Oak Creek here can rise/behave unpredictably after rain. No specific depth, current-strength, or slip-hazard data for the slide itself was found in sources checked this session.
Do I need to hike to reach Slide Rock Swim Area?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Slide Rock Swim Area?
Entry/parking is by personal vehicle only through the park's gated entrance station; Arizona State Parks explicitly does not allow walk-in, drop-off, or bicycle entry, and visitors may not line up along the entrance roadway before opening or once the lot is full. Payment by Visa/Mastercard is 'strongly preferred'; cash users must have exact change.
When is the best time to visit Slide Rock Swim Area?
May through September, when the park runs extended 8 a.m.-6 p.m. hours and charges its higher peak-season fee, reflecting the main swimming season.
What are the rules at Slide Rock Swim Area?
No pets are allowed in the creek at any time, and pets are banned park-wide from May 1 through September 30. Hours run 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (Jan 31-Nov 21) or 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Nov 22-Jan 30), with entry/swimming closing one hour before gate closing; special short hours on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day. As of this research (late July 2026), the Oak Creek swim area was closed through August 3, 2026 following the Pocket Fire, for public health and safety reasons.
What water body is Slide Rock Swim Area on?
Slide Rock Swim Area is on Oak Creek, a natural creek verified in USGS hydrography data.
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