Wender·Vista
Oak Creek Canyon overlook
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileArizona
above the switchbacks on Highway 89A, between Flagstaff and Sedona

Oak Creek Canyon overlook

— — the red canyon the road falls into.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“The pull-off at the top of the switchbacks, where Highway 89A leaves the Mogollon Rim and drops down into Sedona. Ponderosa pine on one side, red sandstone on the other, Oak Creek somewhere far below. Navajo artisans lay turquoise on blankets along the rock wall. Most cars stop, look once, and keep going. — from the studio

from the studio
Oak Creek Canyon overlook
— bring it home

Oak Creek Canyon overlook, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Oak Creek Canyon overlook

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

Oak Creek Canyon is a river gorge running roughly sixteen miles between Flagstaff and Sedona in northern Arizona, cut into the southern edge of the Mogollon Rim. The Oak Creek Vista pull-off sits near the top at about 6,400 feet, where Highway 89A begins a tight set of switchbacks descending nearly 2,500 feet to the canyon floor. The walls expose Permian sandstone, the same Schnebly Hill and Coconino formations that give Sedona its colour. The U.S. Forest Service manages the overlook as part of the Coconino National Forest.

— the stone

The red comes from iron-oxidised sandstone laid down roughly 270 million years ago, when this part of Arizona was coastal dune and floodplain. The Schnebly Hill Formation is the brightest layer, capped by the paler cream of the Coconino. Oak Creek has been cutting through them since the canyon began forming along the Oak Creek Fault. The colour reads brick at noon, brighter rust in late afternoon, and almost violet in the half hour after the sun drops behind the western rim.

— the visit

The Oak Creek Vista is reached from Highway 89A about thirteen miles south of Flagstaff or fourteen miles north of Sedona. Parking is free and restrooms are open seasonally. Navajo and other Native artisans sell jewelry and pottery from blankets along the rock wall under a longstanding permit with the Forest Service. The viewpoint stays open year round; the switchbacks below sometimes close for snow or rockfall in winter. Slide Rock State Park lies about seven miles further down the canyon road.

— where
United States · Coconino County, Arizona
— within
Coconino National Forest
— elevation
1,950 m · 6,400 ft
— position
35.0260° N · 111.7370° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
11 km S
Slide Rock State Park
state park
22 km S
Sedona
red rock town
21 km N
Flagstaff
mountain town
N
Oak Creek Canyon overlook
Slide Rock State Park
Sedona
Flagstaff
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Oak Creek Canyon overlook — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

The Oak Creek Vista sits on Highway 89A about thirteen miles south of Flagstaff, at roughly 6,400 feet, right at the top of the switchbacks that drop into Sedona.

About sixteen miles from the Mogollon Rim down to Sedona. The road descends nearly 2,500 feet through that stretch, following Oak Creek for most of the way.

Navajo and other Native artisans sell jewelry and pottery from blankets along the rock wall, under a longstanding permit arrangement with the Coconino National Forest.

Late afternoon, when the western sun rakes the red sandstone walls. The half hour after the sun drops behind the rim brings a brief violet cast across the canyon.

Yes. Highway 89A descends the switchbacks and follows Oak Creek south to Sedona. The road is sometimes closed for winter snow or rockfall; check ADOT before travelling.

— about the piece in your home

Yes. The overlook is the shared threshold between the two towns, so the tile carries weight for anyone who has driven the canyon road. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note from the studio reads well.

Southwestern modern, desert-modern, and warm minimalist rooms hold it best. The red and ponderosa green also sit comfortably in mountain-modern interiors with leather, oak, and unbleached linen.

Yes. The red-rock palette and ponderosa green are central to the current desert-modern direction, which leans on terracotta, rust, sage, and warm neutrals against pale plaster walls.

A single Large reads from across the room above most consoles. Above a standard sofa, a 4-tile Mural carries the canyon better; a 9-tile Mural turns it into the room's anchor.

Yes. Order the Dura Satin or Matte finish for any room with steam or splash. The colour lives in the ceramic surface itself, so it doesn't fade with humidity.

Microfibre cloth and water. Nothing abrasive, no ammonia, no bleach. The thin glossy finish wipes clean and the colour underneath is sealed into the ceramic.

Yes. Every WenderVista piece is painted in our studio in Knoxville, Tennessee, by Reid Wender. We don't license images and we don't reprint other artists' work.

— if this one stayed with you

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