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Oak Creek Canyon for Scenery and Hiking

Oak Creek Canyon contains Arizona's first officially-designated scenic highway: 15 miles (24.1 km) lined with oak, juniper and pine trees, and rock, starting at 4,500 feet (1,371 meters) elevation just northeast of Uptown, and ending at 6,500 feet (1,981 meters) on the Mogollon Rim. Along the way, you'll see Midgley Bridge (trailheads here), Grasshopper Point (a swimming hole), Slide Rock State Park (a great place for kids to wear out bathing suits sliding down the wet rocks) and the Junipine Cafe (for a great turkey sandwich on the outside deck). You'll find the Call O' the Canyon Recreational Area and West Fork Trail 1-1/2 miles north of the restaurant. This is one of the most popular trails in Arizona: a lovely, boulder-strewn creek cooled by evergreen and deciduous trees and bordered on both sides by towering, multi-colored cliffs, some of which have been dramatically scooped out over the millennia by surging water. At the top of the drive you'll find an overlook, restrooms and jewelry for sale by Native Americans.

Keywords: Scenic, Free, Midday, Interesting, Everyone, In the afternoon, Summer (June - August), In the morning, Need a car, Fall (September - November), Spring (March - May), Other things to see