Slide Rock State Park

Great time, fun going down the natural slides and jumping off rocks. We went left at the fork at the bottom of the stairs, wish I had come back to home right, even higher up jumps into the water. The parks in AZ never seem to have enough trash cans.

This is an incredibly beautiful location. It’s a short drive from Las Vegas and a great way to get out of the city for a day and relax. The drive is green and not at all like driving to Reno. The traffic wasn’t too bad either.
Honestly the only thing that stopped me from rating this 5 stars is the fact that I made the mistake of going during a holiday weekend. That made parking a disaster and the park itself was PACKED with families galore. The laughter of all the kiddos was cool… it was all the people that insisted on bringing giant radios and blasting their shitty music. Plus the adults drinking and clif jumping got old quick.
My recommendation is that you go on a weekday or a non holiday weekend.

Natural Waterpark! Slide Rock State Park in Sedona, Arizona was amazing. Unfortunately, we went on a very cold day. The mountain waters are already cold, but it was an overcast day. Next time we go, we will plan for a hot day. Go early when it first opens. Bring a picnic and then wait for the sun to come up. Water shoes like Aquasocks are helpful to grip the slippery bottom. Go to a thrift store an buy jean shorts to protect delicate bathing suits. After the morning, we had to throw away our shorts because of wear and tear. It was a holy experience. The red rock landscape is gorgeous. It was awesome to listen to the birds singing and flying over the canyon walls.

I’d give this a 5 if you didnt have to pay to visit this area of the creek.
Although check it: IN THEORY you have to pay like $ 10 a car and $ 3 to «walk in» to see the wonder that is Slide Rock. But in actuality there’s a way to get in for free.
Here’s how: Drive past the park North (so Park is on your left) and about a quarter mile (maybe even less) on the left is a wide bank where cars can park on the side of the road. You’ll prob even see a couple cares there. It probably fits like five cars max. So squeeze in there if you can and then trot the rest of the way. You will be entering on the opposite side of the creek but there’s a convenient little walking bridge that takes you across to the «main» side of Slide Rock. So take full advantage of this I say!
This place is such a fantastic place to take photos. And I hear that it’s a thrill to take a dip and slide down this thing but it was either too cold or after swim hours or something when we were there because nobody was swimming. We hiked along south and climbed up under the overpass and that was a great place for pics as well. Beautiful beautiful place. One of the most I’ve ever seen in fact.

It’s a boring place for adults. It costs $ 10 to enter. The park is small, and most of the visitors are families with kids. We only stayed there for less than an hour. There are many other better spots to visit while in Sedona.

It was a pretty park to see but you’d really have to go in the summer. Water was cold and it was windy. We only dipped our feet, walked around a bit for a few photos and headed out. It was smaller than I thought it would be. Cost $ 10 per car (pay cash or credit card) but $ 5 with military discount. We were visiting from outta state and while pretty, I’ve seen better things on this trip for the price. I would skip this one if visiting unless you plan to make it a day trip and its summer (so you can actually enjoy the water).

If you’re in the area (driving between Flagstaff/​Sedona and Phoenix), and if you can avoid the congestion, and if you have the disposable income to park your car, Slide Rock is a MUST-​DO for people (kids in particular) who like the water and who find Montezuma’s Castle (another stop on the same road trip) a little too dry.
Basically, it’s a huge, lush, natural park surrounded by red rock with a narrow, shallow river with flat smooth rocks that create small «slides» into pools of ice cold water. To be clear, it IS liquid ice. Even on the hottest day (92 degree average June-​August, 82 degree average May & Sept), a guy’s rocks will slide back into his body for warmth.

Definitely worth a stop to see Oak Creek cutting through a red rock base, but then what? You can sit on the rocks (good luck finding shade or a comfortable perch), and you can get wet in the stream if you don’t mind very high levels of bacteria. There is also a broad lawn and an apple orchard (pretty in the spring when the blossoms are out).
The big draw for me was the scenery. You can sit in the picnic area, on the lawns, or under the trees with Oak Creek Canyon all around you. Spread a picnic, play Frisbee or toss a football around, watch the kids. Very pleasant on a mild day.
Hint: It’s $ 10 to get in and federal passes are not accepted.

This place is awesome. If you live In Phoenix it’s worth the drive to escape the summer heat. It’s nice to cool off in the water. There are place you can jump into the water from and natural slides to slide down.

