Follow along for a little ways until you reach an intersection with Thunder Mountain Trail. 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. Im Fraser & this site is a guide to help you reach your goals, travel the world and create amazing food in between. The Sugar Loaf parking area has just 12 spaces and is often full. When we hiked Keyhole Cave there was a couple already inside who had rope and dropped it down for us to use just in case. Not only will you have to forge your own path through wilderness, but you must also climb into Keyhole Cave using hands, feet and core strength. Trailhead: 2065 Buena Vista Dr, Sedona, AZ 86336. Also, be on the lookout for rattlesnakes! If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, you can use this as well. Want to visit Fay Canyon? This post tells you exactly how to find the Keyhole Cave in Sedona, including directions and hiking tips for this adventurous trip safely. The beginning isnt too bad but it is the middle where people get stuck as it is slippery and there are not really any holds to get to the next part. Head over to our Arizona travel guides to explore the best of Grand Canyon, Sedona and beyond. Walk 0.2 miles to Devils Kitchen sinkhole, followed by a further 1 mile hike to reach Seven Sacred Pools. Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain via Teacup Trail. 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. Very few know about Keyhole Cave and even fewer take it on once they hear about the unmarked trail and climb. Thanks for reading, Michael! The Sedona Keyhole Cave hike is 2.5 miles round-trip, out and back. I will reiterate do not try this unless you are athletic or a good hiker. Use this guide to familiarize yourself with the exact locations and hiking trails for each cave you want to visit during your time in Sedona. 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. The hike itself is easy to moderate but getting up into the cave can be quite sketchy. 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. But from here, the challenge begins as the wash is very rocky; plus, look out for rattlesnakes along the way. After the climb, you will land on a ledge, from where you will be in the cave. The trail to the Keyhole Cave starts at the Teacup Trailhead. Required fields are marked *. February 15, 2019. Look for tree branches on the ground. Arrive early to the lot in peak season for the best chance of snagging a coveted parking spot at Sugar Loaf Trailhead. 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. A 4WD trailhead is located an additional 1 mile up Forest Road 9530 which saves 2 miles of hiking total. Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. 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. Subway Cave is a tunnel shaped sandstone formation located on a spur trail in Boynton Canyon. Both hikes connect and you can see all info on that in this article here. You will meander along the wash for three-quarters of a mile or so and you will know when to start going up to the cave as you will see it to your right when the time comes. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies. Keyhole Cave Park at Sugar Loaf / Teacup Trailhead which has 14 spaces. 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. $288.88. You use the Sugarloaf Trailhead, which starts with the Teacup Trail, it is located in a little neighborhood just 15 minutes from downtown. Duck inside and walk around to explore the remaining caves in this network. Note that Ravens Caves is the only cave to the south of Sedona and Hideout Cave is a long way out to the northwest of Sedona. Wander In Arizona is a comprehensive resource for hiking, camping, and exploring Arizona. Thank you for your review, Jacob! That trailhead is a popular destination and has a fairly small parking lot where maybe 10-15 cars can fit. This is the easiest cant miss way to go. Each cave can be accessed by visitors to Sedona via hiking trails varying in length between 0.5 5 miles roundtrip. Most people are parking at Sugar Loaf Teacup Trailhead to hike the Sugar Loaf Loop Trail and climb Sugarloaf Mountain. 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. Hi! However, having a jeep will get you closer to both Hideout Cave and Soldier Pass Cave, cutting out hiking time and distance. Are you a regular visitor to US National Parks and Monuments? PARKING PASS: Required for parking at the trailhead. Report inappropriate content. Ropes can come in handy at this point, especially if you are in groups to help one another move around. If you enter it into Google Maps it will take you right to it. 1. Consider taking the Sedona shuttle. Keyhole Cave is in Sedona Arizona, specifically 1.1 miles north from Sugar Loaf trailhead. Part of the allure of Keyhole Cave for me was finding it myself. Follow the trail without wandering off to the left or right until after hiking for about 0.5 miles, where you will come across a fork with signage indicating the Teacup Trail to the right and Thunder Mountain Trail. Bus Tours. If youre looking for an escape from the crowds at Cathedral Rock Trail and Devils Bridge Trail, head out responsibly into the Sedona wilderness and climb into Keyhole Cave. One way to do this is with a GPS system or app. As youre hiking up the wash youll notice several trails that zigzag across it. 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. There are only 4 parking spaces and it doesnt even look legit, but it is, and the caves are actually well worth visiting. 5. Lets take a look at some of the most asked questions about visiting caves in Sedona, Arizona. I will check it out. You can get amazing photos from the bottom of the cave too. Hike To The Birthing Cave In Sedona Birthing Cave Hike Details. The cave is southwest facing, which means the gaping hole entrance will flood with more light in the afternoon. This will definitely help you know you are going the right way especially if you get off track. 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. The shuttle works particularly well for accessing Soldier Pass Cave which is renowned as one of the worst places to get parked in Sedona. However, to be honest you should be fine with this particular hike. 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). 