One of the things that makes Sedona special is its spiritual energy. It’s hard to really explain it, but some people believe there are energy vortexes there. We visited a few of them, and today I want to share our experience as well as a bit of information about these vortexes.
First of all, what exactly are these Sedona “vortexes”? They are swirling centers of energy, and some people believe they provide healing energy and are good for meditation and introspection. It is believed that you will find clarity, healing, answers you seek, and more. There are seven known vortexes in Sedona. We visited 3 of them, so I’ll focus mostly on those, but I’ll share the remaining ones as well in case you ever want to visit. (I know I’ll be back at some point to check them out!)
The seven vortexes are: Cathedral Rock; Airport Mesa; Bell Rock; Boynton Canyon; Chapel of the Holy Cross; Schnebly Hill; and Courthouse Butte. I have also read about a possible 8th vortex, Rachel’s Knoll, although it seems to be less popular than the others. The 4 most popular/”powerful” seem to be the first 5 on that list.
Here are the ones we visited:
Boynton Canyon
My number one recommendation is Boynton Canyon. It’s a relatively quick and easy hike up to the Vortex. In order to find it, you take the route that says “Boynton Vista Trail.” That trail dead ends into the Vortex and has absolutely stunning views.
The trail itself is only about a mile or so there and back, and while it’s classified as “moderate,” I would call it pretty easy. (That’s coming from someone who doesn’t do much strenuous hiking.) We hiked it at the tail end of a winter storm so luckily it wasn’t too crowded, and the snow made the scenery even more beautiful.
When we reached the Vortex site, we took some time to meditate and take in the spiritual energy. There really is something special about this place.
Airport Mesa
The climb to the Airport Mesa Vortex is short and easy, you just turn left when you enter the trail from the parking lot and climb the steps up to the Summit Trail. The 360 degree panoramic views are stunning.
We also backtracked and then went right from the parking lot, taking the Airport Loop Trail Hike which is a little over 3 miles and took us about an hour and 45 minutes or so. We took this hike at sunset and didn’t realize it was so long, but we got some stunning nighttime/dusk photos of the city lights down below.
It’s a bit of a rocky hike all the way around the airport loop and more strenuous than Boynton Canyon, but definitely worth every minute.
Chapel of the Holy Cross
This isn’t a hike, but it’s a must see. You can drive (or Uber) up to the chapel and there’s a small parking lot, then you walk up the hill and wind around to the chapel which is built into the rocks. This is another Sedona vortex and there’s definitely a powerful energy here.
The chapel is small and tends to be crowded, but luckily it wasn’t too bad while we were there since our trip happened to be during a winter storm. In fact the first day we tried to go to the chapel the road was blocked off due to the snow, so we had to return the next day after it had melted. Be sure to check out the gift shop downstairs before you leave too.
I definitely want to visit again sometime and check out Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock, and I’d love to hit all of the vortexes eventually. It really was a powerful experience, and while it may sound “woo woo” to some, I very much believe in the power of energy and it’s hard to really explain how healing Sedona as a whole really is until you experience it for yourself.
By the way, (if you haven’t already) if you subscribe to my travel newsletter then you will receive a free download of one of my high res photos from Sedona. (CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE!) Below is the photo, which I recently had framed for my bedroom wall. It’s a view from the Airport Mesa Vortex.
If you don’t already, be sure to follow along on Instagram and YouTube!
You can check out my YouTube video all about Sedona Vortex hikes here.
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