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. It is a very narrow cave, almost like an arch formation that can be climbed with a hidden upper chamber. As always, please be considerate of the environment so we can keep enjoying it and rememberto leave no trace. Required fields are marked *. Private 4-Hour Sedona Spectacular Journey and Vortex Tour. As I adventure around the Southwest I aim to inspire you to get outdoors while sharing knowledge and skills to do so safely! I tried following these trails last year during my first attempt to find Keyhole Cave and was unsuccessful. Are you planning to hike more trails in the area? Winter and Summer are comparatively quieter periods in Sedona but they are still overcrowded. 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. Head over to our Arizona travel guides to explore the best of Grand Canyon, Sedona and beyond. There wasnt a lot of information online that I could find, and trying to follow others vague directions proved to be ineffective. That trailhead is a popular destination and has a fairly small parking lot where maybe 10-15 cars can fit. This trail is very exposed and the climb up to it gets steep- I would not want to do this one in the summer! 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. The majority of it comes at the end when you hike up from the wash up the hill to the face of the cave. If full, try to park at Fay Canyon and hike along Aerie Trail to reach the trailhead. In Sedona, there are at least 7 caves you can hike to and explore. In addition, thorns and cacti can cause problems and the trail is not marked. This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Solider Pass Cave Soldier Pass Trail. It is pretty common to lose your footing which will make you land on thorny cacti and rocks. If you enter it into Google Maps it will take you right to it. What Trailhead Do You Use to Access The Sedona Keyhole Cave Kachina Cave is the best kept secret of all so called hidden caves in Sedona. Remember, there is no trail to reach it, and what you will be doing is starting on an official trail on Sugarloaf Trailhead (called Teacup trail), but going off trail to reach the cave. It is less about temperatures and busy trails, more about finding free parking spots. Photography Are you more interested in capturing stunning images? With that said, we imagine the cave would look even better later in the day close to sunset when the light softens and has passed beyond directly entering Keyhole Cave. It looks quite far away but it wont take you long to get back. 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. Want to visit Keyhole Cave? The elevation also catches up as you get closer to the cave, gaining about 500 feet in the last 20 minutes of the hike, making it more challenging with each step. Keep Sugar Loaf Mountain slightly left of center and follow the lightly beaten trails or wash back to the Teacup / Thunder Mountain Trail crossroads. Dont try to cross this ledge in icy or overly wet conditions. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Love the specifics of how to get here, thank you! The wash is extremely rocky so be careful of your footing the entire way while looking out for snakes. We personally located and explored all but one of the 7 caves in Sedona during our first visit to the awesome adventure town in Arizona, and we have to say exploring caves is definitely among the best things to do in Sedona. Yes, the cave hikes in Sedona are pet friendly but all dogs must be kept on a short leash at all times. Boynton Canyon Exactly how to find the famous Subway Cave on Boynton Canyon Trail, the most photographed cave in Sedona. Hiking Soldier Pass Trail To Soldier Pass Cave In Sedona, Hiking Robbers Roost Trail To Hideout Cave In Sedona. 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. Birthing Cave is east facing which means it is best visited between midday and late afternoon. Or there may be rope left over from recent hikers. Now there are 2 ways to navigate your way to this: 1) The first way is visual: Again, you will be able to see the cave from the parking lot and you can see the direction in which its at and keep heading in it. Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use, Copyright 2023 | Where Are Those Morgans. While this part is doable for most everyone, the real issue comes when you reach the cave and attempt to climb up into it. The tunnel shape has a 5 ft gap running exactly vertical from top to bottom as though it has been sliced in half by a wide knife blade. Ruins If you are interested in learning about the history around northern Arizona, you should visit all of the 5 ancient ruins near Sedona. You can actually see the cave in the distance from the beginning of the hike. At the base of Keyhole Cave youll find that you need to climb a high, slick wall to get into it. Birthing Cave is a relaxing cave to visit thanks to a relatively easy hike and spectacular views. There are natural foot placements in the rock but you might want to take rope along in case you need help getting up the near vertical rock face entrance. Im so glad to hear you were able to make it to see the Keyhole cave! We visited Sedona in December and some of the caves were busy. If you're planning to hike the Devil's Bridge Trail, book a room at Sedona Rouge Hotel and Spa, just outside downtown . Look for a wooden trail sign and head directly behind into the rough vegetation. 