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How to Find the Kachina Woman Vortex in Boynton Canyon

Tucked into Sedona’s famous Boynton Canyon is the Kachina Woman Vortex. This vortex gets passed by hundreds of people a day going up the canyon to the Subway Cave. But the Kachina Woman Vortex is just a short detour on the trail and is worth the extra steps to get there.

We visited the Kachina Woman Vortex the first time we went up into Boynton Canyon. We wanted to see what the Vista Point trail was, and unknowingly to us, it led right to this Sedona vortex.

With the construction going on at the time, and us wanting to beat the fading daylight, we didn’t spend much time at the Kachina Woman Vortex. That’s not to say it’s not great! Hiking to this Boynton Canyon Vortex is a great short hike in Sedona.

Kachina Woman Vortex and into Boynton Canyon from a cliff dwelling in Sedona.

What is the Kachina Woman Vortex

The Kachina Woman Vortex is also known as the Boynton Canyon Vortex, but this is simply due to its location. The Kachina Woman is the actual name of this Sedona Vortex site.

The name Kachina Woman comes from the Hopi Nation and is thought to be a protector and guardian. When hiking into Boynton Canyon, you’ll see a rock spire, or shall I say, a woman rock spire, to the right about a half mile in, and this is the Kachina Woman vortex site.

Kachina Woman Vortex or Boynton Canyon Vortex is a rather easy vortex site in Sedona to reach, being just over half a mile from the Boynton Canyon parking lot.

Kachina Woman Vortex rock spire on the right on a blue sky day

What is a Vortex

A vortex is an area on Earth where energy is either entering or leaving the Earth. Sedona vortex sites draw people in for the power that the vortex brings. This power can be in the form of finding clarity, healing, peace, and more.

It really can be whatever you want it to be. Which is this tricky thing with vortex sites. It’s truly just what you make it.

While we won’t say one way or another if we felt any power or energy at this vortex site in Sedona, we will say we 100% believe that the experience at a site comes from you and the people surrounding you.

Specifically at the Boynton Canyon Vortex site, it can be hard to find as there is a lot of construction going on right in the canyon making the vortex the complete opposite of peaceful! With that said, there are multiple other vortex sites in Sedona, you can read about them below.

READ MORE | 7 Sedona Vortex Sites

Kachina Woman Vortex site rock spire into the sky.

Kachina Woman Vortex FAQs

How Long Is The Kachina Woman Vortex Hike?

This hike to the Kachina Woman Vortex is only .6 miles from the Boynton Canyon Trailhead parking, making the entire hike a 1.2 mile out and back trail. With that said, the Boynton Canyon Trailhead is a very popular trailhead, and it’s hard to snag parking there. So you may have to add a bit to your hike by parking down the road.

The Kachina Woman Vortex Difficulty

Accessing the Kachina Woman Vortex is really easy. The trail starts off very flat and walking along sand with some rocks here and there. As you peel off the Boynton Canyon trail onto the “Vista” trail, you’ll start to gain minimal elevation, as you hike up some slick rock stairs. The most difficult part of this hike is hiking along the vortex site slick rock. But the good thing is that you can just hike what you’re comfortable with here, and enjoy the views and energy from anywhere in the general area.

What Kind of Vortex Is Kachina Woman / Boynton Canyon Vortex?

The Kachina Woman Vortex is an inflow vortex. That means the energy is flowing into the earth, and people believe inflow vortexes are a good place to release negative energy.

Where Exactly Is The Kachina Woman Vortex?

Vortex sites are believed to be a general sense or feeling in an area instead of an actual geo-pinned location. However, as you’ll see on Google Maps, the Kachina Woman Vortex site is pinned at this location, 34.91179, -111.84819. We suggest hiking along the Boynton Canyon Trail until you see the vista point peel off. At that point, turn onto the Vista trail and walk to the end of the trail sign. There, begin to connect with whatever it is you’re after and see if you can feel the energy of the vortex.

Climbing at the Kachina Woman Vortex Site

We aren’t climbers, so we don’t know much about climbing, however, we do know there is a rock spire here that you can climb. This blog will give climbers more insight into rock climbing the Bandito Spire.

Kachina Woman Vortex Directions

Park at the Boynton Canyon Trailhead parking, or along the road where the other cars are parked, and begin the hike to the vortex at the trailhead.

  1. From the Boynton Canyon Trailhead, hike away from the parking lot, until you reach the sandy junction.
  2. At the sandy junction, turn left onto Boynton Canyon trail. This is a pretty obvious “T” in the trail, and at this point, you’ll start hiking into Boynton Canyon.
  3. Continue on Boynton Canyon Trail for about 5 minutes, to a sign that says “Vista” on the right. You should see the resort in front of you and to the left of the trail. If you pass the resort, you’ve gone too far.
  4. Hiking on the Vista trail, you’ll begin to gain minimal elevation. You’ll see a rock spire in the near distance straight ahead. This spire is the Kachina Woman Vortex site.
  5. The trail starts to get a bit more like red rock stairs and then turns into hiking on the slick rock at the end of the trail.
  6. This little hump with Boynton Canyon to the right and a rock spire to the left is the site of the Kachina Woman Vortex.
woman point to Vista trail leading to Kachina Woman Sedona Vortex behind

Experiencing The Vortex at Kachina Woman Vortex

When we visited the Kachina Woman Vortex, there was a lot of construction going on in Boynton Canyon. This construction took away any sort of relaxed feeling even just being in nature would bring.

