West Fork Trail Preview

Should you hike West Fork of Oak Creek? What the film settles

Three things to settle before the drive up Oak Creek Canyon.

The walking is easy; the crossings are the hike. For the first twenty minutes the film is paved path, meadow and soft forest trail past the Mayhew Lodge ruins. The first crossing comes at 20:30, flat stones you rock-hop. From 30:30 they come in a row, logs and stepping stones and then a log bridge at 32:30, and that run is where your shoes decide whether your feet stay dry. The guide takes you through the walk, crossing by crossing.

Decide how far up you are going. You do not have to reach the end to get the canyon. The walls close in around 1:02:30, and the film reaches the end of the maintained trail, a pool between the canyon walls, at 1:24:35. Any crossing you do not like the look of is a fine place to turn around; how far up West Fork are you going? sets out the three versions of the hike.

Past the pool is a different trip. Beyond the end of the maintained trail you walk in the stream bed with no trail, and the film does not go there. If that is your plan, read past the boundary sign first.

October is the busy month. From mid-October into early November the canopy turns red and gold and this becomes the most crowded trail in the district. Come midweek and early; the guide covers October, and the rest of the year.

Choose something else if anyone in your group cannot rock-hop wet stepping stones. Who should choose something else

What the full film shows, chapter by chapter

Timestamps read from the full 1:25:00 film. Owners can jump straight to any chapter.

1. 0:00 Call of the Canyon: the paved path and the bridge The day-use area, the interpretive sign and the footbridge over Oak Creek (about 2:00).
2. 3:15 The meadow and the Mayhew Lodge ruins Open ground below the red walls, then the fence line past the old lodge site.
3. 8:15 Into the forest Soft dirt trail under maples and pines; the canyon narrows slowly.
4. 20:30 First creek crossing Rock-hopping on flat stones — the kind of crossing that repeats a dozen times.
5. 30:30 Crossings in a row Logs and stepping stones at 30:30 and a log bridge at 32:30; where shoe choice matters.
6. 36:30 Rock steps on the canyon floor Built steps and ledges beside the creek (36:30).
7. 56:30 Stone steps and the mid-canyon walk More built steps at 56:30; the walls get closer and the light drops.
8. 1:02:30 The walls close in Pools under the cliffs at 62:30; another crossing at 67:20.
9. 1:15:00 Boulders under the cliff Rockfall blocks beside the trail at 75:00; the last easy stretch.
10. 1:24:35 End of the maintained trail The pool between the canyon walls at 84:35 — the film ends here; the return walk is not shown.

Not in the film: the walk back to Call of the Canyon, and anything beyond the end of the maintained trail.

Planning the real hike? Read the full West Fork of Oak Creek trail guide for difficulty, parking, permits and route-finding details.