Blue -- Speaking of Sedona...

[OutdoorWriter]

Way back in the day -- circa late 1960s -- the Manzanita campground north of what was then a sleepy little village was a favorite hangout for my wife & three kids. The five of us spent many a night in our 8x10 Camel tent.

My oldest son & I caught many a stocked trout off the ledge in this photo. Bait de jour was an array of Pautzke's salmon eggs on a small treble hook. At times, I would strike out on my own to flyfish upstream of the campground.

 

[eelgrass]

That reminds me a lot of a place I used to camp during deer season on the South Fork of the Trinity River. Hell's Gate Campground. Slow moving deep pools with steep rocky banks.

I thought it burned up two years ago, so I went to Google Earth and yep, it all got torched. I noticed the firefighters saved the marijuana grow in the upper right corner though.

 

[DeerMadness]

That is a pretty special place. A lazy day fishing and camping with family. Best time ever ! Thanks for sharing OW.

 

[DeerMadness]

One of my favorite places I take the Mrs to.

 

[AZGuy]

View attachment 66479
One of my favorite places I take the Mrs to.

Well this place looks amazing

 

[OutdoorWriter]

The humorous part is the campground and that rock ledge are less than 50' from the main highway. I'd bet trying to get a space there now would involve lots of strife. Back then, we never had a problem, even though we didn't get there until late Friday afternoon.

P.S. The photo I used above was a file photo for the USFS, not mine.

 

[feddoc]

The Sedona airport was one of my favorite places to land flying C-12s. Takeoffs were like an E-ticket ride.

 

[OutdoorWriter]

View attachment 66479
One of my favorite places I take the Mrs to.

Where is that?

 

[OutdoorWriter]

Just did a bit of research. Getting a camp spot at Manzanita now requires reservations.

Manzanita., Coconino National Forest Recreation - Recreation.gov

Explore Manzanita. in Coconino National Forest Recreation, Arizona with Recreation.gov. Manzanita Campground is a small, year-round, tent-only facility with campsites that fill up very quickly. Visitors enjoy the campground for its fishing and swi

www.recreation.gov

This is a map of the campground sites. The red dot is where the fishing ledge in the 1st photo is located. Walk to the main highway first, head south about 50 yds & walk out to the ledge.

 

[Bluehair]

Slide Rock was a hangout when I was in HS and the 2 years I went to NAU. I drove the canyon every week because I worked in Clarkdale. It was really fun on a motorcycle.

My dad and grandpa built several of those places up the canyon like the Sterling Springs hatchery. I spent lots of time bumming around the creek.

I remember the electro-shock reports listed the stuff they turned up-it was amazing how many big trout managed to dodge the worm.

Sedona/Oak Creek isn’t the same as it was back then.

 

[DeerMadness]

Where is that?

Long Lake Copper Basin, Idaho.

 

[OutdoorWriter]

Slide Rock was a hangout when I was in HS and the 2 years I went to NAU. I drove the canyon every week because I worked in Clarkdale. It was really fun on a motorcycle.

My dad and grandpa built several of those places up the canyon like the Sterling Springs hatchery. I spent lots of time bumming around the creek.

I remember the electro-shock reports listed the stuff they turned up-it was amazing how many big trout managed to dodge the worm.

Sedona/Oak Creek isn’t the same as it was back then.
View attachment 66489

Never even visited Slide Rock. I bet it's been 25-30 years since I even drove thru Sedona. I think the last time Ellen I went up there was to take some friends who had come to visit from NJ. We did the usual sightseeing tour for them, including a visit to Tlaquepaque.

I never caught any big fish. Most were 8" stockers, but they ate okay when we grilled them at the campsite.

For our kids, the favorite camp spot was Big Lake. These circa late '60s.

Youngest...

Oldest..

The clan .... with the Camel tent

 

[OutdoorWriter]

Long Lake Copper Basin, Idaho.

Looks neat. The only place I've hunted or fished in Idaho is the Selway-Bitterroot, accessing it from the MT border near Darby. Both trips were great.