You have three options to get into the cave and going up to the right is definitely the only way you should go. Actually getting into the cave requires some rock climbing skills and is not for those who are afraid of heights. There are no marked trails leading to the cave and there are several lightly beaten paths you can choose between. Want to visit Keyhole Cave? Suggest edits to improve what we show. Birthing Cave The easiest cave to reach in Sedona is Birthing Cave on Long Canyon Trail, ending with amazing views and a crowd free climax. Back to the easy to find wash route, as you follow the wash there are some smaller washes that break off from the main wash but just stick to the larger wash along the way. Hideout Cave is one of the caves that looks more attractive with light. Aim to arrive inside Birthing Cave between 12pm and 3pm for optimal light conditions. When researching which caves to explore in Sedona, we never saw any mention of Kachina Cave. Required fields are marked *. Fortunately I had vocal help from someone who saw more than I did and told me where to put my hands and feet. Read our complete guide to hiking Robbers Roost Trail into Hideout Cave for in depth details and directions for how to access the cave. Recommended. At the base of Keyhole Cave youll find that you need to climb a high, slick wall to get into it. That trailhead is a popular destination and has a fairly small parking lot where maybe 10-15 cars can fit. Were going to explain everything you need to know about each of the 7 most popular Sedona caves so you can hike to each stunning cavern during your visit to northern Arizona. You must take the right turn at the split and climb a fairly steep gradient to gain access to Solider Pass Cave in Sedona. Looking for Sedona Hotel? This lot is also known as Teacup Trailhead and is located in a residential area on Buena Vista Drive in north Sedona. Fay Canyon Arch is a gigantic sandstone formation eroded into a towering red rock cliff in the shape of an arch. Later in the day the cave will be in deep and dark shadows. Know where you are going ahead of time and always have a way to keep yourself on trail. You will find Subway Cave to be among the busiest on this list of best caves in Sedona but the natural beauty of this formation is well worth dealing with the crowds. I always recommend tracking yourself or following an already made track so you can check in and be sure youre on the right path. In addition, thorns and cacti can cause problems and the trail is not marked. 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. If roadside parking is full, park at Mescal Trailhead and walk the connecting trail to join Birthing Cave trail. After the climb, you will land on a ledge, from where you will be in the cave. Chances are high you will have Kachina Cave to yourself and the tree makes for a stunning subject to photograph surrounded by quintessential orange and red sandstone rocks. You can buy a Red Rock Pass at this specific recreation.gov site in advance. At the fork there is a sign to follow Teacup Trail to the right and Thunder MTN Trail to the left. You just never know when youll lose your footing on these desert rocks. 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. You may have to sidestep or go back on yourself but that is fine, just find another path heading north. You can find the exact location of the cave on Google . Cross a narrow ledge carefully on slick rock. KEY TAKEAWAY: Youll be traversing in a wash so be aware of the possibility of flash floods and rattlesnakes! In order to start on the proper trail to this cave, you have to begin at Sugar Loaf Trailhead. In Sedona, we used Gaia to find all of the hidden caves and didnt lose any time trying to figure out if we were on the right path. Boynton Canyon Exactly how to find the famous Subway Cave on Boynton Canyon Trail, the most photographed cave in Sedona. A short but steep elevation gain will carry you up a bank and into Birthing Cave. I personally loved this hike, but its not for everyone and I hope these instructions (and warnings) are helpful to you! Im so glad to hear you were able to make it to see the Keyhole cave! Recently, the Sedona Westerners' Rustlers hiking group on . Given. If you dont have either, buy a 1 day or 7 day pass at the ticket machine or online at recreation.gov. All other caves are located in the most popular hiking areas of Sedona and remain busy year round. 1. Ideally come down on your butt and use all of the foot and hand holds at a nice slow pace. During these times getting parked at trailheads can be a real challenge. 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! Or there may be rope left over from recent hikers. Sedona has a total of 7 caves. We went down the same way we went up, which is right as you approach the cave, but left if you are inside the cave looking out. 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. We are kicking things off with the popular instagrammers favorite Sedona Subway Cave! 