Oak Creek Canyon
Flagstaff → Sedona, AZ · ~28 miles · half day
Stylized illustration, not a photo — the real place looks different (and that’s half the fun).
SR-89A drops off the Mogollon Rim through a pine-and-canyon corridor of switchbacks, then opens into the red-rock cathedral of Sedona.
Updated July 2026.
Flagstaff to Sedona’s red rocks.
You go from ponderosa forest to slickrock buttes in under an hour, past swimming holes and one of the most scenic descents in the Southwest.
States on this route
The signature stops
What to pull over for.
The best stops on the Oak Creek Canyon are the places that define the drive, not just the nearest towns. Roamward orders them for the road: start with Oak Creek Vista, West Fork Trail, Slide Rock State Park, Sedona red rocks, then open each stop guide for the pull-over context.
01Oak Creek Vistathe overlook at the top of the switchbacks — open the stop guideAZ
02West Fork Traila creek-crossing canyon hike, stunning in fall — open the stop guideAZ
03Slide Rock State Parka natural sandstone water slide in the creek — open the stop guideAZ
04Sedona red rocksCathedral Rock and Bell Rock rising from the desert — open the stop guideAZ
05Chapel of the Holy Crossa modernist chapel built into the red rock — open the stop guideAZ
Where to eat
Restaurants along this route.
Restaurants on the Oak Creek Canyon are chosen for trip usefulness: gateway-town location, a clear reason to stop, and enough quality to make a traveler save the pick. Start with Butterfly Burger, Coffee Pot Restaurant, Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits, Creekside American Bistro.
A curated set of trip-useful meals near the route — enough to anchor driving days without turning the guide into a phone book.
- Butterfly Burger
Chef Lisa Dahl's playful 'couture burger lounge' in the Village of Oak Creek, with a marble bar, 40-plus bourbons and boozy milkshakes — the most fun, low-key stop in her Sedona family.
- Coffee Pot Restaurant
A West Sedona breakfast institution since the 1950s, famous for its menu of 101 omelettes and old-school diner charm. No reservations — sign the waitlist and dig in.
- Cowboy Club Grille & Spirits
A Sedona tradition since 1993 at the Uptown crossroads, serving scratch high-desert cuisine and wild game in a lively Western setting. Where you try the adventurous stuff.
- Creekside American Bistro
A red-rock-view patio meal near Oak Creek, useful for brunch or sunset dinner after the canyon switchbacks.
- Cress on Oak Creek
Sedona's gold-standard special-occasion table, tucked into the wooded bank of Oak Creek at L'Auberge — linen-set tables sit creekside with the water trickling right beside you.
- Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano
Lisa Dahl's romantic, richly draped trattoria has anchored Sedona's fine Italian dining scene with house-made pastas since the 1990s.
- Elote Cafe
Sedona’s destination Southwestern dinner, a strong reward meal for the Oak Creek Canyon day.
- Hideaway House
Family-run 'curious country Italian' with three open-air patios nestled among the trees and award-winning red-rock views. A cozy European vibe with homemade bread.
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Stay & experience
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Things to do near Oak Creek Canyon
Browse guided tours and bookable activities that fit this stop.
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