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. Park at Sugar Loaf / Teacup Trailhead and walk up Teacup Trail for 0.3 miles until it joins with Thunder Mountain Trail. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. 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. You are able to see the cave from the trailhead and there is a pretty steep climb at the very end of the hike (hence the monkey crawl). 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. The shape of its entrance resembles an old fashioned keyhole. One way to do this is with a GPS system or app. Print/PDF map. Im not going to lie, I fell back on my butt on the way down this trail! But it is also a wonderful place to get off-road in a jeep, shoot stunning photography, visit historic sites and drink wine. That means you get to enjoy it even more once you are standing inside the UFO shaped upper cave chamber. Heres why you should visit these Sedona caves with just one day: Got your days planned out? I will reiterate do not try this unless you are athletic or a good hiker. Im so glad to hear you were able to make it to see the Keyhole cave! Recommended A Complete Guide To Hiking the Subway Cave In Sedona. When researching which caves to explore in Sedona, we never saw any mention of Kachina Cave. to the left. Hi! 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). Personally we went for the right side both up and down, but we know others have taken the left route instead. 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. How to get around Sedona is small but youll need a car to access the best hikes to the north and south of town. Youll be traversing in a wash so be aware of the possibility of flash floods. 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. Looking for Sedona Hotel? 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. The turnoff is about 2 miles into the trail. 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). 2-star hotels from $105, 3 stars from $170 and 4 stars+ from $237. Getting into the Sedona Keyhole cave is difficult. The hike to Keyhole Cave begins at Sugarloaf Trailhead which is tucked back in a Sedona Neighborhood. They like to sit on the rocks to soak up some sun. You are going to hike directly straight ahead beyond the wooden sign heading for the red rock formation on the horizon. When you see a huge arch at where the rock formation meets green trees on the hillside, this is where you need to begin climbing directly up the bank. Because you will need to climb a high, slick wall to get into the Keyhole Cave. Hike 0.6 miles on Long Canyon and look out for a wooden fence crossing the main path. 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. Look for tree branches on the ground. What Trailhead Do You Use to Access The Sedona Keyhole Cave Generally considered an easy route. The elevation gain of the Sedona Keyhole Cave is 520 feet. From there it is pretty simple with just three turns along the way! It is best to get down on the right side, the same way you went up. 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. Thank you for supporting the free content we provide! The Sedona Keyhole Cave hike is 2.5 miles round-trip, out and back. 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. Birthing Cave The easiest cave to reach in Sedona is Birthing Cave on Long Canyon Trail, ending with amazing views and a crowd free climax. One of the most dynamic trails to be added to the Sedona Hiking Trail System in years. This is a year round destination and supposed low seasons arent much quieter than peak season. All other caves are located in the most popular hiking areas of Sedona and remain busy year round. Ironically, Subway Cave looks the most like a keyhole shape, but there is another cave in Sedona called Keyhole Cave which doesnt look much like a keyhole! If you enter it into Google Maps it will take you right to it. 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. Bob Bear (formerly Fossil Springs) Hike With Secret Tips. Move around Keyhole Cave to the far right side. 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. The trail is entirely in the wilderness with no shelter, so it is not recommended to do this in the summer. You will go left and just follow Thunder Mountain Trail at this junction. Experienced hikers and adventurers will be fine getting up. 