If you find yourself in Sedona, don’t miss this top hike – it’s mostly flat, relatively sheltered from the sun and fairly easy. You can take a couple of detours along the way – one to Boynton Vista Trail with views over the Enchantment Resort and Sedona’s famous red rocks, and the other to the secret Subway Cave and Sinagua ruins.

Here’s another cool feature: the canyon is located at a Boynton Canyon vortex (there are four in all). Take some of the many offshoots from the trail to experience the various vortexes. Want to learn more? Check out Jamie Elder’s book, Sedona’s Best Vortex Guidebook.

Here’s how to hike Boynton Canyon and Subway Cave.

The Details

Boynton Canyon

Distance: 6.3 miles
Time: 2.5-4 hours
Elevation gain: 800 feet
Difficulty: Easy

Boynton Canyon and Subway Cave

Distance: 7.1 miles
Elevation gain: 1,100 feet
Time: 4-6 hours
Difficulty: Moderate

When Is the Best Time to Hike Boynton Canyon and the Subway Cave?

Any time of year! The temperatures are the mildest during the spring and fall, but you’ll experience more crowds at those time. There are fewer people in the canyon in the summer, but the temperatures are very hot. Winter temperatures can get below freezing, but again, this means fewer people.

How Do I Get to the Boynton Canyon Trailhead?
Find the main parking lot on Boynton Canyon Road near the intersection with Boynton Pass Road. If you can’t find a spot, there is an overflow parking lot on Boynton Pass Road, west of the intersection. Baring a spot here, just on the side of the road. You will have to purchase and display a Red Rock Pass to park.

What is the Boynton Canyon Trail Like?
The flat trail heads out from the parking lot. Before long, you’ll reach the first trail junction. To stay on the Boynton Canyon Trail, keep to the left.
At this point, you could choose to take the short detour to the Boynton Vista Trail. This spur trail is 0.4 mile roundtrip and is more strenuous that the Canyon trail. It’s worth the short effort, though, for the views of Sedona’s red rocks and mountains. Plan for about 30-45 minutes for the full detour.

Continue along the Boynton Canyon Trail, with huge sandstone cliffs above you and the Enchantment Resort to your left. The trail is still mainly flat, with a few ups and downs. About 1 mile in, the trail becomes sandy and passes through short shrub-like trees.

At 2 miles, you’ll see the spur trail to the Subway Cave (although there is no sign marking the trail). Instead, look for a distinctive and large Alligator Juniper tree on the left side of the trail. The detour trail starts across from the tree on the right side of the Canyon trail. Take this narrow trail 0.4 mile, one-way, to the Subway Cave.

As you approach the cave, take note of the National Forest Service sign about this sacred site and ancient ruins. Take special care to respect the area and do not sit or stand on the rock walls.

Enter the Subway Cave by scrambling up a sandstone incline and follow it to the end of the cave. Turn around for the view! If you go all the way to the back of the cave and to the ruins, you will be walking on a narrow ledge with a drop-off on one side. The ruins on the opposite cliff can be seen from the ledge on the right side if you continue around the bend and along the canyon wall.

Head back down out of the cave to continue to Boynton Canyon. It is just about 1 mile farther on, steadily uphill. The hike becomes cooler here, thanks for the ponderosa pine grove. The last half-mile is the hardest, including a steep, rocky portion of trail and some stair climbs to the viewpoint.

Other Sedona Area Hikes and Activities

Mescal Mountain
Find solitude in Sedona at Mescal Mountain, a lovely shorter hike that isn’t as crowded as most. It’s an unmarked, unofficial climbers trail, but it’s easily accessible by most hikers. There are a few short class III runs, but experienced hikers will have no problem. Along the way, you’ll get wonderful views and pass Native American ruins tucked into a sandstone cave.

Bear Mountain
A favorite of Sedona residents, the “bear-less” Bear Mountain Trail gets its name from its bear-shaped peak, not the actual presence of any bears. The trail is quieter than most in Sedona and offers fantastic views, especially at sunrise. You’ll climb approximately 2,000 feet in 2 miles, so be prepared for an arduous, but relatively short trek. When you reach the saddle, you’ll have nice views of Jerome. Keep going past prickly pears, pinons and mazanitas to a second false summit, where you’ll start to see alligator juniper trees. There’s yet another false summit beyond this point, where you’ll be able to see into Fay Canyon. Cross a few rock scrambles, follow the cairns and, finally, reach the actual summit, marked by a three-foot pyramid of rock. From here, the view includes Red Rock Country, Jerome, Kendrick Peak and, in the distance, the San Francisco Peaks.

Exploring Oak Creek Canyon
Take a scenic drive on State Route 89A from Sedona to Oak Creek Vista. This National Scenic Byway winds past the red rocks of Sedona and its Chapel of the Holy Cross and parallels clear Oak Creek. After you cross the Midgley Bridge, stop for a great photo op of the bridge and canyon. There are several picnic areas along the drive, as well as historical markers – at Mile 4, you’ll see a sign marking the homesite of Jim Thompson, the first European settler in the canyon in the 1870s. Check out Slide Rock State Park, where you’ll see signs of the 2014 Slide Fire. At 14 miles in, you’ll start driving the road’s famous switchbacks, after Pumphouse Wash. The vistas start to open up to reveal jagged canyon cliffs and thick ponderosa groves.