Airport Mesa

No hike necessary! I consider this more of a walk up… You can see where the vortex spot is from the small parking lot and it’s really not a hike. The parking lot can be packed (as there are only a few spots) and this can be a problem when getting here. The road is also very narrow so it’s not like you can park on the side of the road. I’d recommend circling around to see if a spot opens up, or if you’re so inclined you can park at the top of the hill at the airport with plenty of parking and walk down the hill to get to this vortex spot.
Despite the maybe difficult access, this spot gave me the best vortex energy that I could really feel, while the others were kind of silent to me. I did spend some time meditate, and thoughts and emotions just started to surface. If you don’t care for that, at least this spot has a SPECTACULAR VIEW! You got the front and back of the whole panoramic Sedona without hiking really because you drove most of it already!
The view is so breathtaking and the air is so fresh~ Great place to hang out and take photos!
If you come here at night, drive to the top and park at the airport parking lot for a night view of Sedona and the plentiful stars in the dark but not too dark sky :)

Airport Mesa has been on our list for a few years. We finally went up one evening after a good day of ambling around Sedona. The views from the mesa are OK, but considering what you have around you, they aren’t the best. This is billed as one of the best places to see a sunset in Sedona, and while I can understand the attraction, there are just as fine a sunset view with less cars and people in this grand red rock arena!
The actual parking lot for airport mesa is crowded. You can get out of your car and walk across the paved area to another area where the pay binoculars are. And if you’re interested in seeing rocks behind the city buildings, knock yourself out.
The best part about Airport Mesa is the actual Airport Loop and Airport Mesa Trail. If you’re going to drive up there, you might as well consider the trails because the view from the parking lot is crowded and not that awesome.
Take the Table Top Trail Spur (from the Airport Loop trail) and you will see beautiful views of all of the famous formations in Sedona: Coffee Pot on the North Side, Bell Rock, Cathedral Rock and Courthouse Butte. The question always comes up — Where’s the vortex? A vortex is a field of energy — so you will feel it all over the place. I have been all over this trail, and for me, the energy I feel is at Table Top. It’s peaceful and the views are amazing.
The trails are open year around and their difficulty is easy to moderate. This isn’t the best trail for small kiddos, tho. And the spur trail is not for those scared of heights, (but you can manage it if you stay away from the ledge).
In a nutshell — If you want crowded tourism, stay in the parking lot at Airport Mesa. If you want pretty views, get out of your car and take the hikes. If you do the whole hike, you can plan on being out for about 2 hours. Don’t go on weekends and don’t fall sucker to the sunsets — go early in the AM on a weekday and you’ll have this place pretty much to yourself. AND .You can bring your fur-​babies as long as they are on a leash.

Amazing view of the red rocks of Sedona, especially during sunset. This was one of the highlights of our Sedona trip and I would love to come back. Very touristy though so try to get a spot at least an hour before sunset.

This place is heavenly amazing! I’m speechless! Overlooking uptown Sedona and the beautiful red rock formations that is the background of the whole Sedona!

Pretension and fluff. Tries to be a hip big city restaurant at a small town airport. Its jump at a cosmopolitan feel is admirable I suppose but it doesn’t seem to fit at least not at its current location. Maybe I’m too used to the old Airport Restaurant that was a cross between a greasy spoon diner and a decent dinner spot. This place is overpriced with acceptable fare but less than stellar service. Definitely NOT one of my favorite spots to dine. I tried it several successive times but it seemed to get worse instead of better.

Pretty sure this is where every tourist goes to watch the sunset — parking lot was full!.. with a large crowd of people taking sunset selfies on a random Tuesday night. Sure, the view is nice but… not what I expected. Also note, I did not do the hike (s)? because I was exhausted from hiking all day, elsewhere.
3 stars for the «view point»
5 stars for the «vortex»
And then I went back and hiked to the Vortex and I definitely recommend taking the short-​ish hike just to get away from asphalt, fences and people all around to sit on top of a quiet, peaceful, powerful rock, with amazing views all around! (Shhh…)

Not far from our motel, we drove up to Airport Mesa for the panoramic view of the city, against the backdrop of the red mountains, and for a relatively short hike. Although mid-​afternoon on a Saturday, the Airport Mesa was quiet and had few visitors.
Parking is ample, and the views were very nice. Our hike of roughly 1.25 miles was quite a bit shorter than our marathon vacation hikes, but peaceful.

