World renowned for its endless awe-inspiring vistas, rugged hiking and biking trails and world-class art galleries, the quaint little western town of Sedona, Arizona is a wonderland of color and charm. Famous as one of Sedona's major energy vortexes, Airport Mesa is one of the most visited sites in Sedona offering history as well as spectacular views.
Airport Mesa is an extremely accessible place to experience Sedona's Red Rock splendor. It is located one mile southwest of the "Y" (the intersection of 179 and 89A); just minutes away from the unique shops and tourist stops of Uptown Sedona. Airport Mesa is a great place to experience a slice of Sedona in a very short time.
This popular tourist stop is a geological formation created by the divergence of Oak Creek at about the time the Grand Canyon was being formed. It is believed that Oak Creek originally ran over the mesa and then diverted on either side creating Carroll Canyon to the west. Today Oak Creek passes to the east 700 feet below the mesa.
Originally known as Table Top Mountain, the mesa became the site of the Sedona Airport in the late 1950's. Construction of the original 3000 foot runway began in 1955 by Joe Moser and Ray Steele. By 1956, the Secretary of Agriculture deeded 230 acres on top of the mesa to build the airport and the access road up the hillside. Tourists, hunters and fishermen used the airstrip and sometimes they encountered some wild game while landing their planes. There were no services except a payphone with a dime taped to it so that pilots could call for a ride to town. In 1981 The Airport Restaurant opened and remained a local hang out for pilots until it was torn down in 2010 and a new restaurant, Mesa Grill, took its place.
In addition to the airport and restaurant, the Masonic Temple presides over West Sedona with its giant illuminated cross, The Shrine of the Red Rocks, shining like a beacon at the top of the formation. Traditionally, sunrise services are held there on Easter Sundays.
While tourists and sight seers today travel by Cessna and helicopter, many of Sedona's early pioneers who arrived by covered wagons and mules rest peacefully below in a modest patch of dirt at the foot of the Mesa. Several of Sedona's rugged pioneers are buried in what was known as Pioneer Cemetery . Marked by a wrought iron arch, Cook's Cedar Glade Cemetery is the final resting place for Sedona Schnebly herself. Victims of the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 were the first to be buried there. In 1927, Henry Elmer Cook homesteaded and proved up the land that became known as Cook's Hill. Henry Cook's 160 acre property in Grasshopper Flats, now West Sedona, included the cemetery site. He set aside the cemetery land for use by local settlers. The Cook family preserved the cemetery until it was deeded to the Sedona Historical Socaiety and became an historical landmark. Some noteworthy families buried there are the Cook's, the Brewer's, the Pirtle's, the Thomas's, the Van Deren's and the Schnebly's.
Between the summit of the mesa and the cemetery is Airport Vista. Parking is available and it is a short walk up to the vista. You can stop there and enjoy the breathtaking 360 degree view or you may continue onto one of the many hiking and biking trails in the Sedona trail network. (Remember to purchase a Red Rock Pass as it is required when parking at any of the Sedona trailheads.)
Some of the most prominent rock formations that can be viewed from Airport Vista are: Coffee Pot Rock, Sugarloaf, Capital Butte (Greyback), Chimney Rock, Little Sugarloaf and Cockscomb. These formations line the north side of 89A in West Sedona.
Coffee Pot Rock is easy to spot with its handle, knob and spout. Sugar Loaf is the ramp-like formation just in front of Coffee Pot and so named because of the way sugar was sold in the early days. Just to the west of Coffee Pot is the ominous Capitol Butte that is also known as Greyback or Thunder Mountain. It is possible to climb this formation, though one must be an experienced hiker to do so. Looking farther west it is easy to spot Chimney rock and Cockscomb. The iconic outline of Cockscomb is symbolized on Sedona's city flag.
Looking to the Southeast toward 179, the expansive view reveals Twin Buttes, Courthouse and Bell Rock.
Many of Sedona's tourists come to Airport Mesa to experience the vortex energy claimed to be strong there. A vortex is thought to be an energy field that enhances meditation, prayer and healing that one must personally experience to understand. For others, just the grandeur of the surrounding red rocks is a spiritual experience in itself.
This popular tourist stop provides history, beauty and adventure all in one place. When traveling to Sedona's Red Rock Country, be sure to stop at Airport Mesa and experience the magic of Sedona.
Look for more articles in this series "Watch for Red Rocks TM" by Ann Galgano-Bellile