We fully believe that the feelings and energy experienced in any situation, vortex sites included, are felt based on the situation you’re in and the things and people around you. For the Boynton Canyon Vortex, the construction noises took away any sort of energy this Arizona vortex site would normally give.

With that said, visiting this vortex outside of construction hours or, shoot, even after all the construction in the canyon is done could completely change the vibe and feelings the vortex gives.

Now’s a good time to add that when you visit a vortex site, whether you believe in the energy of the place or not, be respectful of those around you. Kachina Woman Vortex is a sacred site for many people, and as such, your demeanor should be calm to allow those visiting the experience they’re after.

Sedona's Kachina Woman Vortex site in Boynton Canyon.

Best Time to Visit The Kachina Woman Vortex

We’ve read that the Kachina Woman Vortex is a great place for sunrise. When we visited, we went closer to sunset, so we can’t say it’s good for a sunrise in Sedona.

However, what we can say, is that you should avoid visiting the Kachina Woman Vortex site in the middle of the day. This is when the construction is going on, and it really ruins the vibe of the place.

Likewise, the middle of the day is a very popular time for those hiking up into Boynton Canyon, so if you could visit in the evening or early mornings you’ll likely have the place to yourself and parking at the trailhead won’t be an issue.

Kachina Woman Vortex spire in Boynton Canyon in Sedona, Arizona.

Parking For the Kachina Woman Vortex Sedona

Main Kachina Woman Vortex Parking

Boynton Canyon Trailhead | $5 | 34.907699, -111.849119

The Boynton Canyon Trailhead parking is the closest parking lot to the Kachina Woman Vortex site. This trailhead is extremely popular and the trailhead parking is really small, so you have to be lucky to get a spot here.

Keep in mind, this trailhead is a paid-for parking lot in Sedona. You’ll need to have the Sedona Red Rock Pass, pay for a $5 parking pass for the day, or have your national park pass for free parking (which is what we recommend).

The Boynton Canyon Trailhead parking lot is really small and has a very limited number of parking spots. Be sure to only park in parking spots that are drawn out as we’ve seen multiple tickets written for those parking outside of the lines.

To that same degree, be sure to only park in spots that are set for your type of vehicle. If you’re not in an RV, don’t take an RV or trailer spot.

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Alternative Parking for the Boynton Canyon Vortex

Parking Along Boynton Canyon Road | Free Parking | 34.906162, -111.850652

For those looking to park for free, or when visiting with the trailhead parking being full, parking is allowed on both sides of Boynton Canyon Road.

When parking on Boynton Canyon Road, be sure to do so past the junction. So back past the stop sign. You’ll likely see cars lining the streets on both sides as you drive up, and this is 100% legal to park!

Again, be sure to pass the stop sign, the section of Boynton Canyon Road leading to the parking lot and resort does not allow parking at any time.

One thing to note with parking along the road here, pay attention to the drop from pavement to dirt. Some of the drops are HUGE and if you don’t have a high clearance vehicle, you won’t be able to make it.

Other Sedona Hikes Near Boynton Canyon

There are hundreds of hiking opportunities all throughout Sedona. It’s nice sometimes to just hike multiple trails from the same trailhead so you don’t have to deal with traffic and parking!

And shoot, Boynton Canyon has so many epic hikes all in one spot — multiple caves, great viewpoints, and even just easy walking up the canyon! We really need to do a post on all the hikes in Boynton Canyon, but for now, here are some other great hikes that are accessible from the Boynton Canyon Trailhead parking.

5 Caves on Mescal Trailhead 

This hike leads to five caves all within a mile of each other. We recommend this trail for sunset, as the final cave is perfect for watching the sun go down. Our complete guide to these caves is not live yet, but our top 5 sunsets in Sedona locations includes a short guide to how to get to Altar Cave, the final cave spot on Mescal trail.

Boynton Canyon Subway Cave

Thanks to Instagram, the Subway Cave is an extremely popular cave in Sedona that is actually not well-marked and not the easiest to find. While it’s not our favorite cave or hike in Sedona due to the amount of people on the trail, it’s something to see if you have the time.

Boynton Canyon EPIC Sunset Hike

This hike takes you up to Kachina Cave and then to a gorgeous sunset location. We haven’t written a complete guide to this hike yet, so instead I’m linking to our sunset in Sedona post where we write details on this trail.

What To Pack For Hiking to the Kachina Woman Vortex

Recommended Gear for Photography in Sedona

This is our complete photography gear guide, and most of these things came in super handy when shooting in Sedona.

We shoot with a Canon R5, and alternate between a wide-angle lens, this telephoto (zoom) lens, and this basic everyday shooter.

With harsh lighting mid-day, we threw on this filter for the lens to cut out some of the light.

Recommend Gear for Hiking in Sedona

These are hands down the best hiking shoes in Sedona. In fact, we did an entire post on them and what else to pack for hiking in Sedona here.

Grab the complete packing for Sedona checklist with links to all our gear here.

For all of our hikes, we used our Garmin watches to track our distance and Jay’s even tracks elevation. They both have features for contacting help if you fall or need it. So we love them!

Lastly, we used our maps.me app all the time! You can pin locations on it, and it has a lot of the trails (even the social ones) on it — making it the best trail app for Sedona!

Save + Share Here 

Don’t need to purchase anything for your trip… No worries! You can still support us by saving and sharing this post with the images below! And hey, that way you have easy access to it later.. another win-win! 

How to find the Kachina Woman Sedona Vortex in text over red rock spire picture
Kachina Woman Boynton Canyon Vortex hike

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