Overview

The Middle Oak Creek Trail provides a pleasant walk across Red Rock Valley into Oak Creek Canyon, connecting to the regular Oak Creek Canyon Trail after 1.5 miles. For people who don't want to drive the entire Scenic Loop Road to get to the Oak Creek Canyon Trailhead, and for people who just don't want to pay the entrance fee, the Middle Oak Creek Trail provides alternate access to hiking and rock climbing areas along the Red Rock Cliffs.

Presented here are photos of the return because trails always look different on the way back. For a detailed description of the trail, including directions, GPS coordinates, and photos, see Middle Oak Creek Trail.

Descending the Oak Creek Canyon Trail, the trail junction with the Middle Oak Creek Trail is confusing because of poor signage, multiple trailing, and multiple trails that go in different directions.

Link to map of the confusing trail junction.

The Hike

On the Oak Creek Trail heading out of the canyon, the trail drops onto rolling desert flats below the escarpment where most of the vegetation consists of low-growing shrubs. There are, however, a couple of Utah Juniper trees and a Singleleaf Pinyon Pine that stand out on the landscape, and these trees are useful for finding the proper junction onto the Middle Oak Creek Trail.

Descending the Oak Creek Canyon Trail, the trail passes beside an isolated Utah Juniper where three more trees can be seen in the near distance ahead. From this view, the Middle Oak Creek Trail passes just left of the single, isolated Pinyon Pine and then passes a few yards right of the two Junipers visible a bit farther out.

After passing these two Junipers, the Middle Oak Creek Trail is easy to follow to the trailhead, which is visible from the trail just past the two Juniper trees.

Keep in mind that these trail junctions seem to keep changing, so follow the trees.