Head over to our Arizona travel guides to explore the best of Grand Canyon, Sedona and beyond. Looking for hiking inspiration? However, having a jeep will get you closer to both Hideout Cave and Soldier Pass Cave, cutting out hiking time and distance. 2-star hotels from $105, 3 stars from $170 and 4 stars+ from $237. 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! It is best to get down on the right side, the same way you went up. Your email address will not be published. You can use Sugar Loaf Mountain as your landmark to aim for on the hike back. In this post Ive included all the details and directions you need to know in order to successfully find Keyhole cave and have a safe adventure. Take this wash and it will lead you all the way up to the base of Keyhole Cave! Enjoy the views of the grand Sugarloaf mountain and the desert landscapes on the horizon. Move around Keyhole Cave to the far right side. On weekends and holidays early starts become even more important. Which cave or caves should you visit if you only have a one day Sedona itinerary? Hi I'm Vitaliy, creator of TheNatureSeeker.com, thanks for stopping by! Your email address will not be published. Park at Long Canyon Trailhead among the trees or on the roadside. Want to visit Subway Cave? Hopefully because it is Black Friday weekend, everyone will be shopping rather than hiking. You can get amazing photos from the bottom of the cave too. You can of course follow misc small trails North going at the cave and at some point you will get to it. There are no marked trails leading to the cave and there are several lightly beaten paths you can choose between. Was This Post Helpful? Teacup Trail to Coffeepot Rock. Thanks for sharing the map! Along the way there are several off trails that lead back up to the same place or meander off somewhere else. Sugar Loaf Trailhead is the best parking lot to use for hiking to Keyhole Cave in Sedona. Getting down is harder than getting up as there is no support to rely on unless you have the ropes. Once you climb the steep bank, walk behind Fay Canyon Arch and use a wide angle lens to frame green trees and red rocks behind the arch. Entering Keyhole Cave isnt easy. 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. 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. April, May, September and October are peak tourist months in Sedona. Look for tree branches on the ground. 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. In Sedona, there are at least 7 caves you can hike to and explore. 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. If you are looking for an easy hike, the Doe Mountain trail in Sedona is one of the best, If you are looking for the best Sedona Hot Springs, in this guide, we cover the best hot springs, The best breweries in Sedona should be on your itinerary whether you are a lover of beer or you, Enjoying the stunning Tucson sunset is the perfect way to end your day while exploring this beautiful city. Keyhole Cave is in Sedona Arizona, specifically 1.1 miles north from Sugar Loaf trailhead. We recommend only climbing up inside the cave if you are a seasoned hiker, athletic and have ropes and do not mind heights. Or there may be rope left over from recent hikers. This lone tree illuminates under sunlight around mid morning when the sun position is optimal for entering the narrow cave chamber. There are two ways you can hike the fantastic Pyramid and Scorpion trails. You can still get parked during the day but you might have to sit in a line or park a long way away from the trail you want to hike. Lets take a look at some of the most asked questions about hiking to Keyhole Cave in Sedona, Arizona. 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. How to get around Sedona is small but youll need a car to access the best hikes to the north and south of town. Karabou Adventure + Travel is a participant of 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. If you want to explore some of the Caves in Sedona, you may know about Keyhole Cave Sedona as being one of the most challenging ones to hike. Im so glad to hear you were able to make it to see the Keyhole cave! Going direct is the more exciting way to reach Keyhole Cave. If you click on one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you cant get into the most convenient lot, where will you park? Now this is again where I have to warn you about the dangers: I do not recommend climbing in this part of the hike. At the fork there is a sign to follow Teacup Trail to the right and Thunder MTN Trail to the left. Recommended A Complete Guide To Hiking The Birthing Cave In Sedona. Fortunately, a shuttle bus system has been implemented in Sedona which helps hikers get to the most popular trailheads year round. Keyhole Cave is a southwest facing cave located in Coconino National Forest to the north of downtown Sedona. Want more Arizona content? 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. Park at the Fay Canyon Trailhead and follow the flat trail for 0.6 miles keeping your eyes on the rock formations to your right side. Keyhole Cave Sedona How To Hike To This Adventurous Cave, BEST TIME TO HIKE THE KEYHOLE CAVE SEDONA, THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE HIKING THE KEYHOLE CAVE SEDONA, FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE KEYHOLE CAVE IN SEDONA, A Complete Guide To Hiking The Birthing Cave In Sedona, A Complete Guide To Hiking the Subway Cave In Sedona, A Complete Guide To Hiking The Seven Sacred Pools In Sedona, 15 Best Payson Hiking Trails For Waterfalls, Camping And More, How To Easily Hike The Seven Sacred Pools Sedona, 11 Sedona Swimming Holes To Cool Off Amidst Pretty Scapes, Hiking The Doe Mountain Trail In Sedona A total Guide, 5 Breweries In Sedona You Must Visit on your trip, 14 Tucson Sunset Spots To Admire The Stunning Views, 21 Best Swimming Holes In Arizona To Cool Off On Your Trips. Generally considered an easy route. However, we would highly recommend against taking your dog on this trail due to rough desert vegetation throughout and the challenging climb into Keyhole Cave. Going next weekend, being that it is the weekend after thanksgiving Im worried about how busy it will be in parking areas. *Please note this post may contain affiliate links. Most moderately experienced hikers should be fine, but we would not recommend beginner hikers attempt the hike to Subway Cave. This approach in combination with a visual guide will help you. Instead of buying a Red Rock Pass you can simply display your America the Beautiful Pass at all trailheads when hiking to Sedona caves. Elevation Gain: 250 feet. The Sugar Loaf parking area has just 12 spaces and is often full. The elevation gain of the Sedona Keyhole Cave is 520 feet. Hideout Cave Hike Robbers Roost Trail to Hideout Cave in the far northwest of Sedona for the quietest and most secluded cave in town. After getting up that part the rest is easier as there are better steps with lots of foot and hand holds, however again it is not for those that arent great with heights. 