The Vortex Trailhead — Attraction in Dammeron Valley

The vortex is a fabulous hike that I highly recommend for those who are able to do a moderately difficult hike. The trailhead down from the parking lot is over craggy lava rock. Sure-footedness is necessary at both that point and near the vortex. I have hiked to the vortex half a dozen times, and some routes are definitely easier than others. But If you need a definitive path to follow, this is not your hike. If you can follow someone who seems to know where they're going, or go with someone who's been there before, that would make your hike easier and your day so happy. It also can be easy to overshoot the hike. If you end up in the cairn graveyard, You've gone a bit too far. Turn around and head up the sandstone cliff. Most of the time there will be so many people on this hike that you can just follow them. Hooray for people! And as easy as it is to get lost on the way to the vortex, it is just as easy to get lost trying to get back to the parking lot where your vehicle is. Make mental notes of your surroundings as you are leaving the parking lot so that you can easily retrace your steps to get back there. And watch out for the sharp lava rocks poking through the ground in the parking lot. You don't want to have a couple of flat tires to deal with so far from...

Such a Fun hike! To hike up and back, including talking to all sorts of hikers on the trail and petting their dogs, it took us about 2 hours. I have a goofy knee so I used hiking poles with rubber ends - in my case they were an absolute necessity. The rocks/lava flows are a rough, Sandy texture so it helps your shoes grab really well. Some of the trail is thick sand but most is climbing the rocks. There are 3 or 4 different vortexes - one that is the really fun one to climb down into and you pretty much need to follow the lighter stripe in the spiral to get down and back out again. There are others that little kids can climb in and out of too though and some technical spots with absolutely gorgeous views throughout. At the head of the trail (and at the end) is a beautiful river you can sit at the edge of and play with the kids or soak your tired feet. We will definitely be coming back! If you want to go with less people, I would suggest going...

Great hike! HIGHLY recommend getting All Trails so you know where to hike. This was probably one of the worst marked trails we've been on due to the nature of the trail going from being lava rock to crossing the creek to rock formations and not having a physical trail to see or foot prints to follow (especially on a day with no one there before you). There was a total of 3 signs, all pretty distanced. After that 3rd sign, you're on your own. Basically go straight through the beautiful rock formations that you lay your eyes on that will remind you of Zion and maybe Bryce Canyon. Go straight through that and keep going. You will eventually see a decent rock cairn, but it won't be a cairn graveyard that you see others talk about. You'll head to the right and up the rock formation and up top you will finally get to the vortex. But trust me, easier with all trails to lead you. We took advantage of the 7...