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Airport Mesa is a fantastic place to visit in Sedona, Arizona offering 360 degree views of Sedona. As the name implies, it’s a big, flat mesa in town that is home to the Sedona airport.
However, visiting Airport Mesa in Sedona isn’t just for those looking to fly in or out of town. It’s a place offering great viewpoints, easy hikes, amazing sunset and sunrise photography, and even one of Sedona’s famous vortexes.
In this post, we’re covering the three different hiking trails from Airport Mesa Sedona. If you’re interested in where to catch a gorgeous Airport Mesa sunset, head to this post here.
The Sedona Airport Mesa Vortex | “The Summit” Trail
Arguably one of the most popular things to experience at Airport Mesa, aside from sunset, is the Airport Mesa Vortex.
Distance | .2 miles from bottom parking lot
Difficulty | easy with climbing on rocks
Trailhead Location | 34.855725, -111.780269
The Airport Mesa Vortex is one of seven vortexes in Sedona. This vortex is the easiest Sedona Vortex site to access, as the hike is only .2 miles, and it’s located right in town.
It’s believed that the vortex offers a power of healing, grounding, and is a great place to meditate and get clarity. However, as with most things, experiencing the Airport Mesa Vortex is only going to be as spiritual as you (and the people around you) make it.
We didn’t experience any sort of “power” at the Airport Mesa Vortex, but to each their own! If visiting the vortex in search of a feeling or vortex sensation, we suggest visiting at night, when there aren’t crowds of people, and you can connect more with whatever power and feeling you’re looking for there.
Regardless of the power from the vortex or not, the views from the vortex are amazing! We definitely recommend visiting the Airport Mesa Vortex even just for the views!
Looking for more Vortex Sedona Sites? Check out this post on seven Sedona Vortex Sites! Yes, it’s our complete guide with everything you need to know to see them all!
Airport Mesa Vortex Trail Conditions
The trail to the top of Airport Mesa Vortex is really short, and in our experience wasn’t muddy at all. It’s in the sun, so even after a rain, the trail dries out rather quickly.
You do have to hike up some of the typical Sedona slick rock (as pictured above). We would suggest wearing grippy shoes, and/or using the handrail as you climb up the slick rock.
READ MORE | The BEST Hiking Shoes for Sedona
We wore Crocs one time hiking up the vortex, and definitely were slipping around a bit.
Airport Mesa Vortex is GREAT for sunset… so are these other 9 Airport Mesa Sunset Locations!
Sedona View Trail
This trail is really only visited by those hiking from one parking area to the next, as the Airport Mesa Vortex parking lot isn’t that big.
Distance | .6 miles one way, 1.2 out and back
Difficulty | easy, rocky with gradual elevation, though can be super muddy after rain
Trailhead Location | 34.855725, -111.780269 bottom, 34.852558, -111.789092 top
The views from the Sedona View Trail are really nice. With that said, they aren’t much different than the views from the top of Airport Mesa, so if you don’t mind paying $3 for a parking pass at the top, you may just want to skip this little hike.
The Sedona View Trail is a short trail offering a few different viewpoints of Sedona with the red rocks as a gorgeous backdrop. There are a couple of different benches along the trail for resting, but really it’s just a connecting trail from one parking lot to the next.
However, the scenic viewpoints on this trail offer a more peaceful view of Sedona than the ultra-popular scenic lookout near the top of Airport Road. And, in our opinion, they offer a better sunset view than the actual sunset viewpoint at the top!
As we said above, the main, free parking area at the Airport Mesa only has space for about ten cars. At the top of Airport Mesa, right next to the airport is a larger parking lot with a $3 day use charge (Red Rock Passes not accepted).
The Sedona View Trail connects the two parking lots and is the trail you hike on if the bottom parking lot is full, and you have to park up top to hike to the Airport Mesa Vortex or Airport Loop Trail.
Sedona View Trail Trail Conditions
After a few days of rain and even of snow, the Sedona View Trail was a sloppy mess. Like ultra sloppy.
Thankfully, we had on our waterproof trail shoes, though we saw many people in just regular sneakers hike it (with very dirty shoes after).
When parking at the bottom lot, the trail is a gradual uphill hike to the viewpoint at the top. And as you may have guessed, it’s a gradual downhill the entire way if you park in the top, paid for parking lot.
If it’s not wet weather in Sedona, I’d imagine the trail to be very easy to hike. Again, just be prepared for a gradual uphill one way!
When hiking the Sedona View Trail, be sure to keep the gate closed as you pass onto the airport property. The gate is designed to keep wildlife off the runway… so it’s imperative that it stays closed as it should!
Airport Loop Trail
For those looking for a longer hike with great views and minimal elevation gain, the Airport Loop Trail is perfect! As the name suggests, the trail loops all the way around Airport Mesa, offering views of all the most famous red rock formations in Sedona.
