subway cave

We were only in Sedona for a short time and this is the one hike that we really wanted to fit into our itinerary. Wisely, we chose to wake well before sunrise to get to the trailhead early. We cannot recommend this enough, as parking space is very limited and does fill quickly. The early morning hike also provided us with mild temperatures before the desert heat started to kick in for the day. As we finished our hike, the sun was blazing and temperatures were on the rise. Another plus side to the daybreak hike was the magical views of the hot air balloons rising through the canyon walls for their sunrise flights. This was breathtaking!

You’ll start your journey at the Boynton Canyon Trailhead. Prepare for a 7 mile in-and-out trail, that will take you approximately 3 hours to complete. While this is a longer trail, we really indulged in it, as we loved being surrounded by the most incredible desert scenery. The sun danced off the sides of the canyon walls and there were abundance of unique plants and cacti. We even walked just feet away from grazing deer who were completely undisturbed by our presence. Most of the trail is flat, shaded and would be considered easy to moderate. However, at the end of the trail there is a challenging scramble to get up to the Secret Subway Cave. Not everyone will be able to complete this part of the hike. Nonetheless, you still will be surrounded by spectacular scenery with views of the box canyon.