Hiking to Sedona’s Subway Cave
January 20, 2025
The Subway Cave is one of Sedona’s most famous landmarks and for good reason. If you’re looking for a guide on how to hike this trail, keep reading!
Parking for the Subway Cave trail can be found at the Boynton Canyon Trail parking area, which is near the corner of Boynton Pass Rd. and Boynton Canyon Rd. The parking lot is not very big so overflow parking can be found on the street nearby. I knew that parking was limited so I arrived at the trail around 7am and was one of the first ones on the trail.
You’re going to hike just a little ways from the parking lot and you’ll come across a sign with arrows to both the Vista and Boynton Canyon…follow the signs towards Boynton Canyon for now.
You’re actually going to hike around the backside of the Enchantment Resort for a bit. I got on the trail so early that I actually noticed that there were hot air balloons in the distance behind me- so cool to see.
You’re going to hike for about 2 miles until you reach the point where you need to make a turn to get to the cave. Enjoy those two miles and soak up every bit of beauty you’ll see. The trail is relatively flat at this point but I hiked in January and there was a lot of snow and ice on the trail as I got closer to the cave- something to make note of if you hike in the winter.
After two miles, you’ll reach a Juniper tree that people say looks like alligator skin. See below for a picture of the tree. Take a right here and that will take you towards the cave (if you continue straight past the tree, you’ll just continue on the Boynton Canyon Trail).
“Alligator tree”- turning spot for the Subway Cave
Once you turn right at the tree, you’ll continue for about another half a mile until you’ll reach the entrance to the Subway Cave. There are two ways that you can climb up to the actual cave: one is to go left and hike up and round the cliff to the cave and the other is to hike straight up a very steep “slide”. I chose to hike to the left and honestly, I’m glad I did. I saw people later trying to get up the steep “slide” and almost everyone needed help getting up…something that would have been hard for me to do as a solo hiker. I will also say that personally I think this cave is not good for young kids because of the steep cliffs (see the first few pictures below to tell how close to the edge you are).
Either before or after you go into the actual cave, be sure to stop by and check out the petroglyphs and the ruins on the left side of the cave. There are also a few spots near there where you can sit and enjoy the views.
I ended up staying up in the cave for quite a while, taking pictures and soaking up the beauty. Just note though, this area can get crowded if you don’t get there early- as I was leaving, there were tons of people arriving. I was so glad I got on the trail early.
I made my way back and before I got to the parking lot, I hiked up the Boynton Vista Trail. The hike is very short and provides great views at the vista. This area is also considered to be one of Sedona’s vortexes, which are swirling centers of energy. I don’t know that I felt anything special but it sure was peaceful.
Boynton Vista
Overall, I hiked 5.8 miles and it took almost 3.5 hours (including time to take pictures and enjoy the views). This was a bucket list hike for me and I am so glad I finally did it. Even though it can be a bit touristy, this trail is 100% worth it.
