Very few know about Keyhole Cave and even fewer take it on once they hear about the unmarked trail and climb. Print/PDF map. Many hikers talk about finding a very obvious wash and following the curving dry river bed as it snakes north toward Keyhole Cave. 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. Private 4-Hour Sedona Spectacular Journey and Vortex Tour. If you click on one, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The hike to Keyhole Cave is not physically tough, but you will need good navigation and pathfinding skills. Keyhole Cave Park at Sugar Loaf / Teacup Trailhead which has 14 spaces. For me, I started on a more official trail and then the map on Alltrails took me off it, and I began taking what looked like other mini trails in combination to reach the cave. Check out 5 of the best Sedona Caves and how to find them for more! Yes! Thank you for supporting the free content we provide! Read our guide on why America the Beautiful national parks pass is one of the best things you can buy if you plan to visit multiple parks in the next year. Length 2.7 miElevation gain 291 ftRoute type Loop. Eventually you will find that the wash narrows a bit and becomes filled with fallen trees and rocks to climb over. Turn right onto a spur trail and follow it until you reach a steep bank. Top ways to experience Teacup Trail and nearby attractions. 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. If you do try to do Keyhole Cave around sunset, dont leave it too late because you need to get back to the parking area before darkness. Do You Need A Parking Pass To Hike Keyhole Cave? 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. Want to visit Hideout Cave? It isnt that far until youll reach a sign marking the intersection. Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. 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. 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. You can actually see Keyhole Cave as a tiny rounded hole carved into a distant red rock mountain from the parking lot and Teacup Trail sign marker (pictured above). The hike to Keyhole Cave is moderately difficult mostly become of the scramble and climb required to get into the cave. The best time of day to hike Keyhole Cave is mid afternoon. Along the way there are several off trails that lead back up to the same place or meander off somewhere else. Hideout Cave is one of the caves that looks more attractive with light. 3 rappels to make it down ending in a epic one right over the Keyhole Cave. Posted on Last updated: December 18, 2022. I will reiterate do not try this unless you are athletic or a good hiker. Hi! If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. It is best not to go all the way into the cave if you have a fear of heights. There is a wash you can follow for most of the hike but it twists and turns which adds on distance and time. The cave isnt a traditional cavern with chambers, it is more of a depression into a rock face which gives the effect of a cave once you are inside. You need to stick along the larger wash. Instead of one single cave opening, Soldier Pass Cave has 3 small but completely separate light sources. 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. 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. Both hikes connect and you can see all info on that in this article here. 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. Are you a regular visitor to US National Parks and Monuments? From the 4WD parking area, a trail dips into a V shaped valley and comes up on the other side. 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. 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. What Trailhead Do You Use to Access The Sedona Keyhole Cave Raven Caves is west facing overlooking Oak Creek, so visit later in the day for the best photos as light pours in. This popular hiking trail heads about three miles into a deep box canyon and includes ancient Sinaguan Indian ruins along the way. Sedona, Arizona. Arriving early to trailheads is essential for the best chance of getting parked. Find all the transport options for your trip from Brea to Sedona right here. Difficulty: Moderate. Just want to Thank You for your directions. April, May, September and October are peak tourist months in Sedona. 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. A short but steep elevation gain will carry you up a bank and into Birthing Cave. 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. 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. Its still a good idea to try getting parked early in the morning so you beat the mid morning rush. Experienced hikers and adventurers will be fine getting up. Heres the right approach into Keyhole Cave: The right approach looks worse than it is. The hike up Teacup is flat and easy. Without a rope, do not try to come down the middle part of that Right side you came up as it is so slippery and there arent any solid holds. It is definitely worth visiting Keyhole Cave, the biggest cave you can hike to in Sedona on your itinerary. Keyhole Cave is in Sedona Arizona, specifically 1.1 miles north from Sugar Loaf trailhead. Do you use any of the best hiking apps on the market for navigation on new or unmarked trails? In Sedona, we used Gaia to find all of the hidden caves and didnt lose any time trying to figure out if we were on the right path. Most importantly, wear a good pair of hiking shoes that will facilitate an easier hike overall. Uber has service in Flagstaff but not in Sedona. Keyhole Cave is located in the rocky ridge running from Coffee Pot Rock toward Thunder. To make your way, you will have to use your hands, feet and core to pull yourself up. Ive heard some people mention that the Keyhole Cave may actually have a vortex and Im inclined to believe that after seeing what happened to my GPS. from. Which cave or caves should you visit if you only have a one day Sedona itinerary? Hopefully because it is Black Friday weekend, everyone will be shopping rather than hiking. 