Sycamore Canyon

Sycamore Canyon is is the second largest canyon in the Arizona redrock country, after Oak Creek Canyon. The 21 mile (33.6 km) long scenic canyon reaches a maximum width of about 7 miles (11.2 km) and is located in North Central Arizona below the Mogollon Rim northwest of Sedona. Located within three different U.S. National Forests, the Coconino, Kaibab, and Prescott National Forests, Sycamore Canyon is home to a variety of wildlife including black bear, deer, and mountain lion. Unlike the nearby and more heavily visited Oak Creek Canyon, much of Sycamore Canyon is protected by the 56,000 acre Sycamore Canyon Wilderness and therefore roads and developed campgrounds are nonexistent. Hiking and horseback riding are the only ways to visit the canyon. The most popular access is via the Parsons Spring trail, upriver from Tuzigoot National Monument. A high clearance vehicle is helpful to reach the trailhead.

There is a second, less well-known Sycamore Canyon in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, located in the Pajarito Wilderness of the Coronado National Forest, and continuing south into Sonora, Mexico.

Other notable Sycamore Canyons in the Western US are near Newbury Park, California and near Poway, California , among others.