But that said, you can also take the trail in the north which goes to the cave. It is the biggest cave featuring a huge chamber and enormous opening which frames the Sedona landscape outside. However, having a jeep will get you closer to both Hideout Cave and Soldier Pass Cave, cutting out hiking time and distance. However, to be honest you should be fine with this particular hike. . Would you like to stay up to date with all my adventures? As I adventure around the Southwest I aim to inspire you to get outdoors while sharing knowledge and skills to do so safely! Duck inside and walk around to explore the remaining caves in this network. However, be aware Soldier Pass Trail is one of the most popular hikes in Sedona so it is always busy. 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. Since the route to get here is in a wash you want to be careful to not hike during or right after a rainstorm. In Sedona, there are at least 7 caves you can hike to and explore. Accessing Hideout Cave means driving 50 minutes from Sedona, mostly on gravel roads and then hiking a short trail to reach the cave entrance. You definitely dont need ropes to get into the cave, just some guts to climb up and down it! 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. 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. As you get closer to the cave, most of the hikes elevation will take place here and its a little bit annoying, but nothing crazy. If you enter it into Google Maps it will take you right to it. 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 . The bonus of an early start for best light is that you will arrive to the Boynton Canyon parking lot around first light which means you should get parked without issue. They are all located close to one another. We personally think the cave is easier to photograph when there is no light inside between mid to late morning. Keyhole Cave via Sugarloaf Trail Hard 4.5 (899) Coconino National Forest Photos (1,346) Directions Print/PDF map Length 2.2 miElevation gain 472 ftRoute type Out & back Head out on this 2.2-mile out-and-back trail near Sedona, Arizona. 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. Stay at Greentree Inn Sedona from $186/night, Andante Inn of Sedona from $153/night, Sedona Village Lodge from $105/night and more. A 4WD trailhead is located an additional 1 mile up Forest Road 9530 which saves 2 miles of hiking total. Part of the allure of Keyhole Cave for me was finding it myself. 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. 3 rappels to make it down ending in a epic one right over the Keyhole Cave. Along the way there are several off trails that lead back up to the same place or meander off somewhere else. 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). I would strongly recommend you wear fully covered clothing like pants because theres a good chance you may have this problem too, not to mention that there are animals like snakes in the area and just wearing more protective clothing is safer in general here. Try this 2.7-mile loop trail near Sedona, Arizona. 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. The turnoff is about 2 miles into the trail. This approach in combination with a visual guide will help you. Keyhole Cave was one of our favorite caves in Sedona. If you enter it into Google Maps it will take you right to it. Is it the same with Keyhole cave? Since the hike begins within a neighborhood dont forget to be quiet and considerate of the residents that live there. Park at Boynton Canyon Trailhead and walk 2 miles until you reach a big, burnt, black and gray tree trunk. You can either climb directly up a rock face but we recommend going left up the steep bank. If you have 2WD, you must walk up the 4WD road to begin. Fortunately I had vocal help from someone who saw more than I did and told me where to put my hands and feet. The shuttle works particularly well for accessing Soldier Pass Cave which is renowned as one of the worst places to get parked in Sedona. Soldier Pass Cave is west facing which means you can visit later in the day to see light streaming into the cave from multiple sources. If you plan to go until the end of the cave, it is best to bring a rope that will be extremely useful as the last part of the hike is complex and very dangerous. Suggest edits to improve what we show. Fay Canyon Arch is a worthy stop off for hikers to make on the Fay Canyon Trail. Hiking Most of Sedonas caves are found by hiking into red rock wilderness, heres our popular roundup of all 20 best hikes in Sedona, Arizona. Aim to arrive inside Birthing Cave between 12pm and 3pm for optimal light conditions. Still, a beautiful area with wonderful sights wherever you trek. Entering Keyhole Cave isnt easy. Some visitors graffitied the cave walls- please do not draw or carve into the walls and leave them as is! Take this wash and it will lead you all the way up to the base of Keyhole Cave! Getting down is harder than getting up as there is no support to rely on unless you have the ropes. Its highly likely you already have an annual National Parks pass, which is also known as America the Beautiful or the Interagency Pass. One of the most dynamic