Oak Creek Canyon · north of Sedona · State park and swim area
Slide Rock State Park
Slide down an 80-foot natural chute in Oak Creek, wade the cold pools below red canyon walls, and stroll a 1912 apple homestead on paved paths.
Opens the park’s official page. There are no reservations: entry is by vehicle only, first come, first served.
Details checked October 2026
Type
State park & swim area
Natural water slide on the 1912 Pendley Homestead
Admission
$20 per vehicle
1–4 people through April; $30 May to Aug 21
Hours
8 am–6 pm
Last entry 5 pm; 9 am–5 pm from Nov 21 to Jan 30
Time needed
Varies
Short trails of 0.25–0.3 mile; swim as long as you like
Parking
About 156 spaces
Lot closes when full; no lining up on SR 89A
The slide
80 ft long
2.5–4 ft wide, worn into the sandstone
What you’ll see
An 80-foot slide in a red rock canyon
Most people come for the creek, but the old Pendley homestead and its orchards are worth a slow walk too.
Photo: Don Graham on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Start here
Slide Rock itself
The park’s namesake is an 80-foot chute worn into the sandstone bed of Oak Creek, 2.5 to 4 feet wide with a seven percent drop. Algae on the rock makes it slick, and about half a mile of the creek is open for swimming, wading and sliding. The swim area has reopened after this summer’s Oak Creek closures.
RV tip: the creek can be near freezing depending on the season, and the rocks under the water are very slippery. Pack water shoes and a towel in the tow car, and leave glass at camp, because coolers are checked.
More to see
- Pendley Homestead TrailA paved, level quarter-mile through the historic homestead, past original apple orchards, the Pendley house, 1930s tourist cabins, the apple packing barn and old farm implements.
- Apple Packing Shed open houseOn Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to noon, a ranger opens the packing shed and its 1933 sorter. There’s no apple picking this fall.
- Slide Rock Route and Clifftop Nature TrailThe 0.3-mile Slide Rock Route drops from the packing barn to the creek and the sandstone shelves. The quarter-mile Clifftop Nature Trail is the quieter option.
- Trout fishing upstreamWild brown and rainbow trout live in Oak Creek, supplemented by seasonal stocking. Fishing isn’t allowed in the swimming areas, so walk upstream to cast.
Why go
A cool creek day just up the canyon from Sedona
Slide Rock State Park started as Frank Pendley’s homestead. He formally claimed the land in 1910, built an irrigation system the park still uses and planted his first apple orchard in 1912. Today the 43-acre park pairs that farm history with one of Arizona’s best-known swimming holes.
For RVers it is an easy day trip in the tow car, about six miles up SR 89A from Sedona into Oak Creek Canyon. The catch is parking. The lot has about 156 spaces, and since May 2026 it simply closes when it fills instead of letting cars line up on the highway, so plan to arrive at opening.
Fall and winter are the quiet seasons. The fee drops to $20 per vehicle after August 21, pets are welcome again from October through April (never in the creek), and the canyon turns gold in fall. In summer the water is the draw, and so are the crowds.
Photo: Don Graham on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Why it made our list
- An 80-foot natural water slide in Oak Creek
- A 1912 apple homestead you can walk through
- About six miles north of Sedona on SR 89A
- $20 per vehicle for up to four people this fall
- A Leave No Trace Gold Standard Site
For RVers
Visiting Slide Rock with an RV
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Come in the tow car, early
Entry is by vehicle only, through the entry station: no walk-ins, drop-offs or bikes. The lot has about 156 spaces and closes when full, and waiting on SR 89A or the driveway isn’t allowed. Aim for the 8 am opening, especially on warm weekends.
Have a backup plan
A full lot can stay closed for hours. The park asks visitors to carpool and points to public parking in Uptown Sedona, so keep a second stop in mind for the day, such as a drive farther up the canyon.
Pets: check the calendar
No pets are allowed anywhere in the park from May 1 to September 30, and pets are never allowed in the creek area. From October through April your dog can come along on the trails and picnic grounds.
Pay with a card
The park strongly prefers Visa or MasterCard, and cash users need exact change. Children under 6 are free, and each extra person beyond four in the vehicle is $5.
What visitors say about Slide Rock State Park
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 4, 2026.
An Arizona Locals’ Favorite
Arizona State Parks, on swimming at Slide Rock · azstateparks.com
What visitors often mention
Recurring themes in Google’s review topics
Cold waterThe water slideSlippery rocks
Google’s review topics most often mention cold water (226 reviews), the water slide (112) and slippery rocks (82), followed by cliff jumping (61) and the apple trees (53). Checked October 4, 2026.
What it costs to get in
Fees from Arizona State Parks, checked October 4, 2026. Summer runs May through August 21, and children under 6 are free.
Good to know
Per vehicle, now$20 1–4 people, through April
Summer rate$30 May to Aug 21
Extra person$5 kids under 6 free
Your fee coversSwim areaHomestead trailsPicnic areas
Fees from Arizona State Parks, checked October 4, 2026. Day-use reservations aren’t available; the two group ramadas can be reserved for $95 each, except from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Slide Rock State Park
- Address6871 N. Highway 89A, Sedona, AZ 86336
- Hours8 am–6 pm
Last entry 5 pm; 9 am–5 pm from Nov 21 to Jan 30 - Phone(928) 282-3034
- EntryPay at the entry station by card or exact cash. No reservations, walk-ins, drop-offs or bikes.
- Getting thereFrom Uptown Sedona, follow SR 89A north into Oak Creek Canyon for about six miles to the park entrance.
- ParkingAbout 156 spaces at the park. The lot closes when full, and lining up on the highway or driveway isn’t allowed.
The swim area closes an hour before the park does. Creek conditions change after storms, so check the alerts on the park’s official page before you head up the canyon.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Slide Rock State Park
We haven’t written up a Sedona RV park yet, so these are the closest parks we’ve visited. Slide Rock sits on SR 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff, which makes the Flagstaff parks a handy base.
Black Bart’s RV Park
Full-hookup and pull-thru sites a quarter mile off I-40 Exit 198 on Flagstaff’s east side, open year-round, with Black Bart’s Steakhouse next door.
Woody Mountain RV Campground
Pine-shaded full-hookup sites on West Route 66, open year-round on Flagstaff’s west side.
Munds Park RV Resort
Full hookups at 6,500 feet in the cool pines off I-17, open April 1 through October 31.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
8 am–6 pm · last entry 5 pm
Ready for a cold slide in Oak Creek?
Arrive at opening, bring water shoes and a card or exact change, and leave the rig at camp.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Don Graham on Flickr (the slide and the red cliffs; CC BY-SA 2.0), mbaylor (spring runoff and the homestead plow; CC BY 2.0), Deborah Lee Soltesz for the Coconino National Forest (fall color; public domain) and D. O. Todd for the Coconino National Forest (1957; CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Video: Farm to Travel on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Slide Rock State Park unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the park’s published materials and publicly available sources. Hours, fees, rules and other details are set by Arizona State Parks and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Slide Rock State Park at azstateparks.com or (928) 282-3034. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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