This was the trail I had wanted to hike most in Sedona, Arizona. It may not be as well-known or kid-friendly as some other hikes. But, if you have older kids and they are willing to adventure with you to a secret cave for some unique views, then this is the hike to do!
It’s called the Subway Cave in Sedona, and it’s a turn-off from the Boynton Canyon Trail to reach this area. I had heard it was hard to find (it kind of was), and it’s not really kid-friendly (unless you have teens or younger kids that listen well!). But it’s well worth setting aside a few hours to hike to this secret cave.
Here’s how to hike the Subway Cave in Sedona:
To reach the Subway Cave, you must first hike along the Boynton Canyon Trail. The Boynton Canyon Trail is a 6.1-mile roundtrip hike with supposedly great views at the end. I say “supposedly,” as we only hiked half of it due to timing and because we had wanted to see the Subway Cave.
You will see signs leading you to the trailhead from the parking lot. Follow the signs directing you to the Boynton Canyon Trail. After a little bit of walking, there will be a turn-off for the Boynton Vista Trail. This trail is an additional 10-minute hike up. If hiking to the Subway Cave is your primary goal, I recommend taking the Boynton Vista Trail at the end of your hike when you are on your way back out.
Continuing straight, you will walk along a beautiful red sand path with gorgeous red rocks towering in the distance. On your left, you will walk past the Enchantment Resort.
Eventually, you will come to a small clearing on the left side with four painted crosses. The path will slightly change, and you will become surrounded by more trees. You may feel like you have gone too far, but keep going.
At about two miles, you will reach the turn-off for the Subway Cave trail. I had scoured blogs and reviews for how to reach this spot, and I still wasn’t convinced I knew where it was. When we thought it was the turn-off, we met people who said to continue walking another mile. It was much deeper in than we thought.
They say to look for the Alligator Juniper Tree whose bark looks like the skin of an alligator. Here is a photo of it. Screenshot it so you can refer back to it once on the hike. It took us about one hour to reach this tree, much longer than we thought, and we were walking at a steady pace.
Before we got to this tree, we kept seeing other similar trees and trailheads that ventured off to the right. However, those trails were smaller and many overgrown. Once you reach this tree, you will know this is it. If you are still unsure, ask other hikers that are passing by. We asked everyone we walked past to ensure we wouldn’t miss it, and everyone was happy to help.
Directly across from the Alligator Tree will be a path heading to the right. Luckily some people made an arrow out of rocks to help direct. But don’t rely solely on the arrow, as it might not be there when you do the hike.
Once you reach this turn-off, it will take approximately 10-15 more minutes to get to the Subway Cave entrance.
At one point, you will come to another fork (with a tree falling over that you need to duck under). Take the trailhead up to the right.
Continue walking, and you will eventually make it to the cave entrance.
From here, you have two options. You can climb straight up some slippery rocks or hike around the rim to the left. We decided to scale the rocks on the way up and take the rim trail on the descent. Both are not for the faint at heart.
When climbing the rocks, you must wear hiking boots or shoes with good traction. There is no way my sneakers would have made that. We began by climbing up on the left side, which has grooves for your feet and hands. Some of these “steps” were spaced far apart, so you will need to put those best climbing skills to the test. It took some serious motivation and a huge push to hoist myself up one part. If you don’t have the longest legs, you might want to reconsider or ask for assistance from a friend behind you.
About halfway up, we switched to the right side, which was easier for the final ascent. However, we later saw some hikers scale up the complete right side. So choose whichever path you think you can master best!
Once you reach the cave entrance, you will be at the very back of the cave. Turn around and enjoy the views!
You can walk to the left side for some photos but cannot exit that way.
To exit, you can either go back down the way you came or walk out along the right side of the cave. If you choose to exit down the cave entrance, you will likely be sliding on your bum. Sliding out of a cave did not seem like a fun option for us, so we opted to walk along the rim.
If walking out the rim, you will carefully walk along the right side of the cave. There is one tricky part where you have to hug the cave wall. When rounding the cave corner, it’s a steep drop with maybe a five-foot ledge, so walk carefully. I kindly begged my kids to scoot on their hands and feet, and thankfully, they obliged to their mother’s gently pleading!
Once on the rim, you will continue walking until you find the ancient cave of the Sinagua people. There is one cave with some ancient petroglyphs inside.
You can continue around the corner, where there are some rocks to rest, have a snack, and take in the view. Remember to leave no trace behind and bring all trash with you.
To get back to the main trail, walk in the same direction you came from, and you’ll see a path heading down.
Once back on the main Boynton Canyon Trail (with the alligator tree), you can continue hiking to the overlook. It’s probably an additional mile from this point. We decided to skip this and head back as we wanted to do the Boynton Vista Trail hike near the entrance.
When you are near the parking lot, you will see a directional sign for the Boynton Vista Trail. We almost didn’t do this as we had read that it takes an additional 45 minutes. But as we debated what to do, a hiker walked down with his small dog and told us it was only a few minutes up to the top. It took us only 10 minutes to reach the top, but we did spend some time up there enjoying the views. You could easily spend 45 minutes or more if you want to explore the area.
This area is also one of the vortex stops in Sedona, the Boynton Canyon Vortex. There are five known areas in Sedona that are considered vortexes. Many say they have a renewed sense of energy when they reach this area. Not sure if we felt anything per se, but as we walked out, my daughter and I heard a very loud humming sound that made us both stop in our tracks. While it easily could have been someone playing a trick with us on their phone, we were both quite a distance from each other and heard it, so I’m going to believe that was the energy from the vortex!
In total, the hike to/from the Subway Cave and including the Boynton Vista Trail, took us four hours. We spent about one hour in the cave and along the rim, absorbing the incredible nature surrounding us. When we visited, there were only a few people in the cave, but if it’s a popular time of day/year, you may have to wait a bit more to take your photos, so plan your time accordingly.
Where to Park:
You’ll want to park at the lot located at the Boynton Canyon Road and will need to purchase a Red Rock Pass for the day ($5/day). Or $15 for a week pass. There is a machine to buy the pass, or you can do so online ahead of time. If you have an American the Beautiful Pass this will work here as well. There are about 25 parking spots and a bathroom. If you cannot find a parking space, then a little bit further down the main road, you will see cars lined up along the road and can park there.
When to Go:
Many people will say the early morning is best as this can be an incredible time to visit with fewer crowds. However, due to our schedule, we hiked mid-day (around 1pm on a Sunday in October). It had recently rained, so the crowds may have been less than expected, but it was quite pleasant. I suggest hiking when you can. There may be crowds (heck, there may be crowds of people early morning, too), so pack some patience and adventure and get ready to be wowed!
Spring and Fall will bring mild temperatures, so this is a great time to hike in Sedona. It can get quite hot in the summer, so this may be an excellent time to start those hikes off in the early morning. In the winter months, crowds will be less, but it can drop below freezing. Any time of the year is terrific for exploring Sedona.
Depending on your time, consider adding a stop to southern Utah and hiking the Narrows or Bryce Canyon.
Age Recommendation:
This hike is not for younger kids. At some points, the rim at the top is only five-feet in width with a steep drop. Unless your kids will stay close by your side and won’t wander off, I only recommend this hike for older children, probably teen ages and up.
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When visiting Sedona, there are so many incredible hikes to choose from it’s hard to decide what to do. If you are looking for a secret trail that offers a unique viewpoint at the end, then pick this one. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
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