Slide Rock gets the billboard on Highway 89A. Grasshopper Point gets the locals. That has been true for as long as anyone in the Verde Valley can remember, and it continues to be true on every summer weekend when the Slide Rock State Park parking lot fills at 9 AM and turns away several hundred vehicles, and Grasshopper Point, 4 miles south on the same highway, is still accepting visitors.
The two places are not the same experience. Slide Rock has the famous natural water slide. Grasshopper Point has deeper pools, jumping rocks, creek access for dogs, shade from mature sycamores, and a day use fee that costs a fraction of Slide Rock on a peak weekend. Verde Valley residents who know both have an opinion about which one they prefer for a typical summer afternoon. Most of them have not been to Slide Rock in years.
Where Grasshopper Point Is and How to Get There
Grasshopper Point is a Coconino National Forest day use area located approximately 2 miles north of Uptown Sedona, Arizona on Highway 89A, at the south entrance to Oak Creek Canyon. The day use area sits on the east side of the highway at a bend in the canyon where Oak Creek comes closest to the road and slows into a deeper pool configuration. There is a signed turnoff from the highway with a small parking area.
The Red Rock Pass covers the day use fee at Grasshopper Point. Day passes are $5 per vehicle. The America the Beautiful annual pass covers this fee, which makes it one of the lowest-cost outdoor recreation access points in the Sedona area. In contrast, Slide Rock State Park charges $10 to $30 per vehicle depending on the season and day of week, and the America the Beautiful pass is not accepted there.
The parking area at Grasshopper Point is smaller than Slide Rock, holding approximately 30 to 40 vehicles. On summer weekends it does fill, but the smaller capacity means it fills and empties more fluidly than the larger Slide Rock lot. Arriving before 9 AM on peak weekends is a reliable strategy. Weekday visits require essentially no arrival timing strategy.
For visitors staying in Uptown Sedona, Grasshopper Point is genuinely walkable or bikeable. The walk north on Highway 89A from the main Uptown area is approximately 1.5 miles on a route with sidewalk for most of the distance. This makes it one of the few significant outdoor recreation destinations in Sedona, Arizona that does not require a car from the Uptown neighborhood.
What the Swimming Area at Grasshopper Point Actually Offers
The swimming area at Grasshopper Point in Sedona, Arizona is defined by a bend in Oak Creek where the water slows and deepens. The main pool runs approximately 8 to 12 feet deep in the central channel, with progressively shallower water along the edges that works for families with young children who are not strong swimmers.
The jumping rocks above the deep pool are the feature that makes Grasshopper Point specifically appealing to older children, teenagers, and adults. The jumping rocks range from approximately 8 to 15 feet above the water surface depending on the specific perch. The jumps are into the deep pool below, not into shallow water. However, water depth varies with the season and precipitation year. The depth at the base of the jumping rocks should be confirmed by someone with knowledge of current conditions before anyone jumps, particularly in a low-water year when the pool may have receded.
The water temperature at Grasshopper Point is cold. Oak Creek at this location is the same water as at Slide Rock, fed from snowmelt on the Mogollon Rim above, and it runs between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit through the summer months. The cold water is not a surprise to Verde Valley regulars but consistently surprises visitors from warmer swimming destinations. Most people acclimate within a few minutes of being in the water.
Why Verde Valley Residents Prefer Grasshopper Point
The practical advantages of Grasshopper Point over Slide Rock in Sedona, Arizona are multiple and consistent. The fee is lower. The crowd level is lower. Dogs are permitted. The deeper pools and jumping rocks provide a different kind of water recreation than the natural water slide. And the mature sycamore trees along the creek bank provide shade over the picnic and seating areas in a way that the more exposed Slide Rock main area does not.
The absence of a single iconic activity, the natural water slide that drives Slide Rock’s name recognition, is actually the reason Grasshopper Point remained a local secret for as long as it did. There is no one photograph that makes Grasshopper Point famous on social media the way the Slide Rock photograph does. The experience is better communicated by spending an afternoon there than by any single image.
Verde Valley residents with children old enough for jumping rocks specifically favor Grasshopper Point over Slide Rock. The slide at Slide Rock is most exciting for younger children and quickly loses its appeal for teenagers. The jumping rocks at Grasshopper Point maintain their appeal for a wider age range. This is not a minor distinction for families planning summer activities.
Dogs at Grasshopper Point: The Key Distinction
Dogs are permitted at Grasshopper Point on a leash no longer than 6 feet. This is a National Forest day use area rule that applies throughout, including in the creek access areas. Dogs are not permitted at Slide Rock State Park under any circumstances. This single distinction makes Grasshopper Point the default recommendation for any visitor to Sedona, Arizona traveling with a dog who wants Oak Creek access.
The creek at Grasshopper Point is appropriate for dogs who enjoy water. The entry points are accessible without jumping, and the water depth in the edge areas is manageable for most dogs. Large dogs that swim enthusiastically should be monitored around other visitors in the swimming area. The picnic areas and walking paths along the creek are comfortable for dogs in the shade.
