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Lookout · Sedona-Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Road

Oak Creek Vista

VerifiedOpenStreetMap + U.S. Forest Service
Looking south-west from Oak Creek Vista. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.
Overview · Assembled from verified data

Oak Creek Vista sits at 6,340 feet on the Sedona-Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Road, with the land dropping 566 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. The view faces 240°, a direction angled 30 degrees off a direct line to sunset. Harding Spring lies south-southwest at 1.0 mile, 5,652 feet in elevation, and Cave Spring lies south at 2.1 miles, 5,633 feet. Flagstaff is 12.7 miles north-northeast, Cottonwood is 25.5 miles southwest, and Prescott Valley is 45.3 miles southwest. Sunset times shift through the year from 19:45 at the June solstice to 17:20 at the December solstice, affecting how late the westward-facing view holds light. Oak Creek runs through the canyon below, cut along a fault line in the same rock strata found in the Grand Canyon, and the highway follows the canyon floor. The Oak Creek Visitor Center at Indian Gardens operates seasonally, and the Red Rock Ranger District Visitor Center near the Village of Oak Creek is open year-round. Nearby facilities include Cave Springs, Manzanita, and Pine Flat campgrounds, along with picnic areas such as Banjo Bill, Bootlegger, Grasshopper Point, and Slide Rock State Park, where glass containers are prohibited.

Access
On the byway
Elevation
6,340 ft
View
Southwest · 240°
Light
Best at sunset
Relief
566 ft drop
In view
2 named features
Photos · Real imagery only
A view of Oak Creek Canyon from Oak Creek Vista, a scenic overlook area north of the canyon, just before driving down the switchbacks. For directions on how to get to this overlook area, visit www.fs.fed.us/r3/coconino/recreation/red_rock/oak-creek-v... . Taken 11-10-09 by Brady Smith. Credit: USDA
Brady Smith; Coconino National Forest · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Fall color views from Oak Creek Vista. Photo taken October 16, 2017 by Deborah Lee Soltesz. Credit U.S. Forest Service Coconino National Forest.
Coconino National Forest · Public domain · source
View from Oak Creek Vista of fall color in Oak Creek Canyon. Photo taken October 16, 2017 by Deborah Lee Soltesz. Credit U.S. Forest Service Coconino National Forest.
Coconino National Forest · Public domain · source
View from Oak Creek Vista of fall color in Oak Creek Canyon. Photo taken October 16, 2017 by Deborah Lee Soltesz. Credit U.S. Forest Service Coconino National Forest.
Coconino National Forest · Public domain · source
Oak Creek Canyon, Coconino County, Arizona, USA looking south from the Oak Creek Vista.
Eric Polk · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Panorama of Oak Creek Canyon, Coconino County, Arizona, USA looking south from the Oak Creek Vista.
Eric Polk · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
In view · Named features

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Harding Spring5,652 ftsouth-southwest · 1.0 mi
  • Cave Spring5,633 ftsouth · 2.1 mi
When to look · Sun at this latitude

Light

This overlook faces sunset — 30° off square to it.

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox06:3118:3918:06
June solstice05:1419:4519:07
September equinox06:1618:2517:52
December solstice07:3217:2016:41

Local time (America/Phoenix). Computed for this exact position.

Getting there · Position and access

Where it is

  • Flagstaff12.7 mi north-northeast
  • Cottonwood25.5 mi southwest
  • Prescott Valley45.3 mi southwest
← Before it: Oak Creek Vista
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From the source · Verbatim

Oak Creek · U.S. Forest Service

This clear canyon stream may be one of the most scenic fishing and swimming holes in the world. Oak Creek flows through Oak Creek Canyon, a narrow gorge it has cut along a fault line in the same rock strata that form the Grand Canyon. But this smaller cousin of the world's most prestigious chasm, is much more accessible than its more famous relative. A road leads right down the middle of it. And if you'd really like to get to know these crimson cliffs and crystal pools up close and personal, there are plenty of overlooks and picnic areas, hiking trails and creekside paths to help you do it.

In Oak Creek Canyon, be sure to stop by the Oak Creek Visitor Center at Indian Gardens when it opens for the season, or visit the Red Rock Ranger District Visitor Center near the Village of Oak Creek year-round.

Starting 1/1/2023, the new catch and release fishing section will be from the Hwy 89A Bridge crossing at Slide Rock State Park upstream to the AGFD Sterling Springs Fish Hatchery property boundary, including West Fork Oak Creek. Refer to Arizona Game and Fish fishing regulations for details.

CampgroundsCampgrounds usually fill early. The best opportunities for getting a campsite are weekday mornings between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., or make reservations where available.

Cave SpringsManzanitaPine FlatPicnic AreasBanjo BillBootleggerCall of the CanyonCrescent MoonEncinosoGrasshopper PointHalfwayMidgely BridgeSlide Rock State ParkAdditional InformationCoconino National Forest: Red Rock District - Forest recreation information for the Oak Creek Canyon, Sedona, and the Verde Valley areas.Slide Rock State Park (glass containers are prohibited)Red Rock State ParkRecreation Alternatives to Oak Creek Canyon

Read it at U.S. Forest Service →
Common questions

How high is Oak Creek Vista?

Oak Creek Vista sits at about 6,340 feet (1,932 m).

What can you see from Oak Creek Vista?

From Oak Creek Vista: Harding Spring (SSW, 1.0 mi); Cave Spring (S, 2.1 mi).

Is Oak Creek Vista better at sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. The land falls away from Oak Creek Vista toward the sunset, so at sunrise the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.

What is the nearest town to Oak Creek Vista?

Flagstaff, 13 miles NNE of Oak Creek Vista.

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