Sedona National Park - Grasshopper point
Sedona National Park. A place I can say is finally checked off my bucket list.
Now, funny enough, I was only in Sedona for a total of around three hours. It wasn't the main stop on this most recent trip, only a pitstop.
The rest of this trip was equally as chaotic but some of the most fun I have had in my life.
I visited three states in the span of around five days, went surfing, almost broke my thumb while doing so, went cliff jumping, and had about a dozen other sublime experiences. To read more about the beginning of this trip, click here.
However, this post focuses on the end of our trip.
After driving 6 hours from California, we drove straight past the final destination (my friend's college apartment) and continued down the road an extra hour and a half to hit Sedona.
The downtown area of Sedona is a hippie's paradise and had me hook, line and sinker. I switched to the passenger seat to stare out the window and take it all in. From the crystal shops to the red rocks towering behind, it was everything I thought it would be.
I have never been a massive National Parks girl. I had nothing against them; they simply were not top of my list. Too many crowds.
Yet, in the past couple of months, I have found myself yearning to travel across the country to see the Glaciers in Glacier National Park, the mountain ranges of Teton National Park, and of course, the red rocks of Sedona National Park.
When we entered the park's winding roads, I could tell there was way more to explore than we had time for. There was no chance I would see it before the sun went down. As it was, we arrived at around 5 pm.
That only meant I would have to come back!
My best friend (and most frequent travel buddy), Maddie, lives in Arizona, so she had made her way down to the park several times. Luckily, this meant she knew a few places.
Although Slide Rock is the most popular "watering hole" in Sedona, it is almost always swarming with people, and although very pretty, the park has more to offer.
One of the first turns you can take on the mountain road is into a parking lot marked "Grasshopper Point." This is what we were aiming for. A beautiful watering hole with cliff jumping spots and far fewer people than Slide Rock. The parking lot was full, so we made our way down the road until we spotted a tiny parking spot on the shoulder of the pass. We pulled in, packed our backpack, and began our walk on the narrow edge.
Although scary, it was entirely worth it.
At the bottom of Oak Creek Canyon lies a large cliff side of red rocks with a watering hole sitting below. With a canopy of trees, there is plenty of shade where families spread out their picnic blankets and enjoy the summer heat. Although you are by no means alone, there are far fewer people than you would find at most places in a popular National Park. (We also went on the 4th of July weekend… so there was probably more than usual).
Cliff jumping, although discouraged, is the main attraction here. Though you can go further down the canyon for a relaxing swim, most people huddle around a 20-foot cliff and watch as dozens of people ranging from ages 8 to 50 plummet into the crystal clear water.
A cool part about this spot is that there is a wide range of heights you can jump from.
As you begin your rock climb up the cliff, you first reach a jump that is probably around 7-10 feet tall. You can keep climbing up, and you'll reach the conventional spot that most people jump from (approximately 20 feet). You can go even higher if you are brave, but be aware that any higher can be pretty dangerous. The higher jumps are deeper in the cliff and require scaling the rocks below you to reach the water. That means a broad jump with no mistakes. If you are experienced and feel comfortable, people will go as high as 35 feet.
The jump is astonishing. I have cliff jumped once or twice (depending on what you count as cliff jumping), and this one just felt different.
There was never a moment I felt unsafe or as if something could go wrong. Maybe we came on a really good day with high water levels, but overall, I felt secure. Even as I plunged downward, even as I had moments to think about the water that was increasingly gaining on me, I never felt like the situation was out of my control. No "what if…" thought was going through my brain (which is very rare).
The water is cold but nothing compared to some of the snow melt waters I have soaked in up in Colorado.
The scenery surrounding you is breathtaking and truly astounding.
We finished our night by eating dinner on the main street and watching the sunset against the red rocks.
It was a surreal experience, to say the least. It makes you remember how small you are but in the best way. You see how many beautiful things surround us that were all created in the same world. There is so much this earth has to offer; it's time I go out and start seeing it.
The month of July is about to be the most insane month of my life. I will be traveling to 6 states and through around 14. Back-to-back trips that I have been planning for months.
So far, I have checked off 4 out of the 6 states, and it's only July 10th. Stayed tuned (and subscribe to my email list!) for the remained of the month to hear what Deep Water I get myself into.
