9 ESSENTIAL Things You Need To Know About Hiking Subway Cave In Sedona

Whether it’s your first time hiking the Subway Cave Sedona or you’ve seen it before, it can be challenging to figure out how to hike it, where to park, how to find the Subway Cave in Sedona, and if it’s even worth the hike.

I remember our first time here, we planned terribly and ended up hiking back in pitch dark, frightened, and I even tripped and fell in the woods.

Luckily, we learned our lessons about hiking Subway Cave Sedona and I’ve prepared the most useful guide for you, from where to start your hike, where to park, and what to expect, here is everything you need to know.

This post is all about the 8 ESSENTIAL Things You Need To Know About Hiking Subway Cave In Sedona

1. How To Get To Subway Cave Sedona

Subway Cave is located in Sedona but it can be a bit challenging to find since it’s not on any map. Instead, you can easily find the beginning of Subway Cave Sedona, by putting Boynton Canyon Trail into your maps and starting there.

2. Where Do You Park For The Subway Cave in Sedona?

To hike to Subway Cave, you’ll park at the lot located on Boynton Canyon Road. This is a pretty small parking lot (about 25 spots) so come early or a little bit later to avoid the crowds.

We ended up being the only car in the lot on a hot summer day around 3 PM. You’ll need to purchase the Red Rock Pass for $5 which will give you parking access to alot of other trails such as Bell Rock Trail.

3. How Long Is The Subway Cave Hike?

The Subway Cave Sedona inside Boynton Canyon is about 5.4 miles round trip, and an easy to moderate hike. It’ll probably take you about 2-4 hours with time to take photos and breaks

4. Is Subway Cave Sedona A Hard Hike?

The Subway Cave Sedona hike is absolutely beautiful, one of the most stunning hikes filled with red rocks, wildlife (we saw snakes!) and beautiful sights. It’s an easy to moderate hike but climbing up to the cave once you reach the Subway Cave is a little bit steep and tricky. I wouldn’t recommend this hike for kids but it’s definitely not hard.

5. How To Find The Subway Cave in Sedona (Exact Coordinates)

There are alot of articles out there telling you to memorize specific trees or landmarks so you can navigate your way to The Subway Cave but I’m here to tell you, you don’t need to do any of those things!

Instead, either download Google Maps offline or the All Trails App (Recommended) and this will direct you along the hike and directly into the cave.

The exact coordinates for the Subway Cave is 34.932779