West Fork of Oak Creek Trail
West Fork wilderness closure extended through October 31
Order 03-04-00-26-007 closes the specified drainage corridor and West Fork Trail No. 108 within the Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness through October 31, 2026, unless rescinded. It addresses post-fire rockfall and flood-debris hazards. Read the boundary map; access to a picnic site or parking lot is not permission to continue into the closed area. The trip details below describe normal operations, not clearance to hike.
Do not plan the usual West Fork wilderness hike while this closure applies. The extended order covers the trail within the wilderness and a specified drainage corridor. Check the official boundary and dates before choosing a route. Normal fee and trail details below are retained for future planning; they do not establish current access.
The facts
- Open right now?
- Wilderness portion closed through October 31, 2026 unless rescinded; see order boundary
- Forest Service trail
- West Fork Trail No. 108
- Distance
- First 3 miles maintained (6 miles round trip); continues unmaintained to about 14 miles
- Elevation gain
- 52 ft at 1 mile; 107 ft at 2 miles; 221 ft at 3 miles
- Difficulty (USFS)
- Easy for the maintained first 3 miles (USFS); rugged and unmaintained beyond
- Trailhead elevation
- 5,325 ft
- Pass required
- NOT the Red Rock Pass — $15/vehicle day fee or the $50 Coconino Hospitality Annual Pass
- Sedona Shuttle
- Not served by the Sedona Shuttle
- Parking
- Gated fee lot at Call of the Canyon, off SR 89A. Capacity not published by USFS.
- Dogs
- Yes, leashed at all times; pack out waste
- Restrooms
- Not documented in official sources
- Shade
- Excellent — dense canyon shade for most of the maintained section
Getting there
Get directions →The fee trap
This is the most expensive misunderstanding in Sedona, and it's entirely reasonable to fall for it. Call of the Canyon sits on national forest land, so visitors assume the national forest parking pass applies. It doesn't.
Five Coconino sites are run by a private concessionaire under separate fee authority: Call of the Canyon (West Fork), Crescent Moon Ranch, Grasshopper Point, Banjo Bill, and Beaver Creek / Lower Lake Mary. Each one's Forest Service page states plainly that the Red Rock Pass and America the Beautiful pass are not accepted.
What works here: the $15 per-vehicle day fee (up to five people), $4 per person walking or cycling in, or the $50 Coconino Hospitality Annual Pass. Note that some guides still quote $12 — that's a stale figure from before the current fee schedule.
Hours are seasonal: 7:00am to dusk April through September, 8:00am to dusk October through March.
Thirteen stream crossings
The trail follows the creek up a narrowing canyon and crosses it thirteen times on stepping stones or shallow wades. Assume wet feet. In high water, especially spring runoff, the crossings get genuinely awkward and the stones disappear.
Beyond mile three, the maintained trail ends and the route becomes an unmaintained canyoneering-style scramble with deep-water sections. That's a serious undertaking, not an extension of the walk — treat mile three as the turnaround unless you've specifically planned otherwise.
The current closure is for flash-flood and debris danger in the Pocket Fire burn-scar watershed — exactly the kind of hazard a narrow creek canyon concentrates.
Why it's worth the fee anyway
West Fork is the outlier in Sedona: flat, shaded, next to running water, and gorgeous — a canyon walk under a canopy rather than a slog across exposed slickrock. Fall colour here is the best in the area.
It's also the one Sedona hike that's genuinely pleasant in July, which is precisely why the lot fills early when it's open. It's among the most-reviewed trails in the state, and it earns it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use my Red Rock Pass at West Fork?
No. Call of the Canyon is a concessionaire-managed site. The Forest Service states on the site's own page that neither the Red Rock Pass nor the America the Beautiful pass is accepted. It's $15 per vehicle, $4 to walk in, or the $50 Coconino Hospitality Annual Pass.
Is West Fork open right now?
The wilderness portion of West Fork Trail and the specified drainage corridor remain closed under order 03-04-00-26-007 through October 31, 2026 unless rescinded. Consult the order map; a picnic-site or parking entrance does not establish access beyond the boundary.
Will I get my feet wet?
Almost certainly. There are 13 stream crossings on stepping stones, and in higher water some require wading.
Is the whole 14-mile trail hikeable?
Only the first three miles are maintained trail. Beyond that it becomes an unmaintained canyon route with swimming sections — a different and much more serious outing.
Is this a good summer hike?
It's the best one in Sedona when open, thanks to dense canyon shade and the creek. The current closure is for flash-flood and debris danger below the Pocket Fire burn scar, so summer monsoon conditions can shut it even after the fire is contained.
Facts on this page last verified August 3, 2026. Fees, hours, and access rules change seasonally — confirm with the official source before a long drive.