Ecology Overview

Slide Rock State Park is located north of Sedona along Oak Creek. It features spectacular red rocks, good swimming areas, hiking trails, scenic views, trout fishing, and historic buildings. There is also a historic orchard on site that produces delicious apples each fall. The park is managed in partnership with the Coconino National Forest.

Characteristic upland vegetation in the area includes Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa), Emory oak (Quercus emoryi), Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii), buck brush (Ceanothus fendleri), birchleaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus var. glaber), Wright’s buckwheat (Erioganum wrightii), Utah and oneseed juniper (Juniperus utahensis and J. monosperma), and banana yucca (Yucca bacata). Riparian vegetation consists of willow (Salix Gooddingii), box elder (Acer negundo), Arizona sycamore (Plantanus wrightii), Arizona cypress (Cypress arizonica), and canyon grape (Vitis arizonica).

Common animals in Slide Rock State Park are grey fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus), Coues whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus couesi), Arizona bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea arizonae), pinyon deer mouse (Peromyscus truei), and raccoon (Procyon lotor). Avian species include the pinyon jay (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus), gray flycatcher (Empidonax wrightii), Scott’s oriole (Icterus parisorum), gray vireo (Vireo vicinior), and the black-throated gray warbler (Dendroica nigrescens).

Like many areas of Arizona, Slide Rock State Park is also home to non-native plants and animals. These non-native species arrive in a variety of ways; some species have been accidentally introduced and humans introduced some purposefully. Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), puncture vine (Tribulus terrestris), periwinkle (Vinca major), wand mullein (Verbascum virgatum), blackberry (Rubus sp.), dalmatian toadflax (Linaria dalmatica) are all non-native plants found in or very near the park.

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