This is the easiest cant miss way to go. Are you a regular visitor to US National Parks and Monuments? There are no places you can park on the residential streets nearby. Finding caves in Sedona is one of the most fun things to do in Arizona, just make sure to tread carefully and respectfully. Wander In Arizona participates in 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. Keyhole Cave is one of only a few caves that are actually geotagged on Google. 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! Still, a beautiful area with wonderful sights wherever you trek. The lightly beaten paths can be hard to follow and often run out or are blocked by thick vegetation. Always consider backup parking areas before setting off for a trail. All you have to do is sidestep or go back on yourself a few paces then try another path. You just never know when youll lose your footing on these desert rocks. 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. 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. All of which take a drastic upturn in difficulty from an otherwise straightforward hike. Suggest edits to improve what we show. Required fields are marked *. Soldier Pass Cave is a uniquely shaped cave in Sedona. Feel the breeze and cool temperatures. Its highly likely you already have an annual National Parks pass, which is also known as America the Beautiful or the Interagency Pass. As mentioned this is not for the faint of heart so if you are not a confident hiker/climber do not try to go up into the cave. We are kicking things off with the popular instagrammers favorite Sedona Subway Cave! Winter and Summer are comparatively quieter periods in Sedona but they are still overcrowded. 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. 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. Lets get stuck into the Keyhole Cave hiking walkthrough! Tip: Dont forget to visit the Boynton Canyon vortex site at the end of your hike. At the bottom turn right and you will find the first cave. 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. Check out Hiking for Beginners 101- The Best Guide for New Hikers to get started! Keyhole Cave Park at Sugar Loaf / Teacup Trailhead which has 14 spaces. Drop in from above. Park at Boynton Canyon Trailhead and walk 2 miles until you reach a big, burnt, black and gray tree trunk. The good news is you will only be on Teacup Trail for 0.4 miles until you reach a trail crossroads with Thunder Mountain Trail. Keep following the curving dry river bed for about 0.75 miles as it snakes north toward Keyhole Cave. A steep bank climb is required to get inside the cave but it is easy enough. Move around Keyhole Cave to the far right side. Was This Post Helpful? Subway Cave is east facing which means you should try to access the cave as early in the day as possible for best light. The cave is accessed via significant off-trail hiking, which means forging a path through rugged desert wilderness. 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. Keyhole Cave is a southwest facing cave located in Coconino National Forest to the north of downtown Sedona. See the Keyhole cave dangers as well as full directions in our article here. You need to stick along the larger wash. The wash is extremely rocky so be careful of your footing the entire way while looking out for snakes. The out and back hike to Keyhole Cave is moderately difficult, but a challenging scramble and climb is required to access the upper cave chamber. 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. Please let us know if you have any questions about hiking Keyhole Cave or your visit to Sedona in the comments below. In Sedona, there are at least 7 caves you can hike to and explore. Youll have some higher gradient sections to climb and the very last part to reach the cave entrance is very steep with loose stones and small rocks. Easy 4.6 (2494) Coconino National Forest. If youre short on time, this is the adventure hike for you. Do You Need A Parking Pass To Hike Keyhole Cave? Use the eroded rocks to place your hands and feet in gaps. The climb up is very steep and slippery. Keyhole Cave is the best cave for adventure seekers to visit in Sedona. 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. Your hike will start nice and easy and flat. Use the placements in the rock to help you land easily. After going up each of these a decent way (and I was nearly bitten by a snake), we ended up turning back. From there is where it gets harder. 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 best to wear fully covered clothing as there are cacti with long and thick thorns and animals like rattlesnakes and other insects. Hi Kara. I personally loved this hike, but its not for everyone and I hope these instructions (and warnings) are helpful to you! Getting into the Sedona Keyhole cave is difficult. Las Vegas Heading to Vegas on your Southwest adventure? Most importantly, wear a good pair of hiking shoes that will facilitate an easier hike overall. Are you looking for directions and tips on how to find and access the best caves in Sedona? You will make it without issue as long as you keep heading north and keep your eyes peeled for glimpses of the cave opening. 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. Or there may be rope left over from recent hikers. You can get far enough back inside the formation. 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. 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. 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. This is one of the 4 main Sedona vortex sites. Find all the transport options for your trip from Brea to Sedona right here. It truly is a off-beaten gem and perfect for silhouette photos. One way to do this is with a GPS system or app. 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! Kachina Cave is best visited in mid morning between 9am and 11am when sunlight will penetrate a narrow formation causing the lone tree and red rocks to glow. The hike is flat and easy until you reach an undefined turn onto a spur trail leading to Subway Cave. Please let us know if you have any questions about hiking to any of the caves or your visit to Sedona in the comments below. 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). The hike itself is easy to moderate but getting up into the cave can be quite sketchy. You will go most of the 500 feet in elevation on this hike over the last 10-15 minutes of the hike. However, they are also the busiest times of year, which also means the most expensive. It is pretty easy to get off trail so we recommend using AllTrails. Elevation Gain: 250 feet. Some branches hang low over the trail and you may need to use two hands to step over some large rock areas, but overall the wash is extremely easy to follow and traverse. 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. Youll take Teacup Trail which starts right at the trailhead. That is exactly what happened to us during our visit to Sedona. Parking at popular hiking trailheads in Sedona is a real challenge. Take this wash and follow that up to the right until reaching the base of the cave, and this part is easy, and you cannot get lost at all. It is best to avoid hiking during or after flash floods season. How to Find the Sedona Birthing Cave April, May, September and October are peak tourist months in Sedona. Keyhole Cave is the biggest and most adventurous cave you can hike to in Sedona. While it is not some crazy steep long way down, the issue is the lack of holds and slippery face as mentioned. People often bring ropes to help others up and down, which is a great idea. Parking: Parking is limited. Coming down you will want to go against that wall on the front of the entrance (down the Right side you came up). Plus, we can keep an eye on our hiking statistics. No matter which you choose, one way to ensure you have not wandered off is to make sure you see the cave in the distance in front of you. After the climb, you will land on a ledge, from where you will be in the cave. Birthing Cave is east facing which means it is best visited between midday and late afternoon. In order to start on the proper trail to this cave, you have to begin at Sugar Loaf Trailhead. 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. $288.88. Luckily I missed the cactus and landed safely. Once you do reach the cave, itll be a gigantic opening thats difficult to miss and you may likely find other people there too (I saw at least 2 people before others came as I left). 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. What can you do to take the stress out of parking? 1.2K Likes, TikTok video from Desert Sistas (@desert.sistas): " Keyhole Cave via Sugarloaf Trail This hike is located in Sedona, Arizona and is ranked moderate. Get inspiration for travel, recipes & to follow your dreams. Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain via Teacup Trail. 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