The Thomas Pointe 142 Trail in Oak Creek Canyon

Buried on the eastern side of Oak Creek Canyon lies an unpopulated, yet beautifully scenic hike just waiting to be found as cars unknowingly drive by the trailhead thousands of times, every day.

Most people might wonder why such an amazing hike off of such a major highway is so unknown. One reason is because trail access is located at the parking area of the most popular hike in Sedona, the West Fork Trail. Parking for the Thomas Point trail can be found in the West Fork Trail parking area. Once parked, follow a trail from that parking lot south and it will bring you up to cross the highway to begin your ascent. If you don't want to pay the fee for the parking lot, you can always try chancing your luck with the narrow and scarce shoulders on the side of the road about every 100 to 200 yards along the highway, but just make sure you've got a Red Rock Pass in your windshield. Be cautious though as the road gets narrow when there is no shoulder and many vehicles aren't expecting pedestrians to be walking along the side of the highway.

As mentioned, the trailhead is well-hidden, but if you're looking for it, can be found roughly 200 yards south of the West Fork parking area. It begins on the east side of the highway and begins its climb through the pine trees that line the highway and up the canyon side. The trail starts out climbing and never really lets up much. That being said, it's a bit strenuous as you climb over 1,000 feet in just over a mile to the top, but isn't too much of a problem. The initial climb switchbacks through the pine trees and stays along the highway, which unfortunately is easy to notice as cars are constantly going by, but soon enough you turn east and reach an exposed area on the side of the cliff giving you a fantastic view south of Oak Creek Canyon.

This overlook makes a great resting point if you need it as limestone becomes more exposed providing a home to agave plants and prickly pear cacti that now begin to line the sides of the trail. The trail begins climbing more switchbacks up this side of the cliff, offering potential break sites along the entire way as views of Oak Creek Canyon become gradually more majestic.

Once you've gotten a cut or two on your legs from the encroaching agave plants, the trail brings you back into the pine trees where overgrowth begins to crowd the trail. Luckily though, it's just small oak trees and leaves that block the way a bit, as opposed to cacti and agave that you were dodging just moments before. Soon after this point, the trail flattens out as the end of the trail is officially marked by a wall of cairns. Feel free to explore this area as to the south is an inspiring view of Oak Creek Canyon with the red rocks of Sedona in the distance, and to the north is the remainder of Oak Creek Canyon ascending into the San Francisco Peaks on the horizon. The rocky cliffs on either side also add a bit of dynamism to the scene, created sharp drop-offs that open up the landscape before you.

The best times to do this trail would in the Spring as the agave and prickly pear are blooming, but also in the Fall when all the oak leaves are changing color and painting the canyon.