Slide Rock State Park in Fall and Winter: Hours, Fees, Can You Swim?

Slide Rock State Park is open this fall, it is cheaper and far less crowded than in summer, and the old apple orchard and canyon walls are at their best from late October into November. The catch is the water: after this summer’s Pocket Fire and the flash floods that followed, the swim area has been closed or under a stay-out advisory for stretches of the season, so check the park’s alerts the morning you go. Here is what we tell our own guests about hours, fees, swimming, dogs and timing for a fall or winter visit.

We have been driving guests past the Slide Rock entrance on 89A since 2004, and the off-season version of this park is the one we like best.

Slide Rock State Park basics: where it is and how entry works

Slide Rock sits in Oak Creek Canyon about 6 miles north of Sedona and 21 miles south of Flagstaff on State Route 89A, at an elevation of about 4,957 feet, according to the Coconino National Forest. The land belongs to the National Forest, and Arizona State Parks and Trails runs the park under a special use permit.

A few entry rules trip people up every year, all listed on the Arizona State Parks Slide Rock page:

Vehicle entry only. There are no walk-ins or drop-offs. You drive in through the entry station or you do not get in.
No reservations. Entry is first come, first served, and when the lot is full the gate closes until cars leave.
Don’t queue on the highway. The park asks visitors not to line up along the driveway or on 89A before opening or when the lot is full.
Last entry is an hour before closing, and the swim area closes at the same time.

Parking is limited, so the park asks visitors to carpool. In fall and winter that is much less of an issue than in July, but a sunny Saturday in late October can still fill the lot by late morning.

Slide Rock State Park hours and fees this fall and winter

Here is what the park’s own site lists as of this week. The park has posted slightly different seasonal switch dates on different pages, so confirm on the official page before you go.

Hours

Regular season: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with entry and the swim area closing at 5 p.m.
Winter hours (early December through early February): 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with entry and the swim area closing at 4 p.m.
Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Christmas Day: closed

Entrance fees (per vehicle, 1 to 4 adults)

Tuesday after Labor Day through October 31: $20
November through February: $10
Each additional adult: $5
Motorcycles pay 50 percent of the vehicle fee

That November price drop is one of the better deals in the Sedona area. Visa or MasterCard is strongly preferred at the gate, and if you pay cash you need exact change.

Note that a Red Rock Pass does not cover Slide Rock. This is a state park with its own fee, separate from the National Forest trailheads around town. Our Red Rock Pass guide explains where you do and do not need one.

Can you swim at Slide Rock right now?

This is the question we get most, and the honest answer is “maybe, and you may not want to.”

The background: the Pocket Fire burned in the high country north and west of Sedona this summer. On July 17, heavy rain flushed ash and debris off the burn scar into Oak Creek, and Arizona State Parks closed the swim area through the end of September, in step with a Coconino National Forest closure order on Oak Creek. The rest of the park stayed open for picnicking, the homestead and the short trails. KJZZ reported the closure in early August.

Oak Creek reopened the week of September 17, and less than a day later another flash flood turned the water brown. AZFamily quoted park manager Sam Axford asking visitors to stay out of the water for their own safety, and said that request could lift within days or weeks. The same report noted that about 7,000 vehicles had been turned away at the gate during the closure.

What that means for you this fall:

Check the alerts the morning of your visit. The park closes the creek after high water, and conditions can change overnight after rain upstream.
If the water looks brown or carries debris, stay out. Burned logs and ash are exactly what the park has been warning about.
It is cold anyway. The park’s weather page shows average highs of 77 in October, 64 in November and 57 in December, with lows near freezing by December. The park notes that some people still ride the slide in winter in near-freezing water. We admire them from the bank.
There is no lifeguard. The natural slide is about 80 feet long and 2.5 to 4 feet wide, and the algae on the sandstone is slick year-round. Water shoes or shoes with real grip are a must if you go anywhere near the creek.

In short, plan a fall or winter visit around the canyon, the orchard and the walk along the creek, and treat a dip as a bonus.

What to do at Slide Rock when you are not swimming

The park started as the Pendley Homestead, an apple farm whose first orchard went in back in 1912, and that history is the heart of an off-season visit. According to the park’s trail guide, there are three short walks:

Pendley Homestead Trail (0.25 miles, easy, paved and level): past the original orchard, the homestead house, tourist cabins, the apple packing barn, old farm equipment and a newer orchard, with the canyon walls overhead. This is the one for everyone, including strollers and anyone who does not want uneven footing.
Slide Rock Route (0.3 miles, moderate): a primitive route along Oak Creek over sandstone shelves to the slide itself, past a historic rock cabin, ending at an eight-foot wall where most people turn around. The footbridge on this route can be removed during high runoff.
Clifftop Nature Trail (0.25 miles): starts near the apple barn and looks down over the swim area. This is the best view of the slide without getting wet.

Beyond the trails, the facility page lists 15 first-come picnic sites near the parking lot, flush-toilet restrooms with a drinking fountain, and the Slide Rock Market for snacks, water and souvenirs. From November through March the market keeps weekend hours only, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so bring your own lunch on a weekday. Coues white-tailed deer and javelina are common, and Steller’s jays are easy to spot in the oaks. Fishing is not allowed inside the park.

Bringing your dog to Slide Rock

Good news for dog owners: the off-season is the only time your dog can come. The park allows pets from October through April and not at all from May through September. Even in the cooler months, dogs must stay leashed and attended, cannot be left in a vehicle, and are never allowed in the swim area. The park’s trail page names the Clifftop Nature Trail as the pet-friendly walk.

If the pup is the priority, our dog-friendly Sedona guide covers trails and patios that welcome dogs year-round.

When to go, what to bring, what to book

When to go

Late October to mid-November is the sweet spot. The canyon color along Oak Creek is peaking, the vehicle fee drops to $10 on November 1, and crowds are a fraction of summer’s.
Weekday mornings are calmest. On weekends, arrive near opening or after 2 p.m.
Avoid the day after a storm if the creek is your reason for going; the park may close it.
Thanksgiving is a short day at the park (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.), and Christmas it is closed.

What to bring

Layers. Oak Creek Canyon runs cooler than Uptown, and late-afternoon shade comes early in a narrow canyon.
Shoes with grip, even if you are only walking the creek route.
A card for the gate, or exact change.
Your own food and water, especially on weekdays when the market is closed.
No glass: it is banned in the park and staff may check coolers. Charcoal goes only in the designated grills, and Stage 1 fire restrictions are in effect, so check current fire rules before planning a cookout.

What to book

Slide Rock is a two-hour stop, not a whole day. Pair it with the rest of the canyon drive (our West Fork closure post covers what else is open in Oak Creek Canyon this fall), then head south for the afternoon. Oak Creek keeps flowing down through Page Springs and Cornville, where the cottonwoods turn gold in November and several of the wineries we visit sit right along the water. Our guide to Sedona wineries and vineyards covers who is where, and our Wine Tours of Sedona page shows how we handle the driving so you can enjoy the tastings. Questions? Reach Sedona Wine Tours at (928) 504-2445 or [email protected].

Spend the morning at Slide Rock and the afternoon in Sedona wine country, and if you are not sure which of our tours fits your crew, the Tour Chooser will point you to the right one in under a minute.