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. Finding caves in Sedona is one of the most fun things to do in Arizona, just make sure to tread carefully and respectfully. 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. This leads to a short climb up rocks and a left turn will bring you around the north side of Hideout Cave. Hideout Cave Hike Robbers Roost Trail to Hideout Cave in the far northwest of Sedona for the quietest and most secluded cave in town. Explore Keyhole, Sedona - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you. Youll start at Sugar Loaf trailhead and see the Keyhole Cave from there, then navigate to it by first going on the Teacup trail, then going off trail to reach it. Follow along for a little ways until you reach an intersection with Thunder Mountain Trail. Those with 2WD cars must park 1 mile from a second parking area suitable for 4WD vehicles. A short climb with a ledge walk to access the cave is moderately difficult but comparatively straight forward. Hiking is one of the best things to do in Sedona and Keyhole Cave is one of our favorite hidden trails in town. The cave is unique for having a single lone tree with green leaves standing beyond the chamber in an exposed area. 1. 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. Early morning the cave will be dark and you wont get those vibrant orange colors. I hope this trail guide helps you find this enormous Sedona Cave. Some visitors graffitied the cave walls- please do not draw or carve into the walls and leave them as is! I would not recommend this for anyone scared of heights, who dont have shoes with great grip or for the lesser athletic. Your email address will not be published. Check the weather and water conditions before you embark on the hike. 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. 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. Length 2.7 miElevation gain 291 ftRoute type Loop. The majority of it comes at the end when you hike up from the wash up the hill to the face of the cave. They like to sit on the rocks to soak up some sun. Keyhole Cave is accessed via Teacup Trail to begin but you will spend three quarters of this hike on unmaintained land with rough vegetation and no clear path. It was still difficult due to the sand and slippery rock, though. You definitely dont need ropes to get into the cave, just some guts to climb up and down it! 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. Note that since it is a residential neighbourhood, you cannot park on the road. I did it because I just enjoy challenging myself but in all honesty, its not a smart move and most people who I read reviews from on Alltrails for this hike say pretty much the same thing. Read our complete guide to hiking Boynton Canyon Trail into Subway Cave for in depth details and directions for how to access the cave. The most popular hikes like Cathedral Rock Trail, Bell Rock Trail and Devils Bridge Trail are renowned for being almost impossible to park. After you get on the Thunder Mountain Trail, you have two ways to reach the base of the Keyhole Cave in Sedona. The cave is southwest facing, which means the gaping hole entrance will flood with more light in the afternoon. Due to the more complex network like structure of these caves, you can easily manipulate light to create unique images. Stay at Greentree Inn Sedona from $186/night, Andante Inn of Sedona from $153/night, Sedona Village Lodge from $105/night and more. You can sit or stand right on the edge and someone behind you can take a photo of you as a silhouette against the light outside the cave. Sugarloaf Trailhead: 34.8775908,-111.7969803. 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. Yes Keyhole Cave is a dog friendly hike in Sedona. 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. 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). 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. 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. After a while, the wash narrows a bit, but you keep moving alongside it navigating through the branches. Head over to our Arizona travel guides to explore the best of Grand Canyon, Sedona and beyond. 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 hike to Kachina Cave is not recommended after rain or during snow and ice conditions in Winter. 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. If you click on one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You still need to be organized and plan effectively otherwise youll spend your days frustrated about not being able to park anywhere. We now help over 2 million people each year to travel, hike and photograph their bucket list destinations. The Red Rock Pass is $5 per day or $15 for one week. Your hike will start nice and easy and flat. Be very careful and only more skilled hikers should try to get up into it. There are no marked trails leading to the cave and there are several lightly beaten paths you can choose between. 