Posts
 |
| Oak Creek Canyon viewed from Thomas Point Trail |
West Fork, West
Fork, West Fork! Like a beleaguered
middle sister who covets the attention lavished upon her prettier sibling,
Thomas Point Trail suffers in uncelebrated fabulousness. Both routes share Sedona's Call of the Canyon
trailhead, so why is one so precious and the other not so much? It’s probably because Sedona’s dramatic West
Fork Trail, is the glitter-dusted flying unicorn whereas Thomas Point Trail is
more like a pack horse hauling an apple cart.
But if you appreciate the kind of trek that holds its treasures in
remote, thorny places-- this is your trail.
Back in the days before the completion of State Route
89A and Interstate 17, the journey between Flagstaff and Sedona was made on
ridiculously steep and precarious routes like Thomas Point Trail. The aggressively
vertical path is one of four that climb to the top of the east walls of Oak
Creek Canyon. The other trails are Telephone, Harding Springs and Cookstove. Built
by the Thomas Family in the 1890s, the trail served as part of a horse and
wagon transport network.
 |
| The lower part of the trail runs through pine-oak woodlands |
Today, horses
and bikes are not allowed on it, and you’ll understand why at about the half-mile
point. The foot traffic only rule might be one reason why the trail gets little
use.
The route’s lung-busting
ascent, vertigo-inducing edges and short length are also deterrents. But, hold
off on the “meh”. Whether done in combination with its celebrated big sis or as
a solo out-and-back, this is one you’ll be happy you did not pass up.
 |
| The upper trail is exposed to sun & drop offs |
The mile-long
unrelenting climb, begins in a shaded pine-oak forest but soon curves around a
notch in the cliffs to head east along a slim path that’s exposed to both the
sun and precipitous drop offs above Oak Creek Canyon. This is not a good choice
for acrophobics because there are some spots where the rough-hacked trail kisses
the edge.
The steepest parts of the trail pass through a chaparral zone with
yucca and cacti clinging to crumbling limestone escarpments.
Near the top, sharp turns, high-step
maneuvers and sketchy segments require some route-finding skills. While watching
your step and scratching your head, don’t forget to soak up the carousel of
vistas that unwind on the way up. Look for views of the coniferous greenery of
Secret Mountain Wilderness, crimson sandstone strips of Slide Rock State Park
and the bristly high plateau of Harding Point. At trail’s end, sightings of
Flagstaff’s peaks cap off the hike in all its freckled and flawed grandeur.
 |
| Western Wallflower blooms March - September |
 |
| Upper trail |
LENGTH: 2.5
miles roundtrip
RATING:
difficult
ELEVATION: 5320' - 6320'
GETTING THERE:
From the traffic
circle at State Routes 179/89A in Sedona, go 10.5 miles north on SR 89A and
turn left at the Call of the Canyon Day Use Area. There’s a $10 daily fee per vehicle to park.
The trail begins
near the map kiosk at the West Fork trailhead. Hike 0.25 mile on the access
path, cross SR89A and pick up the trail marked by a concrete step and metal
sign post.
INFO: Coconino
National Forest
