HONANKI
Honanki Heritage Site
Sedona, AZ
Honanki is a sacred place. The 700 year old ruins are well-preserved and relatively uncrowded and the rock art on the walls is fascinating. If you shut your eyes and sit in silence you just may be able to connect with the spirits who have walked before you.
Caretakers of the site will tell you that this set of dwellings housed three separate cultures at different periods in history: the Sinagua Indians, and more recently the Yavapai and Apache nations. Different colored markings on the walls are from different time periods. As you approach the site, you can go left to see the remains of the main room, complete with a circular clan symbol painted high on the wall above.
If you follow the trail to the right, you will find several more small rooms, some still intact.
Look carefully and you will see all sorts of art on the walls. Please do not touch the walls or climb on the ruins. It would be wonderful to help them remain intact for generations to come. Also, be wary of the rattlesnakes in the area who seem to love to curl up among the rocks. I’ve never had any problems with them, but then again, I wouldn’t want to tempt fate!
I’ve been told that if you proceed from the parking lot, down the road a short ways and to the left, you can hike a short trail up to “The Shaman’s Cave.” A green Mojave rattler is reputed to guard the area along with the cackling ravens that swoop overhead. Perhaps they are the true caretakers of this ancient and mysterious site.
Details…
Directions:
From Phoenix, take I-17 north to Hwy 179 (exit 298). Turn left onto 179 and follow it past the Village of Oak Creek to the Sedona (Burger King) “Y”. Turn left at the “Y” onto West 89A. Take this past most of the town until you see Dry Creek Road. This is just a little ways past the Giant Gas Station to the right.
Take Dry Creek Road until it dead-ends into another road. Turn left; the signs will point you to the Enchantment Resort. Take this road until it dead-ends into another road. Turn left onto the dirt road (Boynton Pass Road) and follow it for several miles until you see the signs pointing to Honanki. Follow them past the Loy Butte area, past the cattle guard/gate, through the dry wash and then up on the hill where you will see a dirt parking lot to the left and a little hut to the right. The very short trail is to the right.
PS – Boynton Pass Road can be a rutty, bumpy dirt road that is OK for cars in dry weather, but don’t try it in a heavy rain… speaking from experience!
Difficulty:
Easy.
Things to bring:
Bring a camera and water in the summer.
Fees:
Check with the National Park Service for fee information before your trip.
Notes from the journal
As I sat and meditated in quiet, suddenly the place came to life, in a vision that was much more realistic than the average dream. I saw women all around a younger girl who was giving birth. I heard the gentle coaxing of the midwife, felt the support of the women present, and in the world of a dreams felt the baby’s first cry and the sweet love of a mother’s first touch. Like an angel in the dream, I surrounded everyone with light, blessed those in attendance and prayed for the baby and mother to have a beautiful and loving life.
Suddenly I awakened back in this time and space and looked around. Carefully piled stones remained but the rest was lost to a time gone by. I can’t quite explain it but I felt a kinship with these women. Is it possible that we in the present are perceived as guides by those in the past? I can’t say for sure, but this is what it felt like.
Emerging from the ruin, I felt a sense of peace and connection with these beautiful women, as if I’d tapped into the archetypal feminine. I bent down to pick up a rock that caught my attention and noticed that right next to the rock lay a coiled baby rattlesnake! All my attention came back to the present as I sent calming thoughts to the snake and slowly withdrew my hand. The snake regarded me with idle curiosity as I backed away with respect.
Truly it was a day of surprises. The guardians had allowed me to pass… not just through a doorway, but also into another otherworldly reality.
SEDONA QUICK LINKS:
• HIKING
• SUNSETS
• SWIMMING
• ATTRACTIONS
• SCENIC DRIVES
• BODY & SOUL
• VISITOR INFO
• HISTORY
• DISCLAIMER
SEDONA QUICK LINKS:
• HIKES
• SUNSETS
• SWIMMING
• ATTRACTIONS
• SCENIC DRIVES
• DINING
• LODGING
• SHOPPING
• ADVENTURE
• MUSIC
• BODY & SOUL
• VISITOR INFO
• HISTORY
• DISCLAIMER