Kachina Woman Rock - Boynton Vista
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Standing guard at the entrance to Boynton Canyon is a tall spire known as Kachina Woman Rock. Reaching the overlook at the base of this beautiful spire is an easy walk. with an elevation gain of about 150 ft. The side trail leads you to the Boynton Canyon Overlook, which is in the saddle directly below Kachina Woman Rock.
If you are not afraid of heights you can climb to the top of the smaller satellite outcropping, which is a popular spot to sit and enjoy the view. Before climbing up keep in mind you will also have to climb back down, which is always more difficult.
A hard and fast rule in canyon country is to NEVER climb up anything you can’t climb back down. It is also possible to hike a little higher around the base of Kachina Woman Rock and get “inside the womb” - the small cave that can be seen in the photo below. Be warned: the move required to get inside the cave is exposed to a potentially fatal fall, and again, you have to come back the same way.
The name Kachina Woman is a reference to Hopi ceremonies in which masked dancers appear. The word kachina means “spirit father” in the Hopi language, and even though some of the figures that appear in the ceremonies represent female spirits, it is always a man behind the mask, since Hopi women do not participate in these dances. The Hopi consider the dance to be a prayer in motion.
Kachina Woman Rock and the overlook became a magnet for curiosity seekers after New Age psychic Page Bryant published a book about “vortex energy” in 1980. While there is no scientific evidence that any electro-magnetic anomolies exist in the area, and Bryant did not specifically mention Kachina Woman Rock as a vortex, many people have journeyed to Sedona hoping to have a spiritual experience. Occaisonally, you may hear a local man performing Native American style music at the overlook.
