Oak Creek Canyon Wall: Photograph by Will Tenney

Oak Creek Canyon Wall

The hiking trail along the West Fork of Oak Creek near Sedona follows the stream at the bottom of a steep-sided canyon. The vertical walls of the canyon are dizzyingly high, dwarfing the large trees on the canyon floor. The air is cool, a welcome respite from the heat of the surrounding desert. The air is sweet with the fragrance of wildflowers and the calls of songbirds makes for gentle music. The day we were there, someone was playing a Native American wooden flute, its haunting melodies wafting throughout the valley. Peaceful, peaceful.