Flagstaff Community Labyrinth

People built labyrinths in ancient Egypt, India, Greece, South America, North America (including Hopi & Tohono O’odham), and in European cathedrals. A labyrinth is not a maze, in that there are no choices along the single path that leads in to the center and back out. The intent of a labyrinth is not to confuse the walker, but to slow the mind and engage in a walking meditation.

The original developers of labyrinths were pagans. They may have considered labyrinths as analogs for the journey of life. Perhaps the inward walk represented birth and life to adulthood (or some other life stage) and the outward walk was an analog for old age, death, and rebirth. Or perhaps they had other ideas – we don’t really know. Experience your walk without worrying about whether your interpretation is the “correct” one. Or experience your walk without interpreting it at all…

The Flagstaff Community Labyrinth was built using a pattern which was recorded (and perhaps designed) by Sigmund Gossembrot of Augsburg, Germany in 1480 . This installation of the Gossembrot labyrinth is made of about 15 tons of lichen-covered lava boulders, all gathered within 200 ft. The rock is andesitic basalt, part of a river of lava that flowed about 1 million years ago from the vicinity of downtown Flagstaff and ended here. On your way to the labyrinth on the Arizona Trail, you walk past the advancing front of the flow. The other side of the canyon is Kaibab limestone (the white rock you see across the canyon).

The lichen (the thin coat of dull green or orange on most of the rocks) is alive. It makes interesting patterns as it grows on the rocks. The mosses (the thick, dark green mat growing on a few rocks, like the rocks under the 2-trunk tree on the west edge) are delicate; please don’t sit on the mosses.

The path length of the labyrinth is a quarter mile (round trip). Most people take about 20 minutes to walk to the center, reflect a few minutes, and walk back out. Most people are amazed that the walk out feels quite different than the walk in. You can, of course, get bored and quit at any time, or you may be abducted by aliens, in which case you might not walk out :0)

Please visit the labyrinth, and then visit again. Every walk will feel different. You can bring beads, seashells, or bling and leave them at the center of the labyrinth. If you feel a trinket (smaller than your pocket) was left here especially for you, take it. Please do NOT take any larger decorations or other items that are at the labyrinth. Feel free, however, to leave you own if you feel it would make the labyrinth a nicer place.

To get to the labyrinth, head South off of Butler onto Lonetree. A couple blocks past REI, make a left turn onto Brannen Circle. Immediately on your left, you'll see an entrance to the urban trail. Enter on foot there, heading North on the trail. After just a minute or two, you'll see white chalk-written arrows on your left indicating where to go to get to the labyrinth. It is only about a five minute walk, total, from where you can park your car. Sorry - this is not wheelchair accessible.

Please visit our website, which includes comments left in the Visitor Comments book next to the labyrinth, here: https://sites.google.com/site/flagstafflabyrinth/welcome