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Park Facilities:
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Swimming, wading, picnicking, birdwatching,
fishing (no glass bait jars please), a nature trail, volleyball
court, and excellent apples (in season)
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Slide Rock Market for snacks and picnic supplies
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Close to several Coconino National Forest
campgrounds and hiking trails
Slide Rock State Park, originally the Pendley
Homestead, is a 43-acre historical apple farm located in Oak Creek
Canyon. Frank L. Pendley, having arrived in the canyon in 1907, formally
acquired the land under the Homestead Act in 1910. Due to his pioneering
innovation, he succeeded where others failed by establishing a unique
irrigation system still in use by the park today. This allowed Pendley
to plant his first apple orchard in 1912, beginning the pattern of
agricultural development that has dominated the site since that time.
Pendley also grew garden produce and kept some livestock.
As one of the few homesteads left intact in the
canyon today, Slide Rock State Park is a fine example of early
agricultural development in Central Arizona. The site was also
instrumental to the development of the tourism industry in Oak Creek
Canyon. |
The completion of the canyon road in 1914 and the
paving of the roadway in 1938 were strong influences in encouraging
recreational use of the canyon. Hence, Pendley followed suit and in
1933, built rustic cabins to cater to vacationers and sightseers.
The park is named after the famous Slide Rock, a
stretch of slippery creek bottom adjacent to the homestead. Visitors may
slide down a slick natural water chute or wade and sun along the creek.
The swim area is located on National Forest land which is jointly
managed by Arizona State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service. Together
these areas have seen the making of many Hollywood movies such as
"Broken Arrow" (1950) with James Stewart, "Drum
Beat" (1954) with Alan Ladd and Charles Bronson, "Gun
Fury" (1953) with Rock Hudson and Donna Reed, and a scene from
"Angel and the Badman" (1946) with John Wayne.
On July 10, 1985, Arizona State Parks purchased the
park property from the Arizona Parklands Foundation. The park was
dedicated in October 1987, and accepted onto the National Register of
Historic Places on December 23, 1991.
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