Oak Creek reopens Thursday near Sedona after Pocket Fire, with more sites back Oct. 1

Public access to Oak Creek north of Sedona will reopen Thursday after a temporary closure tied to the Pocket Fire, Coconino National Forest officials said Monday.

The closure is set to end Thursday, reopening the creek and nearly all recreation sites.

What remains closed near Oak Creek

The West Fork area will remain closed through Sept. 30 because that watershed saw greater fire damage and still has a higher flood risk.

The closure includes West Fork Trail No. 108 and Call of the Canyon Picnic Site. Slide Rock State Park, which is managed separately by Arizona State Parks, has announced it will reopen Oct. 1.

Oak Creek had been closed since the Pocket Fire started in June and remained off limits during monsoon season because of concerns about flash flooding, ash, sediment and burned debris moving through the drainage.

Forest officials said summer storms have already washed much of that material through the creek system and helped new vegetation grow in the burned area.

A Burned Area Emergency Response team also found that only a small part of the Oak Creek watershed burned, reducing the risk of unusual flooding.

Several trails in the Pocket Fire area also remain closed through Sept. 30, including Bear Sign, David Miller, Dry Creek, HS Canyon and Secret Canyon trails.

Officials said some open trails may be washed out or difficult to follow.

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