This is a lovely little hike, just off the road, below the airport. The view was terrific, but… and I realize I’m being selfish here… there were too many people, making any climbing difficult for fear of hitting someone below or being hit by someone above. The people made it noisy and we just couldn’t find the «calm» which we sought. Thankfully, there are many other trails and vortices in the area.

We had a great hike up here! My husband had our daughter strapped to the back of him and carried our 3-​year old in the front and the hike was all worth it. Breathtaking views of Sedona and it only took us minutes to get to the top for a panoramic view of Sedona! We really fell in love with Sedona once we did this hike. The concierge told us about this hike and we’re really glad we did it! Just absolutely beautiful!

Sedona is majestic! We came here for our family vacation, and we are very much astonished of the Red Rocks. This is one of the best places to go for hikers, photographers, and nature lovers. I highly recommend visiting this place. It’s about 2 hours drive from Grand Canyon.

The view really does not disappoint!
We came up here twice… once around 4pm and then the next day around 6:45 for sunset.
I actually preferred the 4pm trip. The view really is gorgeous … great opportunity to take some nice panorama shots. The sunset was really crowded and maybe I expected a lot from the light reflecting on the rocks but its was OK. I would say skip the crowd and go during the day.

A must see in Sedona, the airport lookout. Breathtaking view of Sedona and the surrounding area. Easy location to find, easily accessible and plenty of vehicle parking available.

Easy drive up the hill.
Get out and see great views of Sedona.
The pictures tell the story.

We came by to watch sunset and this was an easy spot to get to. It is just off of the main road and you can drive to the top. There are two parking lots. The first lot is very small lot and leads to a trail that you can quickly climb up a small hill. The second lot is much larger and has great panoramic views of the valley with no climbing necessary. The second option is easier. The views at the top of the hill are not really that much better and is somewhat obstructed on one side (where the second lot is) because it is a lower vantage point. However, this spot is more secluded and has a lot less people.
Sunset was 6pm and it was already pretty crowded when we got there around 5:15pm or so. Definitely stop by for some beautiful and easily accessible views.

Powerspot that all must experience, it’s a quick 2 min drive up to the airport and u have the world at ur feet!
Each and every time we arrive its always a differing and moving emotion, something quite personal and expansive, opens ur mind to the wonders of the world 1000s of years prior carved and formed into the picture-​esque mural that beholds the naked eye. Magnifico!

One of the vortexes is located here. It’s an easy hike with spectacular views if you don’t mind the planes. Parking is limited at this location.

We found parking right in front.
Hiked up in flip-​flops.
Many hikers cautioned us to be careful. (seriously, odd.)
We sat and enjoyed the view for awhile.
Perfect spot for sunsets.
Didn’t feel the Vortex.
Maybe it takes longer?
Would return again only to share the view with visitors.

This is about the Vortex only. I had to check this out, because I didn’t even know that these existed until we were looking at the map from our hotel and it showed a «Vortex» just down the street. We looked what a vortex was online and though, what the heck? You are supposed to connect with your inner self while you are within ½ mile of the Vortex. While I was there, I really didn’t feel anything different in my body.
A lot of people flock here and I think that is cool. The paths are not that hard. I was walking around in my flip flops! What I enjoyed the most was the beautiful red dirt and rocks all over the place. Lots of psychics come to the vortex to strengthen their powers. Such a new age place, for a lot of old retired people living here.
If somebody can please explain to me, why do people stack the rocks on top of each other? These were all over the place. If you are in Sedona, this is something to tell people back home that you went to a Vortex. Great conversation material.

My least fav of the four vortex hikes, it is short and the view is about the same as you get in the parking lot.
This one is good for people who want to check out a vortex site but are not capable of long strenuous hikes.
There is also a loop around the mesa that is long and flat.

This little mesa is halfway up the airport road — look out for a parking area on the left on a bend. The main problem for this mesa is the small parking area
You can spot people at the top of the mesa from the parking area and although the route isn’t marked, it’s quite obvious. Even for someone who is scared of heights like me, the climb isn’t too arduous or scary. Wear sensible shoes and you’ll soon be on top of the flat mound of the mesa
The reward is a great view of the red rocks and formations mainly in the southerly direction. You can see Bell and Cathedral Rocks clearly
Another bonus for plane spotters is that the planes from Sedona Airport take off and land overhead
There is a trek which starts from here but I just stayed and enjoyed the view