Slide Rock State Park
Encyclopedia
Slide Rock State Park is a state park
of Arizona
, USA, taking its name from a natural water slide
formed by the slippery bed of Oak Creek. The park is located in Oak Creek Canyon
7 miles (11.3 km) north of Sedona
. Slide Rock State Park is located on Coconino National Forest
land and is co-managed by the Arizona State Parks
agency and the U.S. Forest Service
. Tall red rock formations that are typical of the region also surround the park, which contains a 43 acres (17.4 ha) working apple farm.
The land was first developed by Frank L. Pendley, who arrived in the canyon in 1907 and acquired title to the land under the Homestead Act
in 1910. Pendley developed an irrigation system (which is still in use today) and planted an apple orchard
in 1912. The state completed a road through the canyon in 1914, and Pendley built rustic tourist cabins in 1933 that in part survive today. Several films were shot in the area: Angel and the Badman
(1946), Broken Arrow
(1950), Drum Beat
(1954), and Gun Fury
(1953).
The park was purchased by Arizona State Parks from the Arizona Parklands Foundation on July 10, 1985, and dedicated as Slide Rock State Park in October 1987. The Pendley Homestead Historic District was accepted onto the National Register of Historic Places
on December 23, 1991. The apple farm is one of the few homesteads still preserved in Oak Creek Canyon.
There are three hiking trails in Slide Rock State Park: Pendley Homestead Trail (.25 miles), Slide Rock Route (.3 miles), and Clifftop Nature Trail (.25).
Slide Rock State Park attracted 254,584 visitors in 2005 and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Arizona.
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, USA, taking its name from a natural water slide
Water slide
A water slide is a type of slide designed for warm-weather or indoor recreational use at water parks. Water slides differ in their riding method and therefore size...
formed by the slippery bed of Oak Creek. The park is located in Oak Creek Canyon
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...
7 miles (11.3 km) north of Sedona
Sedona, Arizona
Sedona is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona...
. Slide Rock State Park is located on Coconino National Forest
Coconino National Forest
The Coconino National Forest is a 1.856-million acre United States National Forest located in northern Arizona in the vicinity of Flagstaff. Originally established in 1898 as the "San Francisco Mountains National Forest Reserve", the area was designated a U.S...
land and is co-managed by the Arizona State Parks
Arizona State Parks (government)
Arizona State Parks is the governing agency of all Arizona state parks. The agency was created in 1955, following the rapid growth of the post-World War II recreation and tourism industries in the American Southwest...
agency and the U.S. Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
. Tall red rock formations that are typical of the region also surround the park, which contains a 43 acres (17.4 ha) working apple farm.
The land was first developed by Frank L. Pendley, who arrived in the canyon in 1907 and acquired title to the land under the Homestead Act
Homestead Act
A homestead act is one of three United States federal laws that gave an applicant freehold title to an area called a "homestead" – typically 160 acres of undeveloped federal land west of the Mississippi River....
in 1910. Pendley developed an irrigation system (which is still in use today) and planted an apple orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
in 1912. The state completed a road through the canyon in 1914, and Pendley built rustic tourist cabins in 1933 that in part survive today. Several films were shot in the area: Angel and the Badman
Angel and the Badman
Angel and the Badman is a 1947 black-and-white Western film, starring John Wayne, Gail Russell, Harry Carey and Bruce Cabot which examines the ability of a gunman to renounce violence. This film, which was the first one Wayne produced as well as starred in, was a departure for this genre at the...
(1946), Broken Arrow
Broken Arrow (1950 film)
Broken Arrow is a western Technicolor film released in 1950. It was directed by Delmer Daves and starred James Stewart and Jeff Chandler. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, and won a Golden Globe award for Best Film Promoting International Understanding. It made history as the first...
(1950), Drum Beat
Drum Beat
Drum Beat is a 1954 CinemaScope western film written and directed by Delmer Daves and co-produced by Daves and Alan Ladd in his first film for his Jaguar Productions company. It stars Alan Ladd , Audrey Dalton, Charles Bronson as Captain Jack, and Hayden Rorke as President Ulysses S...
(1954), and Gun Fury
Gun Fury
Gun Fury is a 1953 western film directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Rock Hudson and Donna Reed. The film is based on the novel Ten Against Caesar by Kathleen B. George and Robert A. Granger...
(1953).
The park was purchased by Arizona State Parks from the Arizona Parklands Foundation on July 10, 1985, and dedicated as Slide Rock State Park in October 1987. The Pendley Homestead Historic District was accepted onto the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 23, 1991. The apple farm is one of the few homesteads still preserved in Oak Creek Canyon.
There are three hiking trails in Slide Rock State Park: Pendley Homestead Trail (.25 miles), Slide Rock Route (.3 miles), and Clifftop Nature Trail (.25).
Slide Rock State Park attracted 254,584 visitors in 2005 and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Arizona.