Sedona Sacred Land

With its magnificent rock formations, Sedona is unlike any other place on earth. Visitors who stare in awe at the red rocks are probably unaware they are standing on land that was once submerged. Two billion years ago Sedona was located near the South Pole and was part of the supercontinent Rodinia. As geological eras passed, water subsided and with the action of erosion, the land we know as Sedona changed its location and appearance. The red rocks were here long before the first humans arrived in the Sedona area.

The area in and around Sedona has a long history of human inhabitance, dating back to Paleolithic times. Ten thousand years ago the first Paleo-Indians crossed a natural land bridge from Ancient Asia to North America. Around 700A.D, the Hohokam, who lived in the environs of present day Sedona, introduced irrigation farming. The Sinaguans and the Anasazi built multi story pueblos which still stand today. Later, in the 1800’s, prospectors, trappers and pioneers arrived.

People from many different civilizations have walked on the distinctive red soil of Sedona. Ruins in the area are a visible record of the history of a series of inhabitants who lived there long ago. These people built dwellings in the cliffs and created designs and symbols that were etched into (petroglyphs) or drawn on (pictographs) the rock surfaces. Markings on the rocks at one ruin site date back to the Archaic Period (6,000B.C. to 600 A.D.) In the same location, the Anasazi and Sinaguas, and more recently the Apache and Yavapai, created designs. Members from different civilizations came century after century to the same places to create a sacred space. These native societies had both a practical and spiritual relationship with the land. The land was respected for the food and shelter it provided, and was used for spiritual practices. The native people gathered together at the sacred sites they created for ceremonies, healing and to offer prayer. Remnants of these sacred sites can still be found in ruins around Sedona.
Montezuma Castle National Monument is a dwelling built high in a cliff over 700 years ago. A flat easy to walk paved trail takes visitors underneath this impressive structure. Nearby Montezuma Well, a natural sinkhole was used for agriculture by the Sinaguas from 900 until 1400 AD. A few miles from Montezuma Well, V Bar V petroglyph site houses over 1,000 images of animals, humans, and geometric shapes. Tuzigoot National Monument stands on a hilltop overlooking the Verde River. Visitors can enter some of the buildings and imagine life long ago. Also located in the Sedona area are Hononki and Palatki. Access to these ruins is off unpaved roads. Visitors can go to these sites on their own, although Palatki requires reservations, or take a commercial jeep tour to Hononki. Archeological sites that are maintained by the Forest Service may require a fee to enter or park. A list of sites of archeological interest and their locations is available from The Forest Service at their visitor center.

Today, visitors to Sedona have the unique opportunity to reconnect with the spirituality of the land and walk in the footsteps of those who came before them. In Sedona, visitors can experience the sacredness of the land at ancient ruins or explore the over 100 local hiking trails to intimately connect with nature.