The first time we went to Sedona, we only had a few days there so Mallory stopped into the tourist office to get recommendations on what to do. It was summer and our kids were a bit young for the better hikes around town so the lady recommended we check out the view up Airport Road and then take the kids swimming at Crescent Moon Picnic Site.
If I am honest, I wasn’t too excited about going to a “picnic site” when I had seen so many amazing places where I could shoot the red rock, but Mallory insisted that we go swimming.
When we paid the fee and pulled up to the parking lot, I was even more upset as it appeared to just be a big field with some trees around it. Nevertheless, we made our way down the trail and into the trees, where we discovered the river and a bunch of people swimming.
The worst part about this location is the rock that is underwater is the most slippery surface I have ever walked on, worse than fresh ice. Unfortunately, you have to cross over this perilous path to get to the middle of the river, where you can enjoy the majestic views.
The different streams and pools along the rocks make for a fun time play around. What sets this place apart is the nice deep swimming hole that breaks away from the rock. The water is really deep and perfect for swimming. There were even some people fishing off to the side away from the swimmers.
The rock ledges give you plenty of places to rest up and enjoy the sun between swims.
If you are brave, you can try sliding down the rock, but you may end up doing a lot of crawling to get where you want to go.
The best part for me was this amazing view. With all the fun of swimming for the kids, I had plenty of time to enjoy this view and play around with different compositions. To see all the photographic opportunities at this location, check out this photography guide to Crescent Moon.
If you want to see some more of our favorite sites around the area, be sure to check out this guide.
