Once youre done exploring this area, its just a matter of heading back down south to reach the parking lot to complete this hike. This was the right time to get on an actual trail because we were close enough to the base and we could see it, so we knew the trail led directly to it. per adult (price varies by group size) Sedona Outback Trail Jeep Adventure. While it is not some crazy steep long way down, the issue is the lack of holds and slippery face as mentioned. After you turn left to take the Thunder Mountain trail, there will be a wash on your right side. 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. This is the easiest cant miss way to go. 3 rappels to make it down ending in a epic one right over the Keyhole Cave. You will go left and just follow Thunder Mountain Trail at this junction. As youre hiking up the wash youll notice several trails that zigzag across it. Note that since it is a residential neighbourhood, you cannot park on the road. The best time of day to hike Keyhole Cave is mid-afternoon as the light conditions are perfect at this time, especially the grand entrance of the cave since the cave is southwest facing. As Sedona grows in popularity, more and more hikers are visiting each year and there are nowhere near enough places to park at trailheads. 2-star hotels from $105, 3 stars from $170 and 4 stars+ from $237. It was still difficult due to the sand and slippery rock, though. Lets take a look at some of the most asked questions about hiking to Keyhole Cave in Sedona, Arizona. Birthing Cave on the Long Canyon Trail is one of the quietest caves you can visit in Sedona. February 15, 2019. An obvious trail leads to the right, but you want to split left here and take the spur trail for 0.3 miles leading to Birthing Cave. I apologize my directions couldnt get you all the way. Look for tree branches on the ground. Lets hike to the secret Keyhole Cave in Sedona Arizona! Once you get up onto that lower ledge the hard part is over. The path of following along the wash is straightforward one without any confusion, and we recommend that. 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. Keyhole Cave is not for the faint of heart(afraid of heights) or beginner hikers as it involves challenging terrains, including climbing very high rocks and navigating through wilderness comprising cacti and rattlesnakes, as there is no maintained official trail. 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. But that said, you can also take the trail in the north which goes to the cave. 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. Distance: 1.6 miles round trip (out and back) Time to Summit: 30 minutes to an hour. Walk 0.2 miles to Devils Kitchen sinkhole, followed by a further 1 mile hike to reach Seven Sacred Pools. As always, please be considerate of the environment so we can keep enjoying it and rememberto leave no trace. 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. Looking for a adventurous way to explore Sedona's Keyhole Cave? Are you looking for directions and tips on how to find and access the best caves in Sedona? Photos (3,140) Directions. Cathedral Rock Sedona is filled with amazing hikes but Cathedral Rock Trail is one of the most iconic. The elevation gain of the Sedona Keyhole Cave is 520 feet. You are actually starting this hike on Teacup Trail despite the parking area being called Sugar Loaf. The climb into Soldier Pass Cave isnt too difficult and the other trail landmarks make this one of the most popular cave trails for families visiting Sedona. If so, then sign up to The Nature Seeker Newsletter (it's completely free): How to Hike to Vultee Arch in Sedona Without Getting Lost, Fay Canyon Trail in Sedona Why You Need to Hike Here, Best Things to do in Eastern Oregon: 15 Great Places to See, How to Properly Hike The Spencer Trail in Lees Ferry Arizona, How to Find The Glass Beach in Port Townsend Washington, Hamilton Pool Preserve: 5 Major Things You Need to Know, 10 Things to do in South Mountain Reservation NJ. Try to go earlier in the day or later in the afternoon. 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. Accessing the cave does not require any climbing or use of hands, but there is a steep bank to climb on the final approach. While not crazy steep it just is very slippery with a smooth face that does not have a ton of good foot or hand holds to use. Once you are at the entrance, you can see how gigantic Keyhole Cave is and mystic. It is less about temperatures and busy trails, more about finding free parking spots. Very few know about Keyhole Cave and even fewer take it on once they hear about the unmarked trail and climb. Fay Canyon Arch is a worthy stop off for hikers to make on the Fay Canyon Trail. The cave is southwest facing, which means the gaping hole entrance will flood with more light in the afternoon. 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. Keep Sugar Loaf Mountain slightly left of center and follow the lightly beaten trails or wash back to the Teacup / Thunder Mountain Trail crossroads. Once up, turn right and walk along a curving sandstone ledge which leads to Subway Cave. The huge cave opening provides striking views over northern Sedona and the trail is very quiet in comparison to other trails in town. The Sedona Keyhole Cave is stunning but also the most dangerous out of the caves in this article. If you click on one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Feel the breeze and cool temperatures. The terrain turns a little steeper on your final approach to Keyhole Cave. And on the pros and cons end of this hike: The first thing you need to do is find an official trailhead parking area but the thing I learned about this hike is that if you use Google maps to reach it (there is an official Keyhole Cave location), itll take you to the wrong location. However, sunrise and early morning is the best time to visit Hideout Cave when its larger east facing window allows the most light in. 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. To make your way, you will have to use your hands, feet and core to pull yourself up. Top ways to experience Teacup Trail and nearby attractions. Soldier Pass Cave is at the end of arguably the most entertaining hiking trail among the cave hikes in Sedona. Was This Post Helpful? Do not graffiti or move the rocks around and respect the land. The best time of day to hike Keyhole Cave is mid afternoon. One way to do this is with a GPS system or app. The most popular hikes like Cathedral Rock Trail, Bell Rock Trail and Devils Bridge Trail are renowned for being almost impossible to park. The hike itself is moderate but getting into the cave itself definitely takes it to difficult+. Once you are at the massive cave entrance you can see how gigantic Keyhole Cave is inside. The elevation gain of the Sedona Keyhole Cave is 520 feet. Dont try to cross this ledge in icy or overly wet conditions. Fay Canyon Arch is a gigantic sandstone formation eroded into a towering red rock cliff in the shape of an arch. If you want to find one of the stunning cave views in Sedona then you must hike the Keyhole Cave in Sedona. A short but steep elevation gain will carry you up a bank and into Birthing Cave. 