Oak Creek Canyon

Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge located along the Mogollon Rim in northern Arizona located between the cities of Flagstaff and Sedona. The canyon is often described as a smaller cousin of the Grand Canyon because of its scenic beauty. State Route 89A enters the canyon on its north end via a series of hairpin turns before traversing the bottom of the canyon for about 13 miles (20.8 kilometers) until the highway enters the town of Sedona. The Oak Creek Canyon-Sedona area is the second most popular tourist destination in Arizona, second only to the Grand Canyon.

Geography

Oak Creek Canyon is about 12 miles (19.2 km) long and ranges in width from 0.8 to 2.5 miles (1.3 to 4 km). The depth of the canyon ranges from 800-2,000 feet (240 to 600 meters). However, due to the fault that played a major role in the formation of Oak Creek Canyon, the west rim of the canyon is 700 feet (210 meters) higher than the east rim. The average elevation of the west rim is 7,200 feet (2,160 meters) while the east rim elevation is 6,500 feet (1,950 m)

Oak Creek, a tributary of the Verde River, flows along the bottom of the canyon and is one of the few perennial streams in the high desert region of northern Arizona. Oak Creek is largely responsible for carving the modern Oak Creek Canyon although movement along the Oak Creek Fault, a 30 mile (48 km) long north-south normal fault line, is thought to have played a role as well.

Below Sedona, Oak Creek enters more open...
Read More