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. Pin It For Your Hike! Sedona is a beautiful place to visit and we have to keep it that way for our kids to enjoy in years to come. The hike up Teacup is flat and easy. The path of following along the wash is straightforward one without any confusion, and we recommend that. You can use Sugar Loaf Mountain as your landmark to aim for on the hike back. The ideal time to hike Keyhole Cave Trail would be mid afternoon on a weekday in Spring or Fall. While this part is doable for most everyone, the real issue comes when you reach the cave and attempt to climb up into it. Las Vegas Heading to Vegas on your Southwest adventure? It wasnt until after we left that we realized wed missed a cave! Instead try a backup parking area such as Andante Trailhead. Read our complete guide to hiking Boynton Canyon Trail into Subway Cave for in depth details and directions for how to access the 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. Follow along for a little ways until you reach an intersection with Thunder Mountain Trail. Sedona is one of the best places to visit in the US and finding caves is among the most exciting things to do for first time visitors to the area. Be very careful as your coming back down! If the lot is full you can try waiting a for a little to see if anyone leaves. Be very careful and only more skilled hikers should try to get up into it. We hiked to Hideout Cave and arrived inside by 11.30am. Alternatively, you can try parking at Andante Trailhead nearby, which is also a small parking lot. You can actually see the cave in the distance from the beginning of the hike. Elevation Gain: 250 feet. 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. Other hikers simply head due north using multiple paths which all twist and intertwine like a maze. A rope will help you come down safely. Fay Canyon How to hike Fay Canyon Trail to an optional adventure ascent and steep climb to Fay Canyon Arch. April, May, September and October are peak tourist months in Sedona. You can either climb directly up a rock face but we recommend going left up the steep bank. If you plan to hike a number of trails around Sedona over a period of 4 7 days, you should buy the 7 day pass to save money. Keyhole Cave is in Sedona Arizona, specifically 1.1 miles north from Sugar Loaf trailhead. Right at the very back of Birthing Cave is a sphere shaped like half a tennis ball which has eroded out of a smooth curving surface. 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. Share. We visited Sedona in December and it was surprisingly busy in town. Is there service? Sedona swimming holes are some of the best places to cool off in the city when the temperatures soar. Hiking Soldier Pass Trail To Soldier Pass Cave In Sedona, Hiking Robbers Roost Trail To Hideout Cave In Sedona. Winter and Summer are comparatively quieter periods in Sedona but they are still overcrowded. Accessing Hideout Cave means driving 50 minutes from Sedona, mostly on gravel roads and then hiking a short trail to reach the cave entrance. 1. Stay at Greentree Inn Sedona from $186/night, Andante Inn of Sedona from $153/night, Sedona Village Lodge from $105/night and more. It is best to arrive early if you want to park here. Use the eroded rocks to place your hands and feet in gaps. Other Nearby Trails in . You just never know when youll lose your footing on these desert rocks. Learn more here. This leads to a short climb up rocks and a left turn will bring you around the north side of Hideout Cave. I will check it out. You can find the exact location of the cave on Google . Im Fraser & this site is a guide to help you reach your goals, travel the world and create amazing food in between. 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. Preparation saves lives. As you approach the trail intersection of Teacup and Thunder Mountain you will see a wooden sign showing Teacup right and Thunder Mountain left. See the Keyhole cave dangers as well as full directions in our article here. In this guide we will show you: Where to park for Keyhole Cave Which pass you need to display Thanks for sharing the map! Heres our collection of the 15 best sunrise and sunset photography locations in Sedona. 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. After going up each of these a decent way (and I was nearly bitten by a snake), we ended up turning back. Spring and Fall represent the two best seasons for visiting Sedona in general when hiking conditions are most comfortable. 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. Keyhole Cave, Sedona Arizona Super exciting, I found one of Sedona's best kept secrets and it's truly magical! 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. Park at Long Canyon Trailhead among the trees or on the roadside. From there you will walk through a wash and climb a steep unmarked bank trail to reach the cave area. Heres the Sugar Loaf Trailhead parking lot Google Maps location to use for beginning your hike to Keyhole Cave. This lone tree illuminates under sunlight around mid morning when the sun position is optimal for entering the narrow cave chamber. Birthing Cave is east facing which means it is best visited between midday and late afternoon. That means the sun will be directly ahead and fills Birthing Cave with light until late morning. 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. 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. Instead, go direct and keep following lightly beaten paths where possible. Want more Arizona content? 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. This is the easiest cant miss way to go. The best time of day to hike Keyhole Cave is mid afternoon. 29. 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