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 . Decide which way to go down and take care with your footing when youre ready to leave Keyhole Cave. Print/PDF map. But back to finding the keyhole cave! This lone tree illuminates under sunlight around mid morning when the sun position is optimal for entering the narrow cave chamber. You will be hiking to caves and exploring the natural environment around Red Rock Secret Mountain Wilderness areas of Coconino National Forest in Sedona, Arizona. Know where you are going ahead of time and always have a way to keep yourself on trail. Cathedral Rock Sedona is filled with amazing hikes but Cathedral Rock Trail is one of the most iconic. TIA! Keyhole Cave Access: Sugarloaf One of the largest alcoves in the area, Keyhole Cave can actually be seen from many places in West Sedona. In my case, I went left and climbed to get to the proper areas. You will go left and just follow Thunder MTN Trail. Read our complete guide to hiking Soldier Pass Trail into Soldier Pass Cave for in depth details and directions for how to access the cave. It is made up of 5 or 6 separate tunnel like caverns overlooking Oak Creek. On weekends and holidays early starts become even more important. R3 R4 Night R1 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. Once you get up onto that lower ledge the hard part is over. But that said, you can also take the trail in the north which goes to the cave. 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. Fay Canyon Arch is a worthy stop off for hikers to make on the Fay Canyon Trail. Spring and Fall represent the two best seasons for visiting Sedona in general when hiking conditions are most comfortable. Keyhole Cave Park at Sugar Loaf / Teacup Trailhead which has 14 spaces. We visited Sedona in December and it was surprisingly busy in town. 5. Once up, turn right and walk along a curving sandstone ledge which leads to Subway Cave. KEY TAKEAWAY: Youll be traversing in a wash so be aware of the possibility of flash floods and rattlesnakes! The Sedona Keyhole Cave hike is 2.5 miles round-trip, out and back with getting into the cave being the most challenging and dangerous part of all. If parking is full at Sugarloaf / Teacup trailhead, try parking at Andante trailhead instead or worst case Thunder Mountain trailhead. Drop in from above. Looking for hiking inspiration? You will have to climb some steep and slick walls. Eventually you will find that the wash narrows a bit and becomes filled with fallen trees and rocks to climb over. The Sedona Keyhole Cave hike is 2.5 miles round-trip, out and back. We will include photos for every step of the Keyhole Cave hike so you can visualize the trail. Park at Boynton Canyon Trailhead and walk 2 miles until you reach a big, burnt, black and gray tree trunk. It's a relatively easy hike most of the way, with a steep climb at the end to reach the entrance. This is exactly what happened to me too. You are actually starting this hike on Teacup Trail despite the parking area being called Sugar Loaf. Keyhole Cave is the best cave for adventure seekers to visit in Sedona. But please be warned, the climb into Keyhole is not easy. Turn right onto a spur trail and follow it until you reach a steep bank. One of the most dynamic trails to be added to the Sedona Hiking Trail System in years. Looking for Sedona Hotel? We hiked to Hideout Cave and arrived inside by 11.30am. Keyhole Cave is the biggest and most adventurous cave you can hike to in Sedona. Are you a regular visitor to US National Parks and Monuments? See the Keyhole cave dangers as well as full directions in our article here. Sugarloaf Mountain looms tall to your right side as you walk through desert vegetation and junipers. Its highly likely you already have an annual National Parks pass, which is also known as America the Beautiful or the Interagency Pass. People often bring ropes to help others up and down, which is a great idea. Thank you for sharing it will come in handy when we hike this in 2 wks. Your pictures are great. Be advised, if not using the authors GPX files, the final leg may not be very clear. Park at Posse Grounds park & ride for the most stress free access to Soldier Pass trailhead. Most people are parking at Sugar Loaf Teacup Trailhead to hike the Sugar Loaf Loop Trail and climb Sugarloaf Mountain. 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. Lets find and explore the best secret caves in Sedona, Arizona! You could even use our images during your hike to keep track of where you are along the adventure to Keyhole Cave. Getting down is harder than getting up and is a little unnerving even for the best of us. Fay Canyon Arch is a gigantic sandstone formation eroded into a towering red rock cliff in the shape of an arch. Zoom in and out to see hiking trail routes from trailhead to cave. If you want to find one of the stunning cave views in Sedona then you must hike the Keyhole Cave in Sedona. Read our popular guide to the 50 best hikes in the USA next! 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. Very few know about Keyhole Cave and even fewer take it on once they hear about the unmarked trail and climb. 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. Make your way slowly navigating through the tree branches occupying many portions, which will need you to use your hands along with placing firm and steady walk on the ground. Red Rock Pass options include: 1 Day Red Rock Pass - $5 7 Day Red Rock Pass - $15 Red Rock Annual Pass - $20 If you cant get into the most convenient lot, where will you park? You can get amazing photos from the bottom of the cave too. Take your time, watch your steps and you will arrive safely at the base of the cave. Instead, go direct and keep following lightly beaten paths where possible. Recommended A Complete Guide To Hiking The Birthing Cave In Sedona. 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Park 1 mile from a second parking area being called Sugar Loaf hike in., Sedona and beyond go left and just follow Thunder MTN Trail of heights, who dont have with...
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keyhole trail sedona