Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Value
The High Cost of Red-Rock Views
A
Red Rock Pass
will allow you to visit Palatki Ruins and the V Bar V Heritage Site
(site of petroglyphs) and park at any national forest trail head parking areas. The
cost is $5 for a 1-day pass, $15 for a 7-day pass, and $20 to $40 for a 12-month
pass. Passes are good for everyone in your vehicle. If you plan to be in the area
for more than a week and also want to visit Grasshopper Point (a swimming
hole), Banjo Bill (a picnic area), Call of the Canyon (the West Fork Oak Creek trail
head), and Crescent Moon (Sedona's top photo-op site), you'll want to buy the
weekly pass. These sites each charge a $8 admission, so if you aren't planning on
going to all of them, the pass won't save you anything. For more information on
the Red Rock Pass, visit www.redrockcountry.org.
known as the
Three Golden Chiefs
by the Yavapai tribe, stand beside Coffee Pot Rock.
As you drive up Dry Creek Road, on your right you'll see
Capitol Butte,
which resem-
bles the U.S. Capitol.
To the west of Boynton Canyon, you can visit the well-preserved Sinagua cliff dwell-
ings at
Palatki Heritage Site
(
&
928/282-3854;
www.redrockcountry.org). These small
ruins, tucked under the red cliffs, are the best place in the area to get a feel for the ancient
Native American cultures that once lived in this region. Among the ruins, you'll see
numerous pictographs (paintings) created by the past residents of Palatki. Before heading
out to these ruins, be sure you make a reservation by calling the number above. To reach
the ruins, follow the directions to Boynton Canyon, but instead of turning right at the
second “T” intersection, turn left onto unpaved Boynton Pass Road (F.R. 152C), which
is one of the most scenic roads in the area. Follow this road to another “T” intersection
and go right onto F.R. 525, then veer right onto F.R. 795, which dead-ends at the ruins.
You can also get here by driving west from Sedona on Ariz. 89A to F.R. 525, a gravel road
leading north to F.R. 795. To visit Palatki, you'll need a Red Rock Pass (see “The High
Cost of Red-Rock Views,” below); the ruins are usually open daily from 9:30am to 3pm.
The dirt roads around here become impassable to regular cars when they're wet, so don't
try coming out here if the roads are at all muddy.
South of Ariz. 89A and a bit west of the turnoff for Boynton Canyon is Upper Red
Rock Loop Road, which leads to
Crescent Moon Picnic Area
, a national forest
recreation area that has become a must-see for visitors to Sedona. Its popularity stems
from a beautiful photograph of Oak Creek with
Cathedral Rock
in the background—an
image that has been reproduced countless times in Sedona promotional literature and on
postcards. Hiking trails lead up to Cathedral Rock. Admission is $8 per vehicle (unless
you have previously purchased a weekly Red Rock Pass; see “The High Cost of Red-Rock
Views,” below). For more information, contact the
Red Rock Ranger District,
8375
Ariz. 179, Village of Oak Creek (
&
928/203-7500
or 928/282-4119; www.fs.fed.us/r3/
coconino).
If you continue on Red Rock Loop Road, you will come to
Red Rock State Park,
4050 Red Rock Loop Rd. (
&
928/282-6907;
www.azstateparks.com), which flanks Oak
Creek. The views here take in many of the rocks listed above, and you have the bonus of
being right on the creek (though swimming and wading are prohibited). Park admission
is $7 per car. The park offers lots of guided walks and interpretive programs.
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