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). Fay Canyon Arch is southwest facing, which means it remains in total darkness if you arrive any time between sunrise and midday. I found sticking to the wash is the easiest and most direct way to reach the cave. Below is a screenshot of my track from Keyhole Cave! Soldier Pass Cave is a uniquely shaped cave in Sedona. If the lot is full you can try waiting a for a little to see if anyone leaves. It is pretty common to lose your footing which will make you land on thorny cacti and rocks. . It is always quieter because parking spaces are limited for the Long Canyon 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. 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. Raven Caves is a very easily accessed series of maze-like caves on the south side of Sedona. Renting a Jeep in Sedona offers a multitude of benefits and one of those is cutting the hike to Hideout Cave down from 3 miles to just 1 mile. Your email address will not be published. After you get on the Thunder Mountain Trail, you have two ways to reach the base of the Keyhole Cave in Sedona. Elevation Gain: 250 feet. Follow along for a little ways until you reach an intersection with Thunder Mountain Trail. Read our complete guide to hiking Teacup Trail to an unmarked trail leading into Keyhole Cave for in depth details and directions for how to access the 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. 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. This is the easiest cant miss way to go. That is exactly what happened to us during our visit to Sedona. West Fork Trail has its own dedicated parking lot around 10 miles north of Sedona on AZ-89A. 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. 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. Read more in our disclosure policy.*. The elevation gain of the Sedona Keyhole Cave is 520 feet. You'll 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. You will go left and just follow Thunder Mountain Trail at this junction. 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. Fortunately, a shuttle bus system has been implemented in Sedona which helps hikers get to the most popular trailheads year round. 2-star hotels from $105, 3 stars from $170 and 4 stars+ from $237. PARKING PASS: Required for parking at the trailhead. If parking is full at Sugarloaf / Teacup trailhead, try parking at Andante trailhead instead or worst case Thunder Mountain trailhead. You can get far enough back inside the formation. Birthing Cave is a relaxing cave to visit thanks to a relatively easy hike and spectacular views. Check the weather and water conditions before you embark on the hike. 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. 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. Now you have to get up there. Coordinates: 34.88717 N, 111.79926 W. Dogs Allowed: Yes, but NOT dog-friendly. 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. Once you are at the massive cave entrance you can see how gigantic Keyhole Cave is inside. Take rope if one person in your group is a stronger hiker and have them help the others with rope support. 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. There are no places you can park on the residential streets nearby. The pass can be purchased at the machine at the trailhead (credit card only). Required fields are marked *. 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. Keyhole Cave via Sugarloaf Trail Hard 4.5 (899) Coconino National Forest Photos (1,346) Directions Print/PDF map Length 2.2 miElevation gain 472 ftRoute type Out & back Head out on this 2.2-mile out-and-back trail near Sedona, Arizona. Cross a narrow ledge carefully on slick rock. Although you can take your dog on the hike while keeping it on a leash at all times, it is best not to hike with your pets due to the difficulty in accessing the cave, including the steep climbing and slippery floors, along with the rough vegetation on the forest floor. Generally considered an easy route. Personally we went for the right side both up and down, but we know others have taken the left route instead. Take your time, watch your steps and you will arrive safely at the base of the cave. Drop in from above. The good news about a southwest facing cave is you can visit anytime between mid morning and late afternoon for the best light. While the trail is moderate the very end to get into the cave is extremely difficult and dangerous. Hiking Soldier Pass Trail To Soldier Pass Cave In Sedona, Hiking Robbers Roost Trail To Hideout Cave In Sedona. Keyhole Cave is the biggest and most adventurous cave you can hike to in Sedona. You can either climb directly up a rock face but we recommend going left up the steep bank. It is pretty easy to get off trail so we recommend using AllTrails. The photo above shows our location at Birthing Cave. Always consider backup parking areas before setting off for a trail. TIA! Pin It For Your Hike! To reach the small hole at the back you will need shoes with good traction but once youre inside you will realize why this is such a popular cave. 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! 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. Suggest edits to improve what we show. 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. 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. Looking for hiking inspiration? There are two places you can park for hiking Robbers Roost Trail to Hideout Cave. I would strongly recommend you wear fully covered clothing like pants because theres a good chance you may have this problem too, not to mention that there are animals like snakes in the area and just wearing more protective clothing is safer in general here. There are small natural foot placements in the sandstone rocks you use the entire way up the right side. 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. Share. Sugarloaf Trailhead: 34.8775908,-111.7969803. Keyhole Cave is a southwest facing cave located in Coconino National Forest to the north of downtown Sedona. It's a relatively easy hike most of the way, with a steep climb at the end to reach the entrance. After you get down, follow the same trail along the wash until you find the fork that will lead you to the parking lot. You can see Sugar Loaf Mountain looking like a perfect green and brown cone shaped hill in the distance. 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