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. Late afternoon sunlight would illuminate the arch and entire rock face in which it is located on the Fay Canyon Trail. Type: Out and Back Difficulty: Moderate Dog Friendly: Yes Location: Sedona, AZ Trailhead: Devil's Bridge Trailhead Parking: Parking lot off Dry Creek road Permits: $5 Red Rock Pass. Dont forget, there are also several beautiful hikes along the same Teacup trail you start to reach Keyhole Cave. Drive round to Long Canyon Trailhead and hike the much quieter, If you have more time, take a shuttle and hike to, Look for backup parking options for each cave hike in case the main lot is full, Try to group and organize the caves together logically for efficiency, Take your best pair of shoes with grips and traction to get inside caves, Consider the time of day each cave is best for light and photography. Report inappropriate content. Are you planning to hike more trails in the area? Be very careful as your coming back down! 3 rappels to make it down ending in a epic one right over the Keyhole Cave. Going direct is the more exciting way to reach Keyhole Cave. Top ways to experience Teacup Trail and nearby attractions. The hike itself is moderate but getting into the cave itself definitely takes it to difficult+. 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. Subway Cave is one of the most photogenic caves you can access in the Sedona area, which explains its popularity on social media and with photographers. On this path, you will notice many smaller washes branching off the main one. You still need to be organized and plan effectively otherwise youll spend your days frustrated about not being able to park anywhere. This approach in combination with a visual guide will help you. Hi! Its still a good idea to try getting parked early in the morning so you beat the mid morning rush. TIA! Youll need to watch your footing on the scree and for cacti along the narrow trail. Park at Boynton Canyon Trailhead and walk for around 1.3 miles until you reach a left turn onto a spur trail. The Sedona Keyhole Cave hike is 2.5 miles round-trip, out and back. Another 1 mile heading north will lead you into a wash and eventually to a very obvious fork split in the trail. Its highly likely you already have an annual National Parks pass, which is also known as America the Beautiful or the Interagency Pass. Along the way you can even see the gaping window in the distance as you head towards it. Take rope if one person in your group is a stronger hiker and have them help the others with rope support. While it is not some crazy steep long way down, the issue is the lack of holds and slippery face as mentioned. Trailhead: 2065 Buena Vista Dr, Sedona, AZ 86336. Las Vegas Heading to Vegas on your Southwest adventure? It can get a little confusing but if you have a map you can see the trail intersection on it which makes it much easier. Private 4-Hour Sedona Spectacular Journey and Vortex Tour. It is pretty common to lose your footing which will make you land on thorny cacti and rocks. You can find a small parking lot at the Sugarloaf trailhead located in a residential area on Buena Vista Drive, from where you begin your hike. 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. 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. Recommended A Complete Guide To Hiking The Seven Sacred Pools In Sedona. Note that since it is a residential neighbourhood, you cannot park on the road. To make your way, you will have to use your hands, feet and core to pull yourself up. Read more in our disclosure policy.*. Ropes can come in handy at this point, especially if you are in groups to help one another move around. Instead of buying a Red Rock Pass you can simply display your America the Beautiful Pass at all trailheads when hiking to Sedona caves. The hike to Keyhole Cave is not physically tough, but you will need good navigation and pathfinding skills. Birthing Cave on the Long Canyon Trail is one of the quietest caves you can visit in Sedona. 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. Most people are parking at Sugar Loaf Teacup Trailhead to hike the Sugar Loaf Loop Trail and climb Sugarloaf Mountain. Red Rock Pass options include: 1 Day Red Rock Pass - $5 7 Day Red Rock Pass - $15 Red Rock Annual Pass - $20 Alternatively, you can try parking at Andante Trailhead nearby, which is also a small parking lot. Sugar Loaf Trailhead is the best parking lot to use for hiking to Keyhole Cave in Sedona. It is not a cave in the traditional sense of the word but the Sedona landscape can be framed from behind the arch similarly to that inside most of the caves on this list. 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. 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. 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. The shuttle works particularly well for accessing Soldier Pass Cave which is renowned as one of the worst places to get parked in Sedona. Wander In Arizona is a comprehensive resource for hiking, camping, and exploring Arizona. Check the weather and water conditions before you embark on the hike. From the start of the Teacup trail you will hike just under .5 miles where there is a fork in the road. Im sorry to hear you didnt make it to the cavebut I agree, the area is beautiful regardless. If youre short on time, this is the adventure hike for you. Youll want to take a left like youre hiking along Thunder Mountain Trail, but just after you turn left there will be a wash on your right side. The view out of Keyhole Cave is spectacular and you can get far enough back inside the formation to easily frame the background through the cave entrance. The huge cave opening provides striking views over northern Sedona and the trail is very quiet in comparison to other trails in town. This is a year round destination and supposed low seasons arent much quieter than peak season. 