trails to be added to the Sedona Hiking Trail System in years. Looking for hiking inspiration? Follow the obvious path leading to a short downhill climb. Keyhole Cave is the biggest and most adventurous cave you can hike to in Sedona. Head over to our Arizona travel guides to explore the best of Grand Canyon, Sedona and beyond. You will only walk on this trail for a handful of steps before you come to a wash and you will follow that up to the right. We will include photos for every step of the Keyhole Cave hike so you can visualize the trail. The hike to Kachina Cave is not recommended after rain or during snow and ice conditions in Winter. Take rope if one person in your group is a stronger hiker and have them help the others with rope support. Keyhole Cave, Sedona Arizona Super exciting, I found one of Sedona's best kept secrets and it's truly magical! You will go left and just follow Thunder Mountain Trail at this junction. Do not graffiti or move the rocks around and respect the land. PARKING PASS: Required for parking at the trailhead. But do not count on others being able to help you climb into Keyhole Cave. 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. , Hi Mara! I always recommend tracking yourself or following an already made track so you can check in and be sure youre on the right path. Hi! 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. We took the right approach both on the way up and down. View full map. Instead of going directly behind the sign at the Teacup / Thunder Mountain Trail intersection, turn left onto Thunder Mountain Trail and walk 150 feet until you see a dry bed to your right side. If youre fascinated by caves and the windows they create then youll love Keyhole Cave. There are no places you can park on the residential streets nearby. February 15, 2019. I had a few close calls climbing up inside the cave area and climbing down was even harder because I couldnt see where my feet were going. Distance: 4 miles RT Peak Elevation: 4,600 ft. Elevation Gain: 420 ft. One of the most impressive caves in Sedona, Try parking at Andante if Sugar Loaf Trailhead parking is full, Go direct off-trail to save time vs the wash, Take rope if youre not confident of climbing into Keyhole Cave, Keyhole Cave has the best light between lunch and late afternoon. Fay Canyon Arch is a gigantic sandstone formation eroded into a towering red rock cliff in the shape of an arch. Other (safer) hikes to explore in Sedona: There is a wash you can follow for most of the hike but it twists and turns which adds on distance and time. The Sedona Keyhole Cave hike is 2.5 miles round-trip, out and back. You can download my Keyhole Cave trackand gain access to my library of all tracked hikes. 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. The Red Rock Pass is $5 per day or $15 for one week. This is perfect for getting an early start, hiking to Subway Cave first and then taking the spur to Kachina Cave on the way back timing it perfectly for both caves at best light conditions. Subway Cave is arguably the most famous and sought after cave to visit in Sedona. 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. This small hole is accessible and it is from this point you will get the best view looking out of the flame shaped cave entrance. As always, please be considerate of the environment so we can keep enjoying it and rememberto leave no trace. Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain via Teacup Trail. The exciting hike to Keyhole Cave in Sedona is not on any map, the trail is not marked with signs and the cave access climb is challenging. Want to visit Fay Canyon? Other Nearby Trails in . In my case, I went left and climbed to get to the proper areas. Birthing Cave on the Long Canyon Trail is one of the quietest caves you can visit in Sedona. Perfect! Dont try to cross this ledge in icy or overly wet conditions. After a while, the wash narrows a bit, but you keep moving alongside it navigating through the branches. The hike to Keyhole Cave begins at Sugarloaf Trailhead which is tucked back in a Sedona Neighborhood. 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. Head over to our Arizona travel guides to explore the best of Grand Canyon, Sedona and beyond. You'll probably see a good amount of hikers here as there are a lot of popular routes in the area. Sugarloaf Mountain looms tall to your right side as you walk through desert vegetation and junipers. *Please note this post may contain affiliate links. Recently, the Sedona Westerners' Rustlers hiking group on . As long as you see it and make your way towards it in the north, you will arrive at the base of Keyhole Cave. Personally we went for the right side both up and down, but we know others have taken the left route instead. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Love the specifics of how to get here, thank you! Check out 5 of the best Sedona Caves and how to find them for more! The cave is accessed via significant off-trail hiking, which means forging a path through rugged desert wilderness. We are kicking things off with the popular instagrammers favorite Sedona Subway Cave! 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