Oak Creek Canyon Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Bring lots of water!

This is mostly good even trail with a few cobbles.

From the parking lot, take the flat, dusty trail leading towards the mountains. After close to a mile, you'll come to the well-marked intersection with the Knoll Trail.

From here, the trails are quite braided and confusing. As a general rule, stay higher and to the right until you see a climber trail that heads more directly uphill to the right. You'll continue down through thick brush to the usually dry creek bottom.

The trail opens up here but shortly becomes more challenging with some scrambling up boulders on the Oak Creek Canyon Trail Extension. From here, there is a series of braided climber trails that eventually focus down to the clear path that runs along the typically dry bed of Oak Creek.

This trail is a bit of a chose your own adventure. Make your way up the creek and scramble your way through some tricky terrain. The rock can be water carved and slick. Each turn reveals a new vista or a strange rock configuration.

The trail doesn't end so much as you run out of easy options to continue. Continue until you don't feel comfortable.

Mule deer, desert bighorn sheep, and plenty of other reptiles and birds can be found here.