Field guide · Phoenix
Sedona red rocks and a natural water slide
Full day
Day trip
~480 min
✓ Curated
A short brutal climb for the view, then cold creek water all afternoon.
The classic two-hour escape from Phoenix. Cathedral Rock is only 1.2 miles round trip but it climbs a steep slickrock chute — go early, the parking lot fills by 8am. Then drive north through Sedona to Slide Rock, where Oak Creek has carved a natural chute through the sandstone. The water stays shockingly cold even in July.
The stops
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1
Cathedral Rock Trailhead
Back O' Beyond Rd, Sedona, AZ 86336
Steep slickrock scramble — real shoes, and go early for parking.
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2
Slide Rock State Park
6871 N AZ-89A, Sedona, AZ 86336
Bring water shoes; the rock is slick and the creek runs cold.
This outing lives in Jaha
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