The map above shows exactly what you can expect when hiking to Keyhole Cave in Sedona. If you're planning to hike the Devil's Bridge Trail, book a room at Sedona Rouge Hotel and Spa, just outside downtown . You will begin the hike at Teacup Trail at the right, another name for Sugarloaf. Zion National Park Zion is an adventure playground for adults, find the very best hikes in Zion and choose between 5 ways you can spend a one day in Zion itinerary. Please use this link that takes you to Google Maps and download it for offline use. 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. Each cave can be accessed by visitors to Sedona via hiking trails varying in length between 0.5 5 miles roundtrip. Hideout Cave has a striking view over desert vegetation and red rocks, plus is it so far out of the typical touristy area of Sedona that you are almost guaranteed to have this cave to yourself. 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. Cross a narrow ledge carefully on slick rock. That is exactly what happened to us during our visit to Sedona. Keyhole Cave Park at Sugar Loaf / Teacup Trailhead which has 14 spaces. Do not graffiti or move the rocks around and respect the land. You can sit or stand right on the edge and someone behind you can take a photo of you as a silhouette against the light outside the cave. Once you get up onto that lower ledge the hard part is over. We now help over 2 million people each year to travel, hike and photograph their bucket list destinations. R3 R4 Night R1 The good news is that you can actually see the Keyhole Cave from the parking lot and that can actually be used as a visual aid as you hike to it later (although sometimes its hard to see it, ironically as you get closer to it). Some visitors graffitied the cave walls- please do not draw or carve into the walls and leave them as is! Winter and Summer are comparatively quieter periods in Sedona but they are still overcrowded. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Hi! 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. The hike itself is easy to moderate but getting up into the cave can be quite sketchy. Most moderately experienced hikers should be fine, but we would not recommend beginner hikers attempt the hike to Subway Cave. If youre interested in learning more about Gaia, you can sign up to Gaia GPS premium with Where Are Those Morgans exclusive 20% off link. You are going to hike directly straight ahead beyond the wooden sign heading for the red rock formation on the horizon. The elevation also catches up as you get closer to the cave, gaining about 500 feet in the last 20 minutes of the hike, making it more challenging with each step. Subway Cave is one of the harder cave hikes in Sedona because it is 5 miles roundtrip, requires pathfinding and has a steep climb up a bank to enter the cave. Anyway, once you get into the cave, if you want to reach the iconic area where people sit inside the cave with views of the Sedona mountains outside, thats going to require you climb about 30 feet up and there are at least 2 ways I saw it being done. Park at Boynton Canyon Trailhead and walk for around 1.3 miles until you reach a left turn onto a spur trail. You can find the exact location of the cave on Google . Youll need to watch your footing on the scree and for cacti along the narrow trail. Kachina Cave is a tall teardrop shaped cave located atop a steep and unmarked spur trail around one third of the way up the Boynton Canyon hike in Sedona. Did you know you can actually make it an all-time epic cave hike day by combining this with Soldiers Pass to see that stunning cave. Looking for a adventurous way to explore Sedona's Keyhole Cave? From that parking lot are several hikes available, including the one to Keyhole Cave, but at the same time, Keyhole Cave is not an official spot on that list. Set your Google Maps or Apple Maps to "West Fork Oak Creek Trailhead" or "Call of the Canyon Picnic Site". I would not recommend this for anyone scared of heights, who dont have shoes with great grip or for the lesser athletic. Its highly likely you already have an annual National Parks pass, which is also known as America the Beautiful or the Interagency Pass. Most visitors are hiking on the more popular trails to the north and southeast of town. The arch is actually the most striking and impressive feature along this hiking trail. The elevation gain of the Sedona Keyhole Cave is 520 feet. 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. Look for tree branches on the ground. As I adventure around the Southwest I aim to inspire you to get outdoors while sharing knowledge and skills to do so safely! *Please note this post may contain affiliate links. It has just 7 parking spaces but you can use it to access Andante Trail, which leads to Thunder Mountain Trail and eventually to Teacup Trail at the exact point you will go off-trail for Keyhole Cave. Keyhole Cave was one of our favorite caves in Sedona. If you are looking for an easy hike, the Doe Mountain trail in Sedona is one of the best, If you are looking for the best Sedona Hot Springs, in this guide, we cover the best hot springs, The best breweries in Sedona should be on your itinerary whether you are a lover of beer or you, Enjoying the stunning Tucson sunset is the perfect way to end your day while exploring this beautiful city. Las Vegas Heading to Vegas on your Southwest adventure? Its highly likely you already have an annual National Parks pass, which is also known as America the Beautiful or the Interagency Pass. It is best to avoid hiking during or after flash floods season. Visit Sedona outside of peak season to give yourself higher odds of getting parked up any time of day. Just want to Thank You for your directions. Recommended A Complete Guide To Hiking The Birthing Cave In Sedona. It is straight back and looks like a giant gaping hole in the mountainside. Lets take a look at some of the most asked questions about visiting caves in Sedona, Arizona. Heres the list of places around Sedona you will need to display either a Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful Pass in order to hike. New to hiking? In fact, here is a side by side comparison of how the trail should have looked on Alltrails and what it ended up looking like on my end: I say this because not only can it also happen to you, but dont mistake those added red lines of navigation when you have to go back from the hike. We wouldnt recommend taking dogs to any of the caves as they are unsafe and often require climbing. The final 10% was not clear as there are at least 3 inlets near the top and in sight of the cave. 