Purpose of a Pilgrimage Trail

The purpose of a pilgrimage trail is to connect the hiker or pilgrim (seeker) to the faith that the trail represents. Through the outward journey one falls into an inward exploration of self and beliefs.  

The Sacred Door Trail is not about connecting the hiker to one belief system or another; rather, it is about offering an intentional container where the hiker can explore and experience their own connection to self, Earth, and community through exposure to and guidance from the natural world.   

Defining the sacred

One does not need to have a belief in god to have an understanding of and connection to the sacred.  In the context of this trail the sacred is defined as the evolving universal life force that is found in and connects all things.  When we tap into this part of ourselves we then connect to all life.  The Sacred Door Trail is a space to heal, deepen, and explore this relationship and in doing so activate a relational awareness that encompasses the interdependent connection between self, Earth and community and ones lineage (ancestry and descendants).  

This understanding of the sacred as being rooted in these primary relationships offers both meaning and practical understanding.  Through this lens we recognize that our own health and well-being is intimately tied to the health of the whole system of which we are a part of and depend upon.  For our own good it therefore becomes our duty to work on behalf of these relationships for the well-being of all.