Sacred Pagan Places, Part II

Canyon de Chelly

We recently visited—well, virtually visited!—some places that are considered to be sacred to many pagans in the Midwestern United States. Today we’re going to take a look at some sacred sites in the Southwest. If any of them spark your interest, be sure to add them on your list of places to visit.

Not surprisingly, Arizona is home to some of the places considered to be most sacred in the Southwest. You are probably already familiar with Sedona, its Red Rock formations and rich native tribal history. But Arizona is also home to many other spiritual locations—so many, in fact, that the state pretty much deserves its own post.

Monument Valley is also located in Arizona—as well as in Utah and Colorado. Navajo Tribal Park can be found in this valley, as well as Mystery Park and Hunt’s Mesa. It’s also part of the Grand Circle, which includes the Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde and many other historic wonders of the U.S.

Humphrey’s Peak, the highest point in Arizona, is in Kachina Peaks Wilderness. It’s part of the San Francisco Peaks, a group of ancient volcanoes, and is 12,637 feet tall.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument is in Arizona. Owned by the Navajo Nation, it is made up of the Navajo Tribal Trust Land and has restricted access to visitors. The White House Ruin Trail is available to tourists, but anyone else wishing to enter the canyon floor must be accompanied by either a park ranger or a Navajo guide. This monument is home to many ancient ruins as well as Spider Rock, believed to be the home of Spider Woman.

The Superstition Mountains, also known as “The Supes” or “The Superstitions,” are east of Phoenix, Arizona. The Lost Dutchman State Park is in these mountains, dubbed in honor of the legend of the lost Dutchman’s gold mine. Miner’s Needle, as well as Weaver’s Needle, is among other popular formations in the area. According to Apache belief, the hole into the lower world is in the Superstition Mountains, which causes severe dust storms.

Arizona’s Black Mesa has been home for native tribes for at least 7,000 years. Today it is a reservation shared by both Hopi and Navajo tribes.

For those seeking otherworldly spiritual interests, Meteor Crater may be of interest. Formerly known as the Canyon Diablo Crater, it’s also called Barringer Crater in the scientific community. It has been called the best-preserved crater caused by a meteorite on the planet, and is a popular tourist attraction.

The sacred Yuman mountain, Mt. Newberry, and Mt. Baboquivari, a Tohono O’odham Reservation, are also in Arizona, as well as the Zuni Sacred Salt Lake.