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. Alternatively, you can try parking at Andante Trailhead nearby, which is also a small parking lot. You can buy a Red Rock Pass at this specific recreation.gov site in advance. We hiked part of the route inside the wash but most of it by going more direct to save time. Heres a summary of the 7 caves and one bonus arch you can visit in Sedona: Before we get started with the best hidden Sedona caves, it is important to touch on etiquette. You definitely dont need ropes to get into the cave, just some guts to climb up and down it! Youll take Teacup Trail which starts right at the trailhead. Keyhole Cave is located in the rocky ridge running from Coffee Pot Rock toward Thunder. The shuttle works particularly well for accessing Soldier Pass Cave which is renowned as one of the worst places to get parked in Sedona. Trail Length: 2 miles out and back Trailhead Location: Long Canyon Trailhead Exact GPS Location for Birthing Cave: 3454'46.9N 11150'10.0W ; Hiking Time: 2 hours total Permits: None.Note: Any trailhead with toilets requires a Red Rock Pass ($5-day use fee). If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. February 15, 2019. Are you looking for directions and tips on how to find and access the best caves in Sedona? Lets find and explore the best secret caves in Sedona, Arizona! Subway Cave is a tunnel shaped sandstone formation located on a spur trail in Boynton Canyon. You are actually starting this hike on Teacup Trail despite the parking area being called Sugar Loaf. It is best to arrive early if you want to park here. Alternatively, try parking at around 2pm so you miss the busiest period. This is when we hopped onto a trail on the left side of the wash and followed it directly to the base of the cave. With that said, we imagine the cave would look even better later in the day close to sunset when the light softens and has passed beyond directly entering Keyhole Cave. However, in doing so I had times when I was in deep wooded areas with trees that had a lot of thorns, cactuss that were stinging me and overall, the hiking experience for about a mile or more was not very pleasant. You will make it without issue as long as you keep heading north and keep your eyes peeled for glimpses of the cave opening. I hope this trail guide helps you find this enormous Sedona Cave. That trailhead is a popular destination and has a fairly small parking lot where maybe 10-15 cars can fit. It is important to know the Sedona trails you are hiking so you can safely navigate to caves. Later in the day the cave will be in deep and dark shadows. Why Hike To The Sedona Soldier Pass Cave? If youre short on time, this is the adventure hike for you. The good news about a southwest facing cave is you can visit anytime between mid morning and late afternoon for the best light. During the busiest periods in Sedona from Spring through Fall you need to be at parking lots by first light to give yourself a chance at getting a space. Luckily I missed the cactus and landed safely. Alternatively, if you hire a jeep or own a 4WD vehicle, you can get a permit to drive FR 9904 which leads to a parking area just 0.1 miles from the trail split leading to Soldier Pass Cave. This route gets easier higher up on the climb. Want more Arizona content? You must take the right turn at the split and climb a fairly steep gradient to gain access to Solider Pass Cave in Sedona. Going direct is the more exciting way to reach Keyhole Cave. Was This Post Helpful? 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. Raven Caves is a very easily accessed series of maze-like caves on the south side of Sedona. Keyhole Cave is the biggest and most adventurous cave you can hike to in Sedona. Lets take a quick look at a general packing list for exploring Sedona caves: Here are our top 5 tips for hiking to the Sedona caves: How to get around Sedona is small but youll need a car to access the best hikes to the north and south of town. In Sedona, there are at least 7 caves you can hike to and explore. Ive personally completed the Keyhole Cave hike in Sedona and in this post will be detailing everything you need to know to do it as well. However, to avoid needing to double-back or going the wrong way for a little just follow the wash the entire way to the base of the cave. View full map. Hike through the red rocks to explore some of Sedona's more spiritual side. Going direct to Keyhole Cave means you have to contend with short but steep hills covered in cacti and other harsh vegetation with sharp dagger-like needles that can seriously tear up your feet, ankles and legs. Follow the obvious path leading to a short downhill climb. Fay Canyon Arch is southwest facing, which means it remains in total darkness if you arrive any time between sunrise and midday. Report inappropriate content. Here are 4 photos showing the inside of Keyhole Cave as we walked around the cave from left to right looking out: If you climb up the right side you will summit the cave at the place where the most