How To Get To Buddha Beach In Sedona (Red Rock Crossing Vortex)
Buddha Beach is one of Sedona’s hidden gems, a swimmable natural pond with gorgeous views of Cathedral Rock mountain. People consider it another one of Sedona’s energy vortexes, so you may see it referred to as the “Red Rock Crossing Vortex”.
So, how do you get to Buddha Beach? It’s actually located in the Crescent Moon Picnic Site, which charges a parking fee of $12/vehicle, or a $3/person walk-in entry fee.
But, that’s not the only way to get there. This article will cover step-by-step directions on how to get to Buddha Beach, and a cheaper alternative if you want to avoid the entrance fee.
Here’s everything you need to know to visit Buddha Beach (aka the Red Rock Crossing Vortex).
How To Get To Buddha Beach
To get to Buddha Beach, you can park at the Crescent Moon Picnic Site for $12/vehicle (up to 5 people). No Red Rock Passes are accepted at this parking lot. From the parking lot, it’s just a short 5-10 minute walk (0.5 mile) to the river.
The Crescent Moon Picnic Site has picnic tables, restrooms, and two main areas where you can swim in Oak Creek River.
The first part of the river you’ll reach is the Red Rock Crossing, the deepest part of the river. Here you can take a dip in the water, and this is the most popular area to swim, whereas Buddha Beach is a little less crowded.
To get to Buddha Beach, you’ll continue hiking along the river (towards Cathedral Rock) for around 0.5 miles. You’ll know you’ve reached Buddha Beach when you see little rock stacks along the sides of the river.
This is a really peaceful place to swim or set up a picnic.
The water is very cold, but it’s perfect if you visit in the spring or summer. I visited on a weekend in the summer, and there were many families out in the water. However, if you visit on a weekday, or any time of year besides summer, you may have the place all to yourself!
If you plan on swimming, make sure to wear water shoes/sandals, as the bottom of the creek’s made of slippery rocks.
Buddha Beach is often referred to as the “Red Crossing Vortex”, where people believe the site radiates peaceful energy. It’s not as well-known as Sedona’s 4 main energy vortexes (Cathedral Rock, Airport Mesa, Bell Rock, Boynton Canyon), so it’s a wonderful place to visit away from crowds!
This area around Crescent Moon Picnic Site is the most popular area to photograph Cathedral Rock. And the views are especially spectacular during sunset, where the entire mountain glows orange and red.
Cheaper Alternative Way To Visit Buddha Beach
Don’t want to pay the $12/day parking fee at Crescent Moon Picnic Site? Instead, park at Baldwin Trailhead, on the opposite side of the river.
Parking here is $5/day or completely covered with a daily Red Rock Pass.
From the Baldwin trailhead, walk towards the river until you reach the Red Crossing Trail. Then, you’ll hike the Red Crossing Trail for 0.5 mile, which switches onto the Templeton trail right as you approach Buddha Beach.
The hike ends at the “Red Rock Crossing Vortex”, which is directly across the river from Buddha Beach.
The only difference between this hike and parking at Crescent Moon Picnic Site is that you’ll be walking on the right side of the river. So, it’ll likely be less crowded!
Regardless of which side of the river you hike along, it’s only a 10-15 minute hike, and you’ll have a beautiful view of Cathedral Rock.
If you want to access the restrooms and picnic areas, you can swim to cross the river. Just keep in mind the water is very cold and there’s slippery rocks, so make sure to wear water shoes if you plan on doing this.
Note: Although it’s named “Red Rock Crossing” trail, there’s unfortunately no actual rock crossings over the river, so you’ll need to get your feet wet to get across.
How To Get To Cathedral Rock From Buddha Beach
Beyond relaxing at Buddha Beach, you can also hike all the way to Cathedral Rock from the Crescent Moon Picnic Site/Red Rock Crossing Vortex.
The easiest way to get here is to park at the Baldwin trailhead, and walk towards the river to start hiking the Red Rock Crossing trail. You’ll hike on the Red Rock Crossing Trail for a half mile, and continue straight onto the Templeton Trail, until you reach the turn off for the Cathedral Rock trail.
On this route, you’ll pass right by Buddha Beach. Once you reach the Cathedral Rock trailhead, it’s a 1.4 mile round trip hike to reach the summit of the mountain.
Cathedral Rock is considered Sedona’s most powerful energy vortex, and it has unbeatable views of the surrounding mountains.
For full details on this hike, check out our guide to hiking Cathedral Rock.
The entire hike from the Red Rock Crossing Trail to the summit at Cathedral Rock is 4.3 miles roundtrip, and can take anywhere from 2-3 hours depending on your speed.
Note: You can start this hike from the Crescent Moon Picnic Site, but it’ll require you to swim across the river. Plus, you’ll have to pay the $12/day parking fee.
For your convenience, I’ve pinned the trail from Red Rock Crossing to Cathedral Rock on the following map.
Buddha Beach Map
Buddha Beach FAQs
Is Buddha Beach dog-friendly?
Yes, the Crescent Moon Picnic Site and Buddha Beach allow dogs as long as they’re leashed.
When is Buddha Beach open?
The Crescent Moon Picnic Site and Buddha Beach are open daily from 7am-7pm (sunrise to sunset). Whereas the Baldwin Trailhead and Red Rock Crossing Vortex (opposite side of the river) are open 24/7.
Where else can you swim in Sedona?
Other than Buddha Beach, you can cool off in the cool waters of Oak Creek River at Slide Rock State Park or the West Fork Oak Creek Trail.
Slide Rock State Park is a state park at the base of Oak Creek Canyon, with a 80-ft natural rock water slide, and natural swimming areas. It’s just a 10 minute drive from Uptown Sedona, and they charge an entrance fee of $10-$20/vehicle depending on the season.
The West Fork Trail is a beautiful wilderness hike (6.9 miles round trip) at the base of Oak Creek Canyon with 13 river crossings. Throughout the hike, you’ll have to cross over the river, and the water level can be anywhere from ankle to knee deep!
It’s just a 5-10 minute drive north of Slide Rock, further down Oak Creek Canyon, and there’s a parking fee of $12/vehicle. For more details on this unique hike, check our guide to hiking West Fork Trail.
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