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. Park At Sugar Loaf Trailhead And Display Or Buy A Pass, Hiking The Wash Vs The Direct Route To Keyhole Cave, What To Pack For Hiking Keyhole Cave Trail. If you plan to hike more trails around Sedona over a period of 2 7 days, you should buy the 7 day pass because you will need it at many other trailheads in the area. Lets take a quick look at a comparison of what you can expect hiking either the wash or a direct route to reach Sedonas Keyhole Cave. For the best light conditions, plan to be here in the late morning or noon to get splendid pictures. Take your time and take small steps to prevent slipping and falling back into a cactus. Recommended A Complete Guide To Hiking the Subway Cave In Sedona. 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. Still, a beautiful area with wonderful sights wherever you trek. It is the biggest cave featuring a huge chamber and enormous opening which frames the Sedona landscape outside. A ledge crossing is required with a fair drop to one side which could be dangerous in rain or icy conditions. Hike through the red rocks to explore some of Sedona's more spiritual side. Thank you for supporting the free content we provide! No matter which season you visit, try to avoid weekends, holidays and the 10am-1pm rush. 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. The arch is actually the most striking and impressive feature along this hiking trail. You can buy a Red Rock Pass at this specific recreation.gov site in advance. Luckily I missed the cactus and landed safely. 5. 29. This post tells you exactly how to find the Keyhole Cave in Sedona, including directions and hiking tips for this adventurous trip safely. 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. If you enter it into Google Maps it will take you right to it. By browsing this website, you agree to our use of cookies. Youll be traversing in a wash so be aware of the possibility of flash floods. Once you have made the climb into Keyhole Cave, you find yourself in a UFO shaped upper chamber in which you can walk around in a semi circle (like a crescent moon) from one side of the cave to the other. 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. Parking at popular hiking trailheads in Sedona is a real challenge. If you click on one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Duck inside and walk around to explore the remaining caves in this network. As you reach closer, along the way, you can see the gaping mouth of the cave in the distance. 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. You can click or touch the map to activate, then move around the map to locate each cave. Winter is a fantastic time to avoid both.Where to stay in Accommodation is expensive in Sedona, but there are plenty of very high quality places to stay including Matterhorn Inn, Lantern Light Inn, Arabella Hotel, Whispering Creek B&B and The Suites at Sedona.Popular things to do Sedona is one of the best places to hike in the US. 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. Keyhole Cave was one of our favorite caves in Sedona. Hideout Cave, also known as Shamans Cave, is by far the quietest and most secluded cave in Sedona. 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. Thanks for reading, Michael! While it is a tough hike, it is the least visited Sedona cave. The hardest part of the hike awaits you here. Birthing Cave is a simple, easy and short hike. 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. Overall, Birthing Cave is suitable for all hikers with a good level of fitness. Keyhole Cave is located in the rocky ridge running from Coffee Pot Rock toward Thunder. Lets get stuck into the Keyhole Cave hiking walkthrough! 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. 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. You'll probably see a good amount of hikers here as there are a lot of popular routes in the area. 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. Hola! 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. Keyhole Cave is the best cave for adventure seekers to visit in Sedona. 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. Given. Lets hike to the secret Keyhole Cave in Sedona Arizona! That means you get to enjoy it even more once you are standing inside the UFO shaped upper cave chamber. In order to start on the proper trail to this cave, you have to begin at Sugar Loaf Trailhead. Coordinates: 34.88717 N, 111.79926 W. Dogs Allowed: Yes, but NOT dog-friendly. TIA! 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. 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. Preparation saves lives. From that parking lot are several hikes available, including the one to Keyhole Cave, but at the same time, Keyhole Cave is not an official spot on that list. Never the less, with these warnings aside, Ill be sharing the details about this hike and what to expect, so you can decide if you are up for it too. Another big thing to note in this area: I also read on Alltrails that people lost their GPS connection or it went crazy. I always recommend tracking yourself or following an already made track so you can check in and be sure youre on the right path. The cave is accessed via significant off-trail hiking, which means forging a path through rugged desert wilderness. All other caves are located in the most popular hiking areas of Sedona and remain busy year round. 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. Social media channels such as Instagram and TikTok have increased awareness of the now not so hidden Subway Cave over recent years. Sugarloaf Mountain looms tall to your right side as you walk through desert vegetation and junipers.
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