Welcome to the Village of Oak Creek

Relaxing in the best of both worlds

Nestled in a scenic valley five miles south of Sedona, and surrounded by the same spectacular red rock formations, is the unincorporated community of the Village of Oak Creek.

The community, historically called Big Park, was established by farming and ranching settlers in the late 1800s. Many westerns were filmed in the area (look for famous Bell Rock in the background), and today it is a haven for hikers and mountain bikers with its range of trails.

The VOC is built on land that once belonged to a colorful character by the name of Fannie Belle Gulick, a successful gold prospector in Goldfield, Nev., and successful proprietor of a bordello in Las Vegas.

Fannie Belle moved to Sedona in the 1940s and began acquiring land. One thousand of those acres constituted the part of the area known as Big Park in which the Village of Oak Creek was built.

In 1967 a group of investors headed by Irving Jennings Jr. announced the development of the property and a 920-acre master planned community was begun.

The Village of Oak Creek has grown to encompass other surrounding developments, although there are several other developments in Big Park that are not part of the Village of Oak Creek Association (VOCA), which is essentially a homeowners association.

Most of the services to the Village of Oak Creek and the surrounding community are provided by Yavapai County.

Big Park does, however, have its own sewer and improvement district along with two private water companies.

The community boasts several businesses, including numerous restaurants, resorts, the Oak Creek Factory Outlet stores and two top-rated golf courses.

Courtesy of The Verde Independent
Thursday, June 19, 2008