Video Guide to Sedona

Manzanita Campground is next on my list because it is just south of Slide Rock State Park (so if you don't mind taking your life in your hands, you can just leave the car at the campground and walk the very narrow non-existent shoulder 1/4 of a mile up Highway 89A to the park) and it sits right on a spacious expanse of Oak Creek. This is one of the first campgrounds to fill up Spring-Fall because its small but sweet. You'll have prime fishing holes, swimming spots, and wildlife-watching right in your backyard. The only drawback is that this campground is so small you can only tent-camp it here. No RV's or trailers allowed.

My 3rd favorite in Oak Creek Canyon is Pine Flats. Furthest up Oak Creek Canyon, this one is by far the coolest, literally. Since I grew up camping in Colorado a lot, I love it because it reminds me of Colorado with the towering pines, cool crisp air, and that sweet, soothing aroma of burning campfires. One drawback is that it is fairly close to the highway but thankfully it is tucked away just far enough that most visitors don't find it an issue. The sounds of creek down out the highway noise and there's hardly any highway noise after 8 p.m. since there aren't too many cars on the road at that time. Usually when I drive down Oak Creek Canyon late at night, I'm the only car on the road! Pine Flats does have one very cool amenity that cannot be found anywhere else in Sedona and that is a fresh artesian well where you can just fill up your water jugs as often as you like! Also, many of the prime sites are literally right on Oak Creek or very close to it. You're also just a few miles from the Westfork Trailhead which is one of the most popular hiking spots in Sedona, known for it's mention in "The Call of the Canyon." Here, incredible red rock cliffs tower above you as you criss-cross the creek on a mild 1-3 mile jaunt through thick greenery, under red rock cliffs, alongside beautiful swimming and fishing holes.

A celebration of Oak Creek's agricultural and farming history, the Slide Rock Apple Fest is a two-day event with live music, activities for children and adults, food, arts & crafts, natural exhibitions, educational booths, homesteading demonstrations and lectures about sustainability. The Apple Festival activities will include apple-sorting demonstrations, cornhole and a beer garden, face painting, children's arts & crafts, apple-themed activities, history walks, live demonstrations, an apple cooking contest (see below), a dessert auction and music including performances by Red Rock Country Band and Porchlights. A Plein Air "Paint Out" will also take place at the event.

Slide Rock State Park, originally the Pendley Homestead, is a 43-acre historical apple farm located in Oak Creek Canyon. Frank L. Pendley, having arrived in the canyon in 1907, formally acquired the land under the Homestead Act in 1910. Due to his pioneering innovation, he succeeded where others failed by establishing a unique irrigation system still in use by the park today. This allowed Pendley to plant his first apple orchard in 1912, beginning the pattern of agricultural development that has dominated the site since that time.

The park is named after the famous Slide Rock, a stretch of slippery creek bottom adjacent to the homestead. Visitors may slide down a slick natural water chute or wade and sun along the creek. The swim area is located on National Forest land which is jointly managed by Arizona State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service. Together these areas have seen the making of many Hollywood movies such as "Broken Arrow" (1950) with James Stewart, "Drum Beat" (1954) with Alan Ladd and Charles Bronson, "Gun Fury" (1953) with Rock Hudson and Donna Reed, and a scene from "Angel and the Badman" (1946) with John Wayne.

Fees and Tickets: Vendor Booths $50 (limited space available call 928-282-1418); Entrance Fee - $8 per car load, or take the free trolley and receive a complimentary ticket. Volunteers are needed for this event. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Slide Rock State Park, a local non-profit group dedicated to protecting, preserving and promoting appreciation and enjoyment of the historical, ecological, scientific, recreational and cultural resources of Slide Rock State Park.

Trolley Stops: Go Green: Take the free trolley from one of 3 pick-up points in Sedona and receive a complimentary ticket to the event. Trolley runs from 9 am to 4 pm.

Baked Goods Show: All entries in the Slide Rock Apple Fest's Food Contests must include apples in the ingredient list. This includes, but is not limited to, whole apples, apple flavoring, sauces or jellies.