Distance | 3.34 loop
Difficulty | easy-moderate, rocky spots with some ledges and minimal elevation gain
Trailhead Location | 34.855725, -111.780269 (main), or 34.854802, -111.797026 (alternative)
The Airport Loop Trail is a perfect trail for those looking for an easy hike in Sedona. The trail loops all the way around the airport, on a lovely path through cacti, red rock cliffs, and dramatic views.
If starting at the Airport Loop Trailhead, you can take a quick walk up to the Airport Mesa Vortex, before coming back down to actually do the loop. This parking lot is essentially always full with people pulling in for the five minute walk to the vortex and back.
Patience is key here in busier times to find parking!
Alternatively, you can start at Sunset Park in Sedona, and not even deal with finding parking in the small parking lot near the vortex. This only adds a quarter mile to your hike, and is truly the better option if you don’t plan to stay at Airport Mesa for sunset.
READ MORE | check out our list of 31 Sedona Sunset spots here!
Hiking the Airport Loop Trail
We suggest doing the Airport Loop Trail clockwise, as this offers the best views in our opinion. Starting the trail from the main trailhead, you’ll walk up a small section of rock steps before walking straight towards Courthouse Butte.
From there, you’ll loop right and have views of Courthouse Butte, Bell Rock, and Cathedral Rock all the way until you loop around the edge of the airport.
At that point, you’ll be turned around, facing Sedona, and will have views of the dramatic Thunder Mountain right in west Sedona all the way back to the trailhead.
Other Things To Do At Airport Mesa
Check Out The Views From The Sedona Airport Scenic Overlook
Holy smokes, is the Sedona Scenic Overlook a very popular place for sunset. There were crowds of people there and a literal line to get into the paid for parking lot right at the viewpoint.
When the weather is right, the red rocks are gorgeously lit up at sunset, and if you’re lucky, you’ll have some painted clouds in the sky as well.
The Sedona Airport Scenic Overlook isn’t just good for sunset though. It’s great at any time of the day. The overlook really shows the dramatic landscape that Sedona is famed for.
Bring quarters to the overlook if you’re interested in looking through two little telescopes facing the red rocks. And if you don’t plan on parking below and hiking to the viewpoint, be sure to bring $3 USD to pay for parking in the lot.
If you plan on visiting this viewpoint during the morning and coming back from sunset, be sure to keep your parking pass, as it’s good for an entire day! You surely don’t want to pay twice!
We’d also note, if you plan to watch the sunset here, be sure to show up early! There was a literal line to get into the parking lot before sunset, and there are sure to be loads of others wanting to catch the sunset with you as well!
We actually don’t recommend sunset from the Sedona Airport Scenic Overlook. Instead, check out these other Airport Mesa sunset locations here.
Treat Yourself At The Mesa Grill Sedona
There is a rather popular restaurant at the top of airport mesa offering great views of the surrounding area. If you fancy treating yourself to a meal, be sure to make reservations here for the Mesa Grill Sedona here.
Take a Tour Via Helicopter or Private Plane
Visiting Airport Mesa, you are at an airport after all! If you fancy spending some hard-earned cash on a tour from above of Sedona, this is the place to do it!
You can get helicopter tours or airplane tours, and in the off-season, you may even find some available last minute!
Check for current helicopter tour pricing here.. Prices vary by duration of the tour, ranging from 20-50 minutes!
If you’re traveling and using wifi, be sure to purchase internet security to protect yourself with the VPN below.
Stay At The Sky Ranch Lodge Resort
We camped the entire time we were in Sedona, but holy smokes, the accommodation in the area is absurd! We’re talking about some places costing over $1,000 USD a night!
If you have that kind of money to spend on a hotel, we’re genuinely interested in how you make your money.. please let us know! (We’re serious here!)
Anywho, that’s all besides the point.. Sky Range Lodge Resort doesn’t actually cost that much money. But the views seem to be priceless!
The Sky Ranch Lodge also has a pool and hot tub, and great reviews online. Check out the best prices for Sky Ranch Lodge Resort here.
More On Sedona!
We spent a month in Sedona finding the best hikes, sunset locations, sunrise spots, and more. We even made complete guides for each trail that wasn’t so easy to find.
Sedona Arches | 4 Arches in Sedona to Hike
Camping in Sedona | 12 FREE Dispersed Camping Spots Near Sedona
Sedona Vortex | 7 Sedona Vortex Sites + A Vortex Jeep Tour
Keyhole Cave | A Complete Guide to This Sedona Cave (with a map)
Airport Mesa Sunset Spots | 10 Places to Watch Sunset + Where to Park
Recommended Gear For Sedona
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