Long Canyon has no facilities. Three awesome reasons a hike to Keyhole Cave should be an essential part of every adventurous wishlist of best hikes in Sedona. Would you like to stay up to date with all my adventures? If full, park at Andante Trailhead and walk Andante Trail to Thunder Mountain Trail and the joining point with Teacup. After the climb, you will land on a ledge, from where you will be in the cave. We personally located and explored all but one of the 7 caves in Sedona during our first visit to the awesome adventure town in Arizona, and we have to say exploring caves is definitely among the best things to do in Sedona. Another big thing to note in this area: I also read on Alltrails that people lost their GPS connection or it went crazy. This cave has a grand entrance that can be spotted miles away but is still tucked back off the beaten path so not many people visit it. Many hikers talk about finding a very obvious wash and following the curving dry river bed as it snakes north toward Keyhole Cave. After you turn left to take the Thunder Mountain trail, there will be a wash on your right side. I needed to help 3/5 people get up and down who had gone into the cave. Lets take a closer look at each of the 7 caves you can explore in Sedona. There is a very small parking lot and you are not able to park on the neighborhood streets so it is best to arrive early. You must take the right turn at the split and climb a fairly steep gradient to gain access to Solider Pass Cave in Sedona. Hideout Cave, also known as Shamans Cave, is by far the quietest and most secluded cave in Sedona. This approach in combination with a visual guide will help you. Also, the area lies in the flood region, so do not hike during the rainy and stormy seasons. The trail is entirely in the wilderness with no shelter, so it is not recommended to do this in the summer. This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. It is easier to reach the base of the cave but you will have to navigate through thorns and cacti as the trail is not marked anywhere. After you park in the lot, it is easy to find the trail and start at the Sugarloaf Trailhead. Bell Rock Hike the Bell Rock Courthouse Butte Loop Trail for stunning Sedona views, a fun slick rock climb and our hidden loop half way up the formation. A ledge crossing is required with a fair drop to one side which could be dangerous in rain or icy conditions. Bus Tours. You will be off trail and will often see and stumble onto places that zigzag which look like trails and you need to be very careful and not wander off while navigating in the necessary direction to reach the cave (heading north basically from the parking lot). There is a way to climb out of the upper back cave portion to stand on top of the red rock formation containing the cave. TIA! Some of the caves are better with sunlight inside and others with no sunlight inside. You will need either a Red Rock Pass (or America the Beautiful Pass) to access this list of places in Sedona. Subway Cave is a tunnel shaped sandstone formation located on a spur trail in Boynton Canyon. You can of course follow misc small trails North going at the cave and at some point you will get to it. Thanks for sharing the map! You may need to be extra cautious and plan things for this adventurous hike, but the challenge makes it more appealing adding it to the list of the best Sedona hikes. Keyhole Cave - Parking at Sugar Loaf / Teacup trailhead requires a pass Red Rock Pass You can buy a Red Rock Pass at this specific recreation.gov site in advance, or you can buy one from a ticket machine in select parking lots. Difficulty | DifficultDistance | 2.60 miles RTElevation Gain | 529 feetType | Out & BackLocation | Sedona, AZTrailhead | Sugarloaf TrailheadDog Friendly | Yes, but not recommendedFees | Red Rock Pass or America The Beautiful. Hi I'm Vitaliy, creator of TheNatureSeeker.com, thanks for stopping by! West Fork Trail has its own dedicated parking lot around 10 miles north of Sedona on AZ-89A. You could even use our images during your hike to keep track of where you are along the adventure to Keyhole Cave. Going next weekend, being that it is the weekend after thanksgiving Im worried about how busy it will be in parking areas. This popular hiking trail heads about three miles into a deep box canyon and includes ancient Sinaguan Indian ruins along the way. Are you a regular visitor to US National Parks and Monuments? If you're going on a road trip from Los Angeles to Sedona, we did the research for you and compiled some great stops along the way with Anaheim, Phoenix, Greater Palm Springs, Palm Springs, Scottsdale, Temecula, Laguna Beach, Prescott, Joshua Tree National Park, and Cottonwood and top places to visit like Wilson Creek Winery and Big Bear . Private 4-Hour Sedona Spectacular Journey and Vortex Tour. Renting a Jeep in Sedona offers a multitude of benefits and one of those