Flagstaff to Sedona on the Incredible 89A

Motorcycle Route Author

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

Rider Reviews

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Guest

January 19, 2010

What a road, what a ride. I actually started from…

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Guest

June 9, 2010

This is an absolutely BEAUTIFUL ride, and I would…

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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.