Slide Rock State Park
The swim area is closed right now
The Oak Creek swim area at Slide Rock State Park is closed through August 3, 2026 to protect public health and safety following the Pocket Fire — the concern is debris and flash flooding off the burn scar upstream.
The nature trail, historic orchard and picnic area remain accessible, and vehicle entry through the fee station still applies. Check the park's own page before driving up.
Slide Rock is an Arizona State Park, not a Forest Service site — so the Red Rock Pass and America the Beautiful pass are both worthless here. It's $30 per vehicle May to September and $20 October to April, for one to four adults.
The draw is a natural sandstone chute in Oak Creek that works as a water slide, on the site of a historic apple orchard.
Right now the swim area is closed following the Pocket Fire — see above. The rest of the park is open.
The facts
- Open right now?
- Open, but swim area closed through Aug 3, 2026
- Cost
- $30/vehicle May–Sept; $20/vehicle Oct–April; $5 per additional adult; under 6 free
- Hours
- Jan 31–Nov 21: 8am–6pm. Nov 22–Jan 30: 9am–5pm. Last entry 1 hour before closing.
- Pass required
- Arizona State Parks entry fee — no federal or Red Rock pass accepted
- Parking
- Vehicle entry only. No walk-ins, drop-offs, or bicycle entry.
Getting there
6871 N State Route 89A, Sedona, AZ 86336
Get directions →The fee trap, again
Slide Rock sits in Oak Creek Canyon surrounded by national forest, so visitors reasonably assume a federal or Red Rock pass covers it. It doesn't — it's Arizona State Parks, an entirely separate system with its own gate and its own fee.
$30 per vehicle from May through September for one to four adults, $20 from October through April, $5 for each additional adult, free for children under six. Motorcycles pay half. Card is preferred; cash needs exact change.
There is no walk-in option. You cannot park elsewhere and stroll in, you cannot be dropped off, and you cannot cycle in — entry is by vehicle through the entry station, full stop. That surprises people who've parked up the highway hoping to dodge the fee.
For the full picture of which pass works where in Sedona, see the pass guide.
The lot fills, and you may not queue
Slide Rock is one of the busiest sites in the canyon on a hot day, and the park is explicit that visitors may not line up along the driveway or the highway before opening or when the lot is full. So the usual trick of waiting for a space isn't available — if it's full, you drive on.
The park publishes no capacity figure. Practically: arrive at opening on any summer weekend, or plan for a weekday.
When it reopens for swimming, note that the water is genuinely cold most of the year — this is a creek fed from the high country, not a warm swimming hole — and the sandstone chute is slippery by design. Old shoes and old swimwear; the rock is abrasive.
Water quality
Oak Creek has a documented history of E. coli impairment. The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality listed it as impaired for the full-body-contact standard in its Clean Water Act assessments, and park staff test the creek weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day in partnership with ADEQ.
That's a reason to check current status rather than a reason to stay away — advisories are posted when counts exceed the standard, and the monitoring is the system working. The park's own water quality page carries current results.
Right now the swim area is closed for a different reason entirely: post-fire debris and flash-flood risk from the burn scar upstream.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Slide Rock State Park cost?
$30 per vehicle from May to September and $20 from October to April, covering one to four adults, plus $5 per additional adult. Children under six are free.
Does my Red Rock Pass work at Slide Rock?
No. Slide Rock is an Arizona State Park, a completely separate system from the Forest Service. Neither the Red Rock Pass nor America the Beautiful is accepted.
Is Slide Rock open right now?
The park is open but the Oak Creek swim area is closed through August 3, 2026 following the Pocket Fire, because of debris and flash-flood risk from the burn scar. The nature trail and picnic areas remain accessible.
Can I walk into Slide Rock instead of driving?
No. The park permits entry by vehicle through the entry station only — no walk-ins, drop-offs, or bicycle entry.
Is the water at Slide Rock clean?
Oak Creek has a history of E. coli impairment, and park staff test weekly from Memorial Day to Labor Day with ADEQ. Advisories are posted when levels exceed the standard — check the park's water quality page before you swim.
Facts on this page last verified July 28, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.