is cutting the hike to Hideout Cave down from 3 miles to just 1 mile. Boynton Canyon Trail (7.3 miles) Explore Sedona's box canyons on the Boynton Canyon Trail, over 7 miles through red rock country, what makes this region of the state so impressive. Drop in from above. to the left. Yes, the cave hikes in Sedona are pet friendly but all dogs must be kept on a short leash at all times. The short and easy hike leading to Raven Caves takes no longer than 10 minutes each way so this area can be explored at any time of day as an addition to other nearby activities. Heres our collection of the 15 best sunrise and sunset photography locations in Sedona. I hope this trail guide helps you find this enormous Sedona Cave. Youll have to duck to move around the cave network but you can shoot some interesting photos here. Hi! Hopefully because it is Black Friday weekend, everyone will be shopping rather than hiking. Keyhole Cave Access: Sugarloaf One of the largest alcoves in the area, Keyhole Cave can actually be seen from many places in West Sedona. Wander In Arizona is a comprehensive resource for hiking, camping, and exploring Arizona. Remember and follow the 7 principles of leave no trace when hiking to caves in Sedona: From our own experience in Sedona, we found people were not always disposing of waste correctly, but perhaps more surprisingly we noticed people were not planning ahead before hiking. Keyhole Cave is the best cave for adventure seekers to visit in Sedona. Park at Long Canyon Trailhead among the trees or on the roadside. Decide which way to go down and take care with your footing when youre ready to leave Keyhole Cave. You are going to hike directly straight ahead beyond the wooden sign heading for the red rock formation on the horizon. You can get far enough back inside the formation. Hiking Cathedral Rock: All you need to know, Hike to Devils Bridge in Sedona, Arizona, The Birthing Cave in Sedona- EVERYTHING you need to know, Hiking Sunrise Mountain Trail in Peoria, AZ, How To Spend One Day In Bryce Canyon National Park, Hiking Black Top Mesa In The Superstitions Is Worth It, Conquering Three Sisters Summit In The Superstition Mountains. Just want to Thank You for your directions. Keyhole Cave is not for the faint of heart(afraid of heights) or beginner hikers as it involves challenging terrains, including climbing very high rocks and navigating through wilderness comprising cacti and rattlesnakes, as there is no maintained official trail. Ideally, it is best to sit down and use your hands to move slowly for better support, instead of being upright, which can also feel scary. Please do not visit ruins with your pet. Read more in ourdisclosure policy.*. Want to visit Fay Canyon? The most popular hikes like Cathedral Rock Trail, Bell Rock Trail and Devils Bridge Trail are renowned for being almost impossible to park. Read our guide on why America the Beautiful national parks pass is one of the best things you can buy if you plan to visit multiple parks in the next year. Early morning the cave will be dark and you wont get those vibrant orange colors. If you want to get to the hard to reach places, you should hire a jeep.When to visit Spring and Fall are the best seasons to visit Sedona, but they come with a higher price tag and more crowds. If you visit Sedona in Spring or Fall when it is at peak tourist season, you simply have to be out early at trailheads or youll have problems getting parked. 1. Boynton Canyon Exactly how to find the famous Subway Cave on Boynton Canyon Trail, the most photographed cave in Sedona. Is the trailhead located close to Soldiers Pass? Aim to arrive inside Birthing Cave between 12pm and 3pm for optimal light conditions. However, we would highly recommend against taking your dog on this trail due to rough desert vegetation throughout and the challenging climb into Keyhole Cave. From the 2WD parking area you have a 3 mile roundtrip hike with 450 ft elevation gain, but from the 4WD parking area the hike is just 1 mile round trip with 200 ft elevation. This lone tree illuminates under sunlight around mid morning when the sun position is optimal for entering the narrow cave chamber. For those who have appreciated Munds Wagon Trail and Cow Pies, this trail takes it to the next level. What Trailhead Do You Use to Access The Sedona Keyhole Cave Try to go earlier in the day or later in the afternoon. Distance: 4 miles RT Peak Elevation: 4,600 ft. Elevation Gain: 420 ft. R3 R4 Night R1 Luckily I missed the cactus and landed safely. Right at the very back of Birthing Cave is a sphere shaped like half a tennis ball which has eroded out of a smooth curving surface. Birthing Cave is a relaxing cave to visit thanks to a relatively easy hike and spectacular views. Follow along for a little ways until you reach an intersection with Thunder Mountain Trail. They like to sit on the rocks to soak up some sun. Where Are Those Morgans LLC is a participant in the Amazon services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. That trailhead is a popular destination and has a fairly small parking lot where maybe 10-15 cars can fit. There are only 4 parking spaces and it doesnt even look legit, but it is, and the caves are actually well worth visiting. Heres why you should visit these Sedona caves with just one day: Got your days planned out? