Boynton Canyon Trail

Our first hike of our Sedona trip was the Boynton Canyon Trail. It’s about three miles out and three miles back, and you’ll likely cover the distance in around four hours. If you want the classic Sedona red rock experience, this is probably your best bet. The views are amazing, and it’s more of a moderate difficulty level, so most people can do it. Getting up to the Subway Cave itself can be a little challenging, but it’s absolutely worth it. You may occasionally encounter some wildlife...deer are often out there. Overall, this is a great choice to start your Sedona experience.

Majestic Views with a Slight Vertical Challenge. The Boynton Canyon Trail in Sedona offers an unforgettable experience, culminating in absolutely majestic, 360-degree views of the canyon and surrounding red rock formations. It's a journey well worth the effort, provided you are prepared for the final, adrenaline-pumping ascent. The main trail is generally easy (to moderate) and beautiful, but the final, optional scramble to the vortex site is the phoenix of the journey and a some reason for caution. This section requires a walk up a narrow, sloping rock strip, followed by a careful traverse across a ledge that demands steady footing and a calm demeanor. Due to the exposed heights and the smooth, potentially slippery nature of the rock, I would not recommend this final ascent to anyone who is afraid of heights or is wearing shoes with slippery soles. Good, grippy hiking boots/shoes are mandatory here. At the top, you will have to navigate an exposed ledge section. The views here are fabulous. This route can be intimidating. There is an easier lower path to the left. This route is easier on the stomach, offering a bit more security and reducing the feeling of exposure while still delivering you to the summit cave with those breathtaking views. If you are comfortable with exposure and heights, the reward at the top is unparalleled. However, safety first! Respect the height, check your footwear, and choose the path that feels most secure for you.

Absolutely fantastic hike! The walk itself is really pleasant — you wander through a tiny forest on a well-maintained, comfortable path, surrounded by stunning canyons on all sides. It feels like you’re walking through a hidden valley, enjoying the beauty of the red rocks from different angles as you go. The highlight, of course, is the Subway Cave. The short climb up is a bit tricky, but absolutely worth it — the view and the atmosphere inside are breathtaking. Honestly, it’s hard to put into words how beautiful it is. Definitely the best hike I’ve done in Sedona!

We hiked this trail to find the Subway Cave, saw some mule deers along the trail. It was easy for about 2 over miles until the entrance to the cave. The steep climb up to the cave requires scrambling and was a little nerve wrecking. There was a less steep trail on the left side of the cave that many people used as well. But once you get up from there, you would need to walk along narrow rock edge to get around to get the view of the subway cave.

This is a very busy and popular trail! Most of the first 2 miles is easy flat hiking. Once you take the social trail to the right at the tree, the final bit has some scrambling. The main “slick rock ramp” up to the subway cave didn’t look that bad, but we had a group of 6 and 2 dogs and it was very crowded so we opted to stay safe and take the scramble up on the left and around. If you go this way, you will need to make a somewhat precarious traverse around the cliff edge to get to the true “subway cave.” It was manageable with the dogs, but know your abilities and limits! Overall I’m glad we did it but I’ll likely never hike this trail again. We did this one on Christmas morning hoping it wouldn’t be too crowded but it was still BUSY! Glad folks are getting out there though and enjoying nature =) There is a picnic table in the parking lot where we enjoyed ramen bowls with our Jet Boils since most restaurants were closed on Christmas Day. Clean pit toilet too.