Encinoso Swimming Hole

Getting There | Map | Slideshow | Videos | Panoramas

Description

Encinoso is a little known swimming hole that only has space for five or six cars (see images below). The main swimming hole is relatively small but has ample room for the number of parking spaces allotted to it. To park along Oak Creek you need to have a Red Rocks Pass which can be purchased at the Oak Creek Visitors Center at the Historical Marker about 1.5 miles south of the swimming hole. A Red Rocks daily pass costs $5. a weekly pass costs $15.

There are a few small cliffs to jump from on the far side of the pool, but I wouldn't suggest diving. This is a perfect place to bring your picnic lunch to and soak up the beauty of Oak Creek. The lush greenery here is surrounded by Red Rocks cliffs. The swimming hole is a great place to take pictures of the creek. The only real drawback for this site is that it is downstream from Slide Rock State Park if you know what I mean. If you want to do a little exploring, you will need to scramble over cobble and boulders and occasionally get soaked along the way.

Getting down to the creek is an adventure also. from the parking area, walk through the rocks and immediately turn to the right. follow the path down to the crevice on the left about 100 feet from the parking area and head down the crevice doing a little boulder crawling on the way down. Grab a spot and jump in. There isn't a lot of shade midday, but late afternoon, the canyon walls provide a nice respite from the summer sun.

Restrooms are located a short distance south from the swimming hole at the Encinoso Day Use Area.

Getting There

From the HWY 179 and 89A intersection in Sedona, head north up Oak Creek Canyon 5.5 miles to the parking apron on the right side of the road 300 yards past the Encinoso Day Use Area. See map below.