Sedona has no shortages of places to hike. I was short on time and wanted a place that wasn't overrun with lots people so the Hopi Birthing Cave was the perfect spot. The name comes from the Hopi Indians of the area that believed they originated from the center of the earth and are born of the mother's womb. Pregnant Hopi women would hike to these caves right before they would go into labor and give birth there (I can't image!). The cave I hiked is on Long Canyon Trail #122 off of Canyon Trail Road just north of downtown Sedona. Canyon Trail is one of many popular trails so as expected, the small parking lot was full, but I managed to get a spot right next to the main road. This trail does not require a permit so its nice to just get out the car and hike. The hike itself is roughly 2 miles and is considered easy to moderate. The trail starts wide but there are no markers after the start to let you know if you are going in the right direction. I was following directions from a blogger but her instructions where a bit scarce so I got lost and ended up behind a golf course. I headed back to the fork in the trail and climbed over a pile of dead tree branches which was covering the trail, which is why it's easy to miss & go in the wrong direction. Once I was heading in the right direction the trail became narrower and rockier before it opened up again. In the distance you could see the cave in the mountain which looks hollow from the ground. What takes this hike from easy to moderate was going up the mountain. The trail contains loose sand & rocks which can be slippery if you don't step right, it took longer than I thought to go up the mountain. Seeing the cave when you arrive is pretty awesome. The colors of the rock are amazing and the view as you turn around is spectacular to say the least. I was so eager to stand on top of the cave but it's not as easy as it looks because you are standing on an angle and its very easy to slip if you take a wrong step. A girl that was there was brave and climbed into the 'bellybutton' of the cave but had a hard time getting out so I decided to skip that part. I was pleasantly surprised at how big this cave was and stayed to admire the beautiful Sedona landscape in the distance before heading down as more people started to come up. All in all, it was a great afternoon hike with enough elevation for make this hike a bit harder than what it appears. If you decide to visit, don't make the mistake I made and wear white socks also be sure that your shoes have a good grip on them, you will need them-specially if you plan to crawl or walk around the cave.
The black circle on the right side is what they call the 'bellybutton' of the cave. You can climb (but best to crawl) & sit in it, but its not as easy as it looks and its quite high. As much as I wanted to climb in it, I skipped it as I didn't want to break a leg.
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