Fossil Creek

Jamison C

Jamison C

Heil Savvy 🙋‍♂️
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Ride of the Month Winner
Joined
Sep 1, 2018
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3,407
Location
Sedona, AZ
One of the perks of owning a Jeep is accessing areas that are closed off to the public due to COVID. Of course, that’s not what I did here 😉

A few years ago, this place got ruined by trashy college students from ASU that used it as a party spot, so forest service implemented a per-day permit system to regulate flow. But it’s still packed even with the permits. We used to go a lot before social media ruined its secrecy, so getting to go without anyone being around was special. I haven’t been back in years after trying to share this little are with almost 100 people last time I was there.

Crystal clear, warm water, and you can cliff jump about 30’ off of the top of the waterfall. Lots of fish there too!
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Here’s a video of me flailing like an octopus over the cliff!
 
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Wow I wish this was in my backyard! I can see why so many people go but sucks about the crowds/trashing. People suck. Our beaches used to be a nice get away but now if you aren't there at 7am you can't get on.
 
Damn, my family would love that, but not if it was packed with idiots like I imagine it usually is.
 
Chris said:
Damn, my family would love that, but not if it was packed with idiots like I imagine it usually is.
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They’re open at half capacity on weekends only. So if you want to take your family without running into a ton of people, now is the best time to go.
 
gaabbee said:
Wow I wish this was in my backyard! I can see why so many people go but sucks about the crowds/trashing. People suck. Our beaches used to be a nice get away but now if you aren't there at 7am you can't get on.
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It’s just social media man. All these travel sites expose these hidden gems and people come in and ruin what’s special about them.
 
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Jamison C said:
They’re open at half capacity on weekends only. So if you want to take your family without running into a ton of people, now is the best time to go.
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Is the half capacity thing due to the COVID-19 nonsense I assume?
 
Chris said:
Is the half capacity thing due to the COVID-19 nonsense I assume?
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Yes. Fri-Sun at 50%. They do it by vehicles only, not people. You’ll probably just run into couples instead of large groups of people.
 
Jamison C said:
Yes. Fri-Sun at 50%. They do it by vehicles only, not people. You’ll probably just run into couples instead of large groups of people.
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But it would be a crapshoot, right? We could drive all the way there and possibly not be able to get in, huh?
 
Chris said:
According to that website, there is no availably whatsoever forever... am I missing something?

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Yep, it fills up fast! Which is why I snuck in 🤣 They’ll release permits for September mid August and hopefully they’ll open it every day of the week.

I’ll might go back a couple more times during the week. It’s best when it’s blazing hot out.
 
Jamison C said:
Yep, it fills up fast! Which is why I snuck in 🤣 They’ll release permits for September mid August and hopefully they’ll open it every day of the week.

I’ll might go back a couple more times during the week. It’s best when it’s blazing hot out.
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Jeez, I guess so. I figured there would be at least one spot available 🤣
 
There is a bit of movement to stop people from tagging locations on social media. For example, my old Wyoming town has a specific tag for Instagram that reads: "Tag Responsibly, Keep Jackson Hole Wild". You tag that instead of your location. People have started to ruin the semi-remote areas even with this, so I whenever I want to do something outdoors I plan on getting more remote than most people can or are willing to.
 
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It really is a shame what's happened to the place. In the early 90's I used to spend a lot of time up there. Sometimes never seeing another person all weekend. The spring head is incredible. Water just gushes from everywhere. It's a true sub tropical oasis. Wild raspberries all over the place and even a few fig trees. I found a litter of lion cubs one night while camping up there. Momma had left them in the den while she was out hunting. I'll have to try to dig out some of my old pics. The last time I was there it was completely crowded and there was trash everywhere. I hope it's better now that they've put limits on the people. Oak Creek is another place that used to be way better before it got so popular.
 
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