Leash requirement note: the 6-foot leash rule is enforced at National Forest day use areas in the Sedona area. Off-leash dogs in day use areas are subject to citation. This is consistently enforced at Grasshopper Point because the proximity to the swimming area and other visitors makes enforcement more active than at trailheads.
What Else Is at Grasshopper Point
Beyond the swimming area, Grasshopper Point includes picnic tables under the sycamore tree canopy, a short trail section along Oak Creek that extends upstream and downstream from the main swimming area, and restroom facilities. The picnic tables fill early on summer weekends, but the shaded character of the site means that even visitors who arrive after the main parking rush can usually find comfortable spots along the creek bank.
The short trail section extending from the day use area connects to the lower approach of Oak Creek Canyon and provides a pleasant creek-side walk of approximately 15 to 20 minutes each direction without committing to a full-length trail hike. For visitors who want a combination of swimming and walking, this makes Grasshopper Point a more complete half-day destination than the swimming area alone suggests.
Grasshopper Point and Uptown Sedona Living
Buyers evaluating Uptown Sedona properties frequently ask about walkability and daily outdoor access. Grasshopper Point is one of the specific answers to that question. Properties on the north end of the Uptown neighborhood, within walking or cycling distance of the Highway 89A corridor heading toward Oak Creek Canyon, are within easy non-car reach of Grasshopper Point for morning or afternoon visits.
The ability to walk to an Oak Creek swimming hole on a summer evening is the kind of daily quality-of-life detail that photographs of Uptown Sedona, Arizona do not convey but that residents describe consistently when asked what they value most about their address. Angelo Davis, REALTOR® at RE/MAX Sedona, works with buyers who are specifically evaluating the walkability and daily outdoor access of Uptown properties and understands which streets translate that proximity into a practical daily reality.
Comparing Grasshopper Point and Slide Rock
For visitors or buyers trying to decide between the two experiences, here is the honest comparison. Slide Rock has the famous natural water slide, the historic Pendley apple orchard setting, and the brand recognition that comes from decades of marketing. It is a genuinely distinctive experience. It is also more expensive, fills faster, prohibits dogs, and is more crowded throughout the day.
Grasshopper Point has deeper pools, jumping rocks, dog access, lower fees, significantly lower crowds, shade from mature trees, and walkable proximity to Uptown Sedona. It lacks the water slide and the name recognition. For families with mixed ages, for visitors with dogs, for locals who want a reliably uncrowded morning swim, and for anyone arriving after 9 AM on a summer weekend, Grasshopper Point in Sedona, Arizona is the right choice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grasshopper Point in Sedona free to visit?
Grasshopper Point in Sedona, Arizona requires the Red Rock Pass for day use parking. Day passes are $5 per vehicle. The America the Beautiful annual pass covers the fee. This is significantly less expensive than Slide Rock State Park, which charges $10 to $30 per vehicle and does not accept the America the Beautiful pass.
Can you swim at Grasshopper Point in Sedona?
Yes. Grasshopper Point in Sedona, Arizona has a swimming area in Oak Creek with pools ranging from shallow edge areas to approximately 8 to 12 feet deep in the central channel. There are also jumping rocks above the deep pool ranging from 8 to 15 feet in height. Water temperatures stay in the 55 to 65 degree Fahrenheit range through summer.
Are dogs allowed at Grasshopper Point Sedona?
Yes, dogs are permitted at Grasshopper Point in Sedona, Arizona on a leash no longer than 6 feet. This is a key difference from Slide Rock State Park, where dogs are not permitted under any circumstances. The creek access areas are accessible for dogs without jumping, and the edge areas of the swimming pool are manageable for most dogs.
Is Grasshopper Point crowded in Sedona?
Grasshopper Point is significantly less crowded than Slide Rock State Park in Sedona, Arizona. The smaller parking area limits daily capacity. On summer weekends when Slide Rock reaches capacity before 10 AM and turns away vehicles, Grasshopper Point typically continues accepting visitors. Weekday visits are reliably uncrowded throughout the day.
How deep is the water at Grasshopper Point Sedona?
The main swimming pool at Grasshopper Point in Sedona’s Oak Creek Canyon is approximately 8 to 12 feet deep in the central channel under normal water conditions. Edge areas range from 2 to 4 feet deep and are suitable for non-swimmers and young children with adult supervision. Actual depth varies with seasonal precipitation levels and should be confirmed before jumping.
Where is Grasshopper Point in Sedona?
Grasshopper Point is located approximately 2 miles north of Uptown Sedona, Arizona on Highway 89A at the south entrance to Oak Creek Canyon. It is on the east side of the highway at a bend where Oak Creek comes closest to the road. GPS navigation to Grasshopper Point Picnic Area, Sedona, Arizona is accurate and routes to the signed turnoff from the highway.
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If you are weighing Uptown Sedona against other neighborhoods and daily Oak Creek access matters to your decision, compare all six Sedona neighborhoods side by side to understand what each address actually delivers.