There’s no escaping the fact that Slide Rock is super touristy (we were actually told by locals NOT to venture here), but it’s just so damn cool, especially when you’re coming from the East Coast and can’t get over all of the red rocks in Sedona.
We had attempted to go to Slide Rock a few times during the weekend in August, but the lines of traffic and parking that filled the streets was the biggest deterrent ever. People were parked literally a mile away and were walking along the highway just to walk in.
We ended up making the wise choice of coming to Slide Rock on a Monday, around lunchtime (we stopped at Indian Gardens first to pick up sandwiches and crudite), and were able to easily get into the park, find parking that was close, and snag a seat with absolute ease. I think (and could be wrong) that it was a little cheaper to get in on a weekday versus a weekend (I believe we paid $ 20 to get in, versus $ 30 on the weekend).
Slide Rock is just a cool place — a natural water slide (some parts better than others, typically the more populated section of the rocks) surrounded by red rock formations everywhere you can see.
We settled on a blanket and people watched for hours, dipping our legs/​toes in the water (it was COLD) whenever we got hot. Such a relaxing way to spend the early morning/​afternoon.
As the day went on, it got more and more crowded, but nothing compared to what we had seen during the weekend drive-​bys. There are some paths to walk and see all the swimmers from above, as well as a general store that sold souvenirs as well as cold drinks (non alcoholic, unfortunately).
Definitely a place that is unlike anything else I’ve ever seen and is worth checking out, even for just a few hours.

Beautiful park, wonderful views and an awesome, unique natural «water slide.» So glad we decided to make a stop here later in the afternoon, after a day of hiking/​sightseeing outside of Sedona!
Don’t forget your water shoes and an old tee shirt for a little extra protection if you plan to take the plunge. Fees are much more reasonable if you go on a weekend; I think we paid $ 10 vs. $ 40 during the week. It’s a given there will be crowds, this is a must-​see attraction and a great way to cool down after a day of hiking in the desert sun. Give the natural slide rocks a try, even though the water is incredibly cold, the adrenaline rush will be well worth it!!! And yes, I’ll definitely second the previous reviewer who recommended changing in the first rest room you find when you enter the park, the facilities near the water are horrible!!! Don’t forget your camera, because there are some awesome pre-​sunset shots to be taken here as well. Definitely worth a visit!

Do not skip this place! We were unsure if we were going to go in the water but so glad we did! At first the water was piercing cold but we talked ourselves into finally going in. I mean when will we ever get the opportunity to ride a natural water slide? One tip: Please, bring water shoes. The park itself is at your own risk and is VERY slippery! I was worried for the kids around me who were slipping around the area. I wouldn’t even recommend this for small kids because of the slippery rocks in the water. Bring your towel, water, snacks down to the area with you, the hike to the car is a bit of a walk so plan accordingly. I wore smooth yoga shorts over my suit since the rocks can be a little rough and jaggy, but brave the cold waters and do the slide, so much fun! (We visited in October so the weather was still nice and warm)

This place was amazing. I honestly did not know what to expect. This is a great place to be for people of all ages, from a group of friends to families to couples. We drove here from about 2 & a half hours away. It was worth the drive! The scenery is breath taking. I do recommend you buy water shoes (Walmart has them for as low as $ 5), this place is SLIPPERY. You can slide down the partially intimidating «natural» slide or relax and splash around in the wading pool area toward the entrance. The people that work the gift shop were friendly and fun to talk to. I am definitely coming back here next time I come to Arizona.
P. s. Parking for us was $ 10, we got here around 12:30pm. But parking is timed, it was 5 hours for us. Not bad, we did not spend the whole 5 hours here

It’s like the name says — rocks that are slides! I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and it’s still just as much fun — more crowded though. Parking is $ 30 a day and that includes 4 adults and as many children as you can carry. Once the lot is full, people park all up and down the street for a spot and walk, I do not recommend this as there is no sidewalk. It is super packed on the weekends and I highly recommend coming at 8 am to get a good spot. There is reentry after you pay your $ 30 but it’s dependent on an available parking spot.

