West Fork Trail

Oh, West Fork. There is something undeniably magical with Oak Creek and Sedona’s towering red rocks beside you as you cross multiple streams. This only-in-Sedona scenery makes this hike truly stunning. Like so many of Sedona’s most beloved trails, West Fork has its undeniable charms and also does tend to get extremely crowded. If you’re looking to hike this iconic trail and searching for some solitude, you can typically find both if you hike this trail following a snowstorm. Oak Creek Canyon’s most popular trail (and arguably the most heavily used trail in the area) is breathtaking any time of year. But if you really want to experience the pristine wilderness of the area, hike West Fork just after it has snowed. You might not make it to the end of the trail, 3.5 miles from the trailhead, and you should only attempt the water crossings – there are 13 of them – if the water isn’t too high and if you’re surefooted. That said, this Oak Creek Canyon tributary becomes blissfully serene after a snowfall. With the exception of the gurgling creek and a solitary woodpecker, we didn’t hear any other sounds.

A view of Sedona’s red rocks and Oak Creek all dusted in snow. West Fork is a 6 mile out-and-back hike in Oak Creek Canyon. If you’re hiking this trail in the snow, it might be wise to turn back sooner if it’s too icy.

The trail begins at the Call of the Canyon Day Use Area. At the start of the trail, you’ll cross a footbridge and come upon the ruins of Mayhew’s Lodge, a hunting and fishing lodge built in the early 1900s. The Forest Service bought the lodge in 1969, but it was destroyed by fire in 1980. You’ll notice the area is referred to as Call of the Canyon. Zane Grey set his novel, “The Call of the Canyon,” in this area, and the silent movie of the same name was filmed here in 1923. The trail remains almost completely flat throughout the hike – making it a relatively easy trail for even the most causal hikers. The gambel oak trees, cottonwoods and bigtooth maples are bare at this time of the year and the ferns and reeds that surround the trail look dead (they aren’t), but you’ll still smell the pungent pine trees and conifers.

The snow-covered trees (that make this trail blessedly shady during the warmer months) make for a true winter scene straight out of a holiday card. Sheer, red rock canyon walls soar up around you so that the sky is just a snaking ribbon of blue above. Look for icicles in rock outcroppings. The temperatures were below freezing during our hike, but it gave us a good excuse to hold (gloved) hands with our hiking partner. We only hiked about a mile before the slippery rocks made crossing the creek too dangerous, but it was delightful to be in West Fork without the masses. We were actually the only two people on the trail, our footprints the only thing to disturb the fresh blanket of snow.