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. Sedona, Arizona. It is definitely worth visiting Keyhole Cave, the biggest cave you can hike to in Sedona on your itinerary. Many paths criss-cross over undulating hills and through rough vegetation. Along the way there are several off trails that lead back up to the same place or meander off somewhere else. How do I get to Keyhole? It is the biggest cave featuring a huge chamber and enormous opening which frames the Sedona landscape outside. Once you climb the steep bank, walk behind Fay Canyon Arch and use a wide angle lens to frame green trees and red rocks behind the arch. The hike to Keyhole Cave begins at Sugarloaf Trailhead which is tucked back in a Sedona Neighborhood. This trail is very exposed and the climb up to it gets steep- I would not want to do this one in the summer! Theres nothing quite like climbing into a cave glowing a deep orange as sunlight creeps in through rugged cracks and openings! The elevation gain of the Sedona Keyhole Cave is 520 feet. Im not going to lie, I fell back on my butt on the way down this trail! New to hiking? 2) The second way is using Alltrails: There is actually a trail map of Keyhole Cave available on Alltrails which is the one I used when I was heading there, although in hindsight I could have also used the visual route too. Plus, we can keep an eye on our hiking statistics. There wasnt a lot of information online that I could find, and trying to follow others vague directions proved to be ineffective. After you get on the Thunder Mountain Trail, you have two ways to reach the base of the Keyhole Cave in Sedona. The map above shows exactly what you can expect when hiking to Keyhole Cave in Sedona. This post tells you exactly how to find the Keyhole Cave in Sedona, including directions and hiking tips for this adventurous trip safely. Spring and Fall represent the two best seasons for visiting Sedona in general when hiking conditions are most comfortable. Improve this listing Tours & experiences Explore different ways to experience this place. Learn more here. Do not graffiti or move the rocks around and respect the land. Birthing Cave Park at Long Canyon Trailhead. Make sure the cave appears at a distance as this will help you know you are going the right way especially if you get off track. Want to visit Fay Canyon? Lets find and explore the best secret caves in Sedona, Arizona! As youre hiking up the wash youll notice several trails that zigzag across it. You can of course split it up and take one of the many small trails back from the cave if you want more of an adventure and to not use the same wash trail you use to get there. 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. It is pretty easy to find and you start at the Sugarloaf Trailhead. I tried following these trails last year during my first attempt to find Keyhole Cave and was unsuccessful. You could even use our images during your hike to keep track of where you are along the adventure to Keyhole Cave. 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. However, sunrise and early morning is the best time to visit Hideout Cave when its larger east facing window allows the most light in. However, you should take rope along if you have any doubts about being able to pull yourself up a steep rock face using small foot placements. Please do not park in or near driveways of local residents. Karabou Adventure + Travel is a participant of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The above Summit is also worth a visit if you have extra time. Each cave can be accessed by visitors to Sedona via hiking trails varying in length between 0.5 5 miles roundtrip. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, you can use this as well. The good news about a southwest facing cave is you can visit anytime between mid morning and late afternoon for the best light. Generally considered a challenging route. Once you are at the entrance, you can see how gigantic Keyhole Cave is and mystic. I especially appreciate this trail because it is not for everyone and takes a level of commitment to truly the unlock the majesty of this trail. 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. Yes Keyhole Cave is a dog friendly hike in Sedona. Instead try a backup parking area such as Andante Trailhead. With that said, if there is rain or recent rain and you cant go up the wash then just follow the trails North directing at the cave and you will eventually run into it. If full, park at Andante Trailhead and walk Andante Trail to Thunder Mountain Trail and the joining point with Teacup. 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. Visit Sedona outside of peak season to give yourself higher odds of getting parked up any time of day. The cave features one large east facing oval window and one much smaller south facing circular window known as Robbers Roost. Sign up for access to all Karabou has to offer- GPX file library, Arizona Hike bucket list, and updates on posts and local news and events! Avoid going too early in the morning or early evening as the light will be away and the hike may be extra dangerous with little sunlight. The Seven Sacred Pools Sedona is one of the popular stops for those hiking Soldiers Pass Trail or the, Read More Keyhole Cave Sedona How To Hike To This Adventurous CaveContinue. 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. Read more in ourdisclosure policy.*. Read our complete guide to hiking Long Canyon Trail into Birthing Cave for in depth details and directions for how to access the cave. 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. 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