Overall Route Rating
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4.32 out of 5 Rider Rating 4.32
46 Reviews

Motorcycle Route Author

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Jun 30, 2000

Rider Reviews

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Guest
June 9, 2010
This is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL ride, and I would…
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Guest
January 19, 2010
What a road, what a ride. I actually started from…
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Written Directions

Directions to this road are simple. Just take 89A south out of Flagstaff, AZ toward Sedona. Then enjoy the awesome ride!!!

Scenery

This certainly has to be considered one of the BEST routes in Arizona as well as the entire western half of the US!!! The scenery is unbelievable ... world class! You start out up in the lush rugged forests of Flagstaff and work your way down (in direction (south) and in altitude) to the canyon and rock formation surrounded town of Sedona, AZ. You will be driving through what is known as the Old Creek Canyon on road 89A (also known as "Oak Creek Canyon Drive"). The higher regions of the canyon display forests full of Aspens, Oaks and Maples. If you go in the October/November time frame, you might be lucky enough to see the Aspens and Oaks in their full fall glory. Not long after you leave Flagstaff and head south, you'll soon have chances to peer over a magnificent huge cliff overlook that will give you a great view of the stunningly beautiful canyon you are about to dive into. You then quickly descend down into the canyon and get an up close look at some postcard perfect rock formations and beautiful landscapes made up of various different color rock walls. The plant life changes now to pines, scrub oaks and different types of cactus as the climate in the bottom of the canyon dries and warms up. In the canyon you'll be able to see (and hike through) some amazing red rock canyons and rock formations. There are a lot of beautiful canyon runs in the US but this one stands out because of its diversity of landscape in just 30 short miles ... keep in mind, if you want to see more, you can just continue to head south down to Prescott, AZ.

Drive Enjoyment

This road can have some awesome switch backs and steep ascents/descents. I would consider it a perfect five star road quality, except for the fact that it can be crowded at certain times of the year and it requires motorcyclists to be extra careful considering that all the car drivers are dividing their attention between the road and the scenery. So I gave it four stars taking that into account.

Tourism Opportunities

I gave it five stars here because you've got both the nature stuff to do and the city attractions. There is a lot of stuff to do along this short 30 mile route if you like hiking, swimming, camping, fishing or just picnicking. When you start out in Flagstaff, AZ, the town has plenty of places to eat, sleep and gas-up. Along the way, there are plenty of trail heads that will take you deeper into the canyon .. bring your hiking boots. One thing you need to check out if your up for some real fun is the "Slide Rock State Park." This is God's version of a waterslide. People can slide down this rock bottom creek in jeans (or shorts if you are daring) and end up dropping off in to a natural pool. And you can get some swimming in at the "Grasshopper Swim Area" ... its a bunch of little creek pools where people can swim or just wade in. Also the road ends in Sedona, AZ, which is an outstanding art town. You can walk around passing through all the art, craft and gift shops. And there is no shortage of restaurants or hotels. Also, if you head south of town, you can check out the "Chapel of the Holy Cross" ... a church that includes a 90 foot cross that seems to shoot right out of the red rocks.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather . - Arizona Travel
 

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Guest
June 9, 2010
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport
This is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL ride, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves the scenery, switchbacks, and having a great bike ride. BUT....fair warning... Even though this is a beautiful ride, there are MANY people that wipe out on this road because it is NOT maintained. It has about 16 miles of constant switchbacks, and a LOT of loose rocks and gravel patches through at least 70% of the turns. Sportbike riders should be very aware not to race this road, take it slow. One slip and you can wind up hundreds of feet down a steep cliff. I have had a couple of friends go down on this ride, and they werent even going fast. The asphalt is crumbly in a lot of places, and can be very treacherous. Just be careful on the road. It is a beautiful ride, but if you're a throttle jockey, this is NOT the road for you.
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4 riders found this road review useful
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Guest
January 19, 2010
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
What a road, what a ride. I actually started from Prescott early and road north through Jerome to Sedona and then up through Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff. Talk about scenery sensory overload. I left out early morning (7am) on a Thursday so traffic was fairly light, but as I got near Sedona and north of there you have to be weary of the cages and RV's, such is life on a popular road. The ride to and from Jerome was great and then you drop down into a valley on the way to Sedona. The artsy town of Sedona is not my cup of tea, but fantastic scenery all around with the contrast hues of the red rocks and the green growth of trees and shrubs. North of Sedona the road gets interesting again as it winds it way through the canyon along side the creek before rising in elevation north to Flagstaff. Once out of the canyon there is a parking area and overlook to visit and an opportunity to look back south down into the canyon you just came out of, that is assuming it isn't too busy, the day I was there it was packed. Regardless of the traffic, which really wasn't that bad, I would ride this road again in a heartbeat, in fact, I planned to as soon as I get back out west and I am close enough to make it happen. Be careful and ride safe.
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4 riders found this road review useful
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JBMAC
October 7, 2014
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
Just road this last week, the roadway thru the curves has been completely repaved, now it is even more enjoyable. To complete the ride keep on going to Jerome one on to Prescott.
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