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi! As an alternate, Is it possible to Uber to and from the trailhead? You will have problems finding your way back in the dark. America the Beautiful national parks pass, Soldier Pass Trail into Soldier Pass Cave, best sunrise and sunset photography locations in Sedona, best things to do on and off the Las Vegas strip, best things to do in Valley of Fire State Park, Subway Cave is one of the most photogenic landmarks in Sedona, Four other popular hikes nearby with connecting trails, Have to figure out the right place to turn onto spur trail, Most will miss it in favor of Subway Cave, Much quieter than other caves and hikes in Sedona, Very quick and easy to access Birthing Cave, Stunning views from the very back of the cave, Devils Kitchen and Seven Sacred Pools are fantastic additions to the hike, The new shuttle should significantly improve parking issues, Very popular trail means it is always busy, The cave is a little tricky to climb into, Theres not a lot of room inside the cave if it is busy, One of the most impressive caves in Sedona, One of the quietest caves you can visit in Sedona, Accessing the cave can be a little tricky, Not much room to maneuver at the formation, Very deep dark shadows in morning after Subway Cave. The terrain turns a little steeper on your final approach to Keyhole Cave. Raven Caves is west facing overlooking Oak Creek, so visit later in the day for the best photos as light pours in. You will make it without issue as long as you keep heading north and keep your eyes peeled for glimpses of the cave opening. Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use, Copyright 2023 | Where Are Those Morgans, Cave Hikes Requiring A Parking Pass In Sedona, 4. Consider taking the Sedona shuttle. Now I have to make the following very clear once again: You will be off trail when you do this hike. You still need to be organized and plan effectively otherwise youll spend your days frustrated about not being able to park anywhere. There are very few other top attractions nearby, which helps keep these two trails quiet. If so, then sign up to The Nature Seeker Newsletter (it's completely free): How to Hike to Vultee Arch in Sedona Without Getting Lost, Fay Canyon Trail in Sedona Why You Need to Hike Here, Best Things to do in Eastern Oregon: 15 Great Places to See, How to Properly Hike The Spencer Trail in Lees Ferry Arizona, How to Find The Glass Beach in Port Townsend Washington, Hamilton Pool Preserve: 5 Major Things You Need to Know, 10 Things to do in South Mountain Reservation NJ. I knew what it looked like and where it was, I just didnt know how to get to it- now Im glad Ive figured it out! Inside the cave (maybe its a vortex or magnetic issue), but my GPS started scrambling and adding about another 6 miles to my hike incorrectly. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. I apologize my directions couldnt get you all the way. Keep following the curving dry river bed for about 0.75 miles as it snakes north toward Keyhole Cave. You can either climb directly up a rock face but we recommend going left up the steep bank. It was still difficult due to the sand and slippery rock, though. This is a year round destination and supposed low seasons arent much quieter than peak season. Birthing Cave is a simple, easy and short hike. We personally think the cave is easier to photograph when there is no light inside between mid to late morning. What can you do to take the stress out of parking? We personally think the cave feels more beautiful when the sun doesnt fill any of Birthing Cave with light so there are no heavy contrasts. If you want to explore some of the Caves in Sedona, you may know about Keyhole Cave Sedona as being one of the most challenging ones to hike. You will have to use your hands, feet and core to pull yourself up. Soldier Pass Cave Soldier Pass Trailhead parking has 14 spaces which are snapped up instantly. This leads to a short climb up rocks and a left turn will bring you around the north side of Hideout Cave. Lets get stuck into the Keyhole Cave hiking walkthrough! Heres a link to our interactive map featuring the locations of the 7 best caves and 1 bonus cave-like arch you can visit in Sedona, along with respective hiking trailheads. From city guides to itineraries and the best of the copper state, you will find useful and practical advice created to help you plan your adventures in Arizona.

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