As I’m sure everyone says, it’s $ 30 to get in, but you only live once! Once you park, it’s a short walk to the water but the scenery is beautiful. Take a picture on your way. I went in the early afternoon during the week in August and it wasn’t too crowded.
Besides having a stream of water to float in, the red tone-​rock formations in the little valley you’re in, makes for a surreal setting. Btw, be careful it’s very slippery as the name implies. Whether w/​shoes or barefoot, certain parts are like an ice skating rink! But, I walked around, took in the sights and surroundings, and lied in the water. It’s a great spot to cool off and relax. People did have tubes to float in but just getting in the water and setting up a blanket was what most people were doing. This was the highlight of my time in Sedona. The drive thru Oak Creek Canyon was nice as well as downtown Sedona w/​quaint shops and restaurants.

news flash — ARIZONA in AUGUST is freaking hot, like steal smelter hot.
only about twenty minutes out of SIDONA, SLIDE ROCK STATE PARK ($ 20 to park on weekdays) was a nice break. cool water for the kids to splash around in and mom and dad found a shady place to sit. WATER SHOES ARE A MUST. slippery when wet and everything’s wet. plan ahead and buy ‘em at the WALGREENS in town or pick ‘em up at the park store.
good idea to schlep in something to sit on (bring your pack animals, it’s a bit of a hike) and something cool to drink. spectacular views and the scenery’s not bad either.

One of our favorite memories of Sedona was at Slide Rock State Park. Do yourself a favor and spend five minutes reading reviews before you go because I did, and it saved us both time and money.
What to know:
1. Arrive early! We came around 9 AM and got in without issue. Parking on Fri-​Sun is $ 30 (cash or card, the latter was easier). They close the parking lot when it’s full and turn away cars who then have to wait until someone leaves or park down the highway. [When we left Sedona the next day, it was Saturday and by 11 AM, we saw that the parking lot had closed. Tons of people ended up parking a mile down the road, and decided to hike it to the creek with small children and giant coolers. I hope they checked the forecast because it was monsoon weather and rain was a certainty that afternoon.]
2. Pack lunch, snacks and drinks! It’s about a 10 minute walk from the parking lot with a flight of stairs to reach the water slide and creek. We packed a cooler back pack full of sandwiches and snacks and another cooler bag of drinks.
3. Pack water shoes! Yes, there’s a market that you can purchase water shoes for about $ 10 but you can also plan ahead and get them for $ 5 at your local Walmart (none at Sedona). Some people ended up going in with tennis shoes. Not recommended. It’s also not recommended to go barefoot. The rocks are slippery and the creek is rocky.
4. On that note, don’t wear jeans, dresses, heels, etc. Seems obvious but you’d be surprised at what folks will wear to a water slide park.
5. Don’t bring strollers or bulky items you can’t easily carry. If I had a nickel for every time I heard people ask each other what are they supposed to do with the strollers. Don’t do it people. Ever heard of a Bjorn carrier?
6. Do bring towels, sunblock, camera, and your courage — to jump off the cliff or even to get into the water. Fresh natural spring water can get cold. Not a bad thing because that means less bacteria. On a hot day like ours, it was very refreshing!
Thanks fellow Unilocalers! Because of you, it only took us 15 minutes to drive from town and into the parking lot without much of a wait. Plus, we never had to leave the park for lunch/​drinks or shoes.

Really nice state park just outside Sedona. We saw a poster in town and went today on a whim. Had the BEST time. One tip: GO EARLY. I mean EARLY. They open at 8. We got there at 9 and had no problems getting in. When we left at 1:00, there was a line of cars waiting to get in. Once the parking lots is full, no one gets in unless someone leaves.
Bring a light snack, some water/​juice, sunscreen and wear water shoes. They sell some cheap ones there for $ 10. It’s a great value for families, as they charge by the car load.

OMG OMG OMG.
This wasn’t even on our things to do while visiting Arizona but I’m glad we stumbled upon this hidden gem. I was wondering why everyone was stopping here and didn’t understand why? We parked and just looked out and saw of course, the beautiful views of the mountains BUT if you keep walking toward the water you see this awesome river that has a slide! SOOO COOL! I really wish I knew about this place before hand because I would’ve brought a bathing suit and took a dip):
Oh well, I still had fun getting to explore this place. Will definitely come back when I’m in Arizona :)

I absolutely loved my experience here and would recommend it to anyone visiting Arizona. It’s about a two hour drive from Phoenix but the scenic route makes it an easy one. It costs $ 10 for a parking pass but it lasts the whole day. The cliffs and rocks are absolutely stunning and the little market has just about everything you need. I recommend bringing a towel, water shoes, and clothes that dry easily. If you don’t have water shoes, they sell them in the market for $ 10.
There’s a picnic area and a lot of open green space to play sports or just take pictures. The swim area is very clean and easy to navigate. The rocks in the stream are very slippery and the water is ice cold. but the scenery is breath taking. We hiked up a small cliff and sun bathed for most of our time at the park. It wasn’t crowded so our experience was very pleasant.