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. Take your time, watch your steps and you will arrive safely at the base of the cave. After a while, the wash narrows a bit, but you keep moving alongside it navigating through the branches. Park in the improvised parking area on the side of highway 179. There are very few other top attractions nearby, which helps keep these two trails quiet. Its highly likely you already have an annual National Parks pass, which is also known as America the Beautiful or the Interagency Pass. Kachina Cave is the best kept secret of all so called hidden caves in Sedona. Do not graffiti or move the rocks around and respect the land. Luckily I missed the cactus and landed safely. Keyhole Cave is the best cave for adventure seekers to visit in Sedona. This angle looking straight ahead is exactly where you started the hike to Keyhole Cave. Hiking Robbers Roost Trail To Hideout Cave In Sedona, Travertine Hot Springs: Directions, Tips & Pools. Some of the caves are better with sunlight inside and others with no sunlight inside. Read more in our disclosure policy.*. You can actually see the cave in the distance from the beginning of the hike. Overall, Birthing Cave is suitable for all hikers with a good level of fitness. It is important to respect the wilderness areas you will be exploring. Instead of one single cave opening, Soldier Pass Cave has 3 small but completely separate light sources. The cave features one large east facing oval window and one much smaller south facing circular window known as Robbers Roost. Mark had to stop at one point to remove around 30-40 razor thin prickles that had penetrated a through pants and a hiking boot. The hike is flat and easy until you reach an undefined turn onto a spur trail leading to Subway Cave. Its highly likely you already have an annual National Parks pass, which is also known as America the Beautiful or the Interagency Pass. Half of the fun is finding the caves in the first place, the rest of the fun is figuring out how to climb into and photograph each of the Sedona caves. 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. You simply have to forge your own route to Keyhole Cave. When researching which caves to explore in Sedona, we never saw any mention of Kachina 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. 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. 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. 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. There is a wash you can follow for most of the hike but it twists and turns which adds on distance and time. Raven Caves is west facing overlooking Oak Creek, so visit later in the day for the best photos as light pours in. 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. Those with 2WD cars must park 1 mile from a second parking area suitable for 4WD vehicles. 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). 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. 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. Solider Pass Cave Soldier Pass Trail. Easy 4.6 (2494) Coconino National Forest. But do not count on others being able to help you climb into Keyhole Cave. I always recommend tracking yourself or following an already made track so you can check in and be sure youre on the right path. 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. There are a few different ways to get here. The majority of it comes at the end when you hike up from the wash up the hill to the face of the cave. Visit Sedona outside of peak season to give yourself higher odds of getting parked up any time of day. 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. It is important to know the Sedona trails you are hiking so you can safely navigate to caves. We are kicking things off with the popular instagrammers favorite Sedona Subway Cave! Keyhole Cave, Sedona Arizona Super exciting, I found one of Sedona's best kept secrets and it's truly magical! You may have to sidestep or go back on yourself but that is fine, just find another path heading north. There is a shuttle now to Soldiers pass and we cant drive. Once you get up onto that lower ledge the hard part is over. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Love the specifics of how to get here, thank you! The sun had already moved so far round to the south that the cave was in dark and deep shadow. As always, please be considerate of the environment so we can keep enjoying it and rememberto leave no trace. 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. We wouldnt recommend taking dogs to any of the caves as they are unsafe and often require climbing. In order to start on the proper trail to this cave, you have to begin at Sugar Loaf Trailhead. Hotels There are 5 popular areas to stay around Sedona, our collection of the best hotels in Sedona will help you find the perfect option based on location and budget. Note that since it is a residential neighbourhood, you cannot park on the road. We took the right approach both on the way up and down. All of which take a drastic upturn in difficulty from an otherwise straightforward hike. 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. You definitely dont need ropes to get into the cave, just some guts to climb up and down it! Lets take a closer look at each of the 7 caves you can explore in Sedona. There are two sides to entering the cave, and both need climbing, most people take the right side as it is easier as there is space and many rocks to hold on to, which you need as the ground is slippery with loose rocks and sand. The best time of day to hike Keyhole Cave is mid afternoon. 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. At the Sugarloaf Trailhead youre actually able to spot Keyhole Cave way off in the distance. 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. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It was quiet, off the beaten path, harder to access and felt like more of an adventure. Birthing Cave Park at Long Canyon Trailhead. 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. There are small natural foot placements in the sandstone rocks you use the entire way up the right side. Move around Keyhole Cave to the far right side. Fay Canyon How to hike Fay Canyon Trail to an optional adventure ascent and steep climb to Fay Canyon Arch. 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