It takes its name from a natural water slide formed by the slippery bed of Oak Creek.

Tall red rock formations that are typical of the region also surround the park, which contains a 43-acre (17 ha) working apple farm.

The state completed a road through the canyon in 1914, and Pendley built rustic tourist cabins in 1933 that in part survive today.

Several films were shot in the area: Angel and the Badman (1946), Broken Arrow (1950), Drum Beat (1954), and Gun Fury (1953).

Most recently, USA Today readers voted Slide Rock as the fifth best swimming hole in the country.