popular instagram photograph is taken. Read our popular guide on how to plan the perfect 1-7 day Sedona itinerary for ideas on how you can spend up to one week exploring this remarkable red rock landscape. It is best to get down on the right side, the same way you went up. It is definitely worth visiting Keyhole Cave, the biggest cave you can hike to in Sedona on your itinerary. It is a very narrow cave, almost like an arch formation that can be climbed with a hidden upper chamber. Once you hop on the trail, though, the hike quickly becomes difficult because you have to climb the elevation up to the base of the cave. Zion National Park Zion is an adventure playground for adults, find the very best hikes in Zion and choose between 5 ways you can spend a one day in Zion itinerary. I needed to help 3/5 people get up and down who had gone into the cave. It's a relatively easy hike most of the way, with a steep climb at the end to reach the entrance. You could even use our images during your hike to keep track of where you are along the adventure to Keyhole Cave. For me, I started on a more official trail and then the map on Alltrails took me off it, and I began taking what looked like other mini trails in combination to reach the cave. Social media channels such as Instagram and TikTok have increased awareness of the now not so hidden Subway Cave over recent years. Heres the left approach into Keyhole Cave: The bottom section is almost vertical and its smooth which makes it hard to climb. This is where you are headed! You'll probably see a good amount of hikers here as there are a lot of popular routes in the area. It has an unobstructed views stretching miles over desert vegetation with nothing to block sunlight. Preparation saves lives. You will begin from the parking lot and start the hike at Teacup Trail. Rome2rio makes travelling from Brea to Sedona easy. Required fields are marked *. The cave is unique for having a single lone tree with green leaves standing beyond the chamber in an exposed area. Certain trailheads and parking lots in Sedona require you to display either a Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful Interagency Pass on your vehicle dashboard. You'll start at Sugar Loaf trailhead and see the Keyhole Cave from there, then navigate to it by first going on the Teacup trail, then going off trail to reach it. We found the right side of the cave was easier to climb for it had foot holds and plenty of jagged rocks to hold on to. So we would recommend choosing the caves you most want to visit, consider the best lighting in the cave but also how you will get parked for the hike. Subway Cave is arguably the most famous and sought after cave to visit in Sedona. After you get on the Thunder Mountain Trail, you have two ways to reach the base of the Keyhole Cave in Sedona. Find all the transport options for your trip from Brea to Sedona right here. But back to finding the keyhole cave! There are no marked trails leading to the cave and there are several lightly beaten paths you can choose between. Andante Trailhead is your best backup option. You can go up the middle of the Right side but also can go up against the right wall where there are a few more hand and foot holds, albeit tricky in its own right. They were very much easy to understand and we were able to Hike up all the way to the Cave. Keyhole Cave Sedona FAQs Where Is Keyhole Cave Sedona? Pyramid and Scorpion Trails are located to the southwest of downtown Sedona. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. While it is a tough hike, it is the least visited Sedona cave. Once you have made the climb into Keyhole Cave, you find yourself in a UFO shaped upper chamber in which you can walk around in a semi circle (like a crescent moon) from one side of the cave to the other. We're Mark and Kristen Morgan, former career scientists turned travel, hiking and photography experts after an 18 month honeymoon around the world forever changed our lives. Winter is a fantastic time to avoid both.Where to stay in Accommodation is expensive in Sedona, but there are plenty of very high quality places to stay including Matterhorn Inn, Lantern Light Inn, Arabella Hotel, Whispering Creek B&B and The Suites at Sedona.Popular things to do Sedona is one of the best places to hike in the US, but it is also a wonderful place to get off-road in a jeep, shoot stunning photography, visit historic sites and drink wine. Grand Canyon Just 2 hours from Sedona is the incredible Grand Canyon South Rim, create your wishlist from the best hikes at Grand Canyon South Rim. Jeep Trails Comprehensive guide to the 9 best Jeep trails in Sedona Arizona, including both popular and hidden gem off road routes. Hiking is one of the best things to do in Sedona and Keyhole Cave is one of our favorite hidden trails in town. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "adfe3c6c02b8a23ef7f876e875c76545" );document.getElementById("de46ec5a9a").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); I am Kara and I travel and adventure with my GSD, Monty. Along the way you can even see the gaping window in the distance as you head towards it. Recommended A Complete Guide To Hiking The Seven Sacred Pools In Sedona. Birthing Cave is east facing which means it is best visited between midday and late afternoon. Here are the 40 best things to do on and off the Las Vegas strip and the 15 best things to do in Valley of Fire State Park nearby. There is a wash you can follow for most of the hike but it twists and turns which adds on distance and time. Sugarloaf Trailhead: 34.8775908,-111.7969803. from. In order to start on the proper trail to this cave, you have to begin at Sugar Loaf Trailhead. We are kicking things off with the popular instagrammers favorite Sedona Subway Cave! 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