West Fork Trail is one of the most colorful “fall” hiking trails in Arizona, however, it is a great hike any time of year. West Fork is just north of Sedona in the village of Oak Creek. It is the perfect spot to see the changing colors of the leaves. It is just over 7 miles round trip.
The trail has a gorgeous backdrop of sandstone and rocks with towering trees and the sound of Oak Creek in the background. Even with a lot of people on this trail, it was very peaceful.
Directions to the Trail
From Sedona drive north on 89A past Red Rock Slide Park a little ways. You will see a small parking area on your left side called Call of Canyon Day Use area.
Depending on the time of day you may have to wait for a parking spot to open up. Alternatively you can park on the side of the 89A, but make sure you have a Red Rock Pass.
West Fork Trail
The beginning of the trail starts out as a paved pathway that leads to a footbridge that crosses the creek. It then turns into a wide dirt path and then alternates between a smooth to rocky path.
There are several places where you will have to cross the creek. We had no trouble finding rocks or logs to make our way across the water.
After the footbridge there is a beautiful spot to wade or swim in the water. I think this area is one of the prettiest spots on the trail.
In October, the red-leafed maple trees are very pretty with the backdrop of the blue sky and red rock. This is also a great spot to hike in the summer because there is a lot of shade on this trail.
Their is a fee per car or you can use the Big Three Pass. There are toilets and picnic tables at this area. You can take your dogs here too. The trail is 3.5 miles long and takes about 2 hours to hike.