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. It is straight back and looks like a giant gaping hole in the mountainside. 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. Some of the caves are better with sunlight inside and others with no sunlight inside. Due to the more complex network like structure of these caves, you can easily manipulate light to create unique images. Drop in from above. Along the way there are several off trails that lead back up to the same place or meander off somewhere else. There is a very small parking lot and you are not able to park on the neighborhood streets so it is best to arrive early. Keyhole Cave: There is a 2.7-mile round trip hike that is pretty difficult to get to this Sedona cave. Thank you for supporting the free content we provide! Ropes can come in handy at this point, especially if you are in groups to help one another move around. You do not need a jeep to access any cave in Sedona. There is a way to climb out of the upper back cave portion to stand on top of the red rock formation containing the cave. Hopefully because it is Black Friday weekend, everyone will be shopping rather than hiking. Were not climbers and we dont have any experience with ropes but we made it up the right side easily enough. Another 1 mile heading north will lead you into a wash and eventually to a very obvious fork split in the trail. 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. Heres the left approach into Keyhole Cave: The bottom section is almost vertical and its smooth which makes it hard to climb. There is a shuttle now to Soldiers pass and we cant drive. Here, the path is slippery again so take your time and it is best to take small steps to prevent slipping and falling back into a cactus. 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. Its highly likely you already have an annual National Parks pass, which is also known as America the Beautiful or the Interagency Pass. You'll probably see a good amount of hikers here as there are a lot of popular routes in the area. Lets take a closer look at each of the 7 caves you can explore in Sedona. Move around Keyhole Cave to the far right side. Want to visit Subway Cave? 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. 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. Is the trailhead located close to Soldiers Pass? The turnoff is about 2 miles into the trail. 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. Hi I'm Vitaliy, creator of TheNatureSeeker.com, thanks for stopping by! If you only plan to hike to caves in Sedona and no other trails, you will need to display a pass for the following caves: 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. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, you can use this as well. 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. Your email address will not be published. If roadside parking is full, park at Mescal Trailhead and walk the connecting trail to join Birthing Cave trail. There is a very small parking lot and you are not able to park on the neighborhood streets so it is best to arrive early. It is definitely worth visiting Keyhole Cave, the biggest cave you can hike to in Sedona on your itinerary. Supposedly the shuttle only runs Thursday through Sunday but we met people in Sedona who claimed to have taken the shuttle on a Tuesday so look out for the bus running if you visit Mon Weds. Use Jim Thompson and hike Cibola Trail or park at Posse Grounds Park & Ride for the Sedona shuttle. Most importantly, wear a good pair of hiking shoes that will facilitate an easier hike overall. Other hikers simply head due north using multiple paths which all twist and intertwine like a maze. 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. Instead, go direct and keep following lightly beaten paths where possible. 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. You can actually see the cave in the distance from the beginning of the hike. Fortunately, a shuttle bus system has been implemented in Sedona which helps hikers get to the most popular trailheads year round. Keyhole Cave is in Sedona Arizona, specifically 1.1 miles north from Sugar Loaf trailhead. Thanks for sharing the map! At the Sugarloaf Trailhead youre actually able to spot Keyhole Cave way off in the distance. You can get far enough back inside the formation. 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. Instead of one single cave opening, Soldier Pass Cave has 3 small but completely separate light sources. Hiking to it is tough (its easy to get lost or stumble into thorns and cactuss which is what happened to me). New to hiking? Why Hike To The Sedona Soldier Pass Cave? 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. Please do not park in or near driveways of local residents. Below is a screenshot of my track from Keyhole Cave! Your email address will not be published. Spring and Fall represent the two best seasons for visiting Sedona in general when hiking conditions are most comfortable. It is always quieter because parking spaces are limited for the Long Canyon Trail. Recently, the Sedona Westerners' Rustlers hiking group on . Devil's Bridge Trail Stats. We now help over 2 million people each year to travel, hike and photograph their bucket list destinations. Do you use any of the best hiking apps on the market for navigation on new or unmarked trails? 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. A great recommendation is the bring a good rope to help everyone up and especially down. 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. 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. 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. Be advised, if not using the authors GPX files, the final leg may not be very clear. But please be warned, the climb into Keyhole is not easy. This lone tree illuminates under sunlight around mid morning when the sun position is optimal for entering the narrow cave chamber. 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. 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). Park in the improvised parking area on the side of highway 179. 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. Consider taking the Sedona shuttle. The photo above shows our location at Birthing Cave. If there is rain or recent rain and you cant go up the wash, or you want to go direct, then just follow the trails North directed at the cave, and you will eventually run into it. This popular hiking trail heads about three miles into a deep box canyon and includes ancient Sinaguan Indian ruins along the way. 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. On this path, you will notice many smaller washes branching off the main one. You will go most of the 500 feet in elevation on this hike over the last 10-15 minutes of the hike. You will have to use your hands, feet and core to pull yourself up. The cave features one large east facing oval window and one much smaller south facing circular window known as Robbers Roost.
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