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Journal · Sedona · Arizona

Sedona without the big hikes: the Airport Mesa overlook and Grasshopper Point

A drive-up red-rock view and a shaded swimming hole on Oak Creek, both on paved roads. My reviews, plus the passes that confuse everyone.

By Travis Estes · Updated November 2026 · Moderate

A steel arch highway bridge spanning a canyon below red-rock buttes, with boulders and desert brush in the foreground
A steel bridge across a red-rock canyon in the Coconino National Forest, March 22, 2014.

Sedona has a reputation as a hiking town, but two of the places I reviewed there barely need a walk. I reviewed both on July 16, 2018. My photos of the red-rock country around Sedona are older: they're from March 2014, two years before my stroke.

  1. Airport Scenic OverlookDrive up Airport Road, pay for parking, and the West Sedona view is right there
  2. Grasshopper PointA shaded swimming hole on Oak Creek, about 2 miles north of Sedona on paved roads

The Airport Scenic Overlook

My review was short: "It costs a few dollars to park here but it's a wonderful view, so very worth a stop. The parking lot takes both cash and card."

What the Sedona Airport says about it today:

  • Parking is good all day. Keep your receipt and you can leave and come back.
  • Paying: pay the attendant at the booth, or the kiosk beside it when no one's there. Credit and debit cards are accepted. If you pay cash, small bills or exact change help.
  • Finding it: as Airport Road levels off after the long climb, cross the cattle guard. The parking lot is on the left. The airport says the best views of Chimney Rock, Thunder Mountain, Coffee Pot and the other West Sedona mountains are on the right.
  • Sunset traffic: the airport suggests arriving an hour before sunset to avoid the traffic, adding "yes, it happens."
  • Don't walk on Airport Road. The airport says it's busy and narrow, and pedestrians are prohibited.
  • No camping or overnight parking. Bottled water is sold when the kiosk is staffed.
A twisted juniper tree above yucca and dry grasses on red soil under a blue sky
Juniper and yucca, Coconino National Forest, March 15, 2014.

Grasshopper Point: the creek without the hike

"This is a good spot to visit the creek if you don't mind a bit of a crowd and you dont want to hike far or fight for limited parking." That's how my 2018 review starts, and it ends with the reason I'd still send people there: "If you don't want to go on a dirt road, only have a limited time, or have never been to it before give it a go. It's a pleasant place to visit."

The Forest Service describes Grasshopper Point as a large cliffside swimming hole at the base of Oak Creek Canyon, shaded and cool, and "a good respite from the summer heat."

  • Getting there: from the "Y" where State Route 89A meets Highway 179 in Sedona, drive north on 89A for about 2.5 miles and turn right at the signs. All roads are paved.
  • Coming from Flagstaff: there's no left turn into Grasshopper Point from southbound 89A. Go on about 0.6 miles to Midgley Bridge, turn around, and come back north to turn right.
  • Hours: 8 AM to 6 PM from April 1 to October 31, and 9 AM to 6 PM from November 1 to March 31. The exit gate stays open until dusk.
  • Fees: a day-use fee per vehicle for up to five people, or per person if you walk or bike in. Cash, checks and cards are accepted. The Red Rock Pass and America the Beautiful pass aren't accepted here; the Coconino Hospitality Annual Pass is.
  • Facilities: vault toilets and picnic tables. There's no drinking water, so bring your own.
  • Limits: day use only, vehicles no longer than 24 feet (no RVs, trailers or buses), and no campfires or glass.
Looking up at the rust-colored steel girders of an arch bridge against a red cliff
Under the bridge, March 22, 2014.

Three different payments

This is the part that confuses visitors, so here's how the Forest Service and the airport split it:

  • The overlook lot has its own parking fee, paid to the airport.
  • The Red Rock Pass covers many Forest Service fee sites around Sedona, such as Midgley Bridge and the Bell Rock and Cathedral Rock trailheads. The America the Beautiful pass covers those sites too.
  • Five concessionaire sites, including Grasshopper Point and Crescent Moon, charge their own day fee or take the Coconino Hospitality Annual Pass instead. Neither of the other passes works there.

If you're a US citizen or permanent resident with a permanent disability, the National Park Service offers a free, lifetime America the Beautiful Access Pass for participating federal recreation sites.

White daisy-like wildflowers with yellow centers growing out of red rocks
Wildflowers in red rock, Coconino National Forest, March 22, 2014.

Who this suits

On paper, the overlook suits anyone who can ride up the hill, since it's a drive-up stop. Grasshopper Point suits families and grandparents who want time by the water without a long hike or a dirt road. Heading farther north? Lake Powell is another big view you can see from the water's edge: Lake Powell the easy way.

Gear that helps

Grasshopper Point has no drinking water and a rocky creek, and the overlook is in full sun. What to bring:

Affiliate links: the Amazon links here are tagged, so I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. They're suggestions for this kind of trip, not products I've tested, and prices change, so I don't list them. Disclosure

More ideas, grouped by need, on the accessible travel gear page.

Sources

Official pages read November 2, 2026.

Opening hours, routes and rules change; check the official pages before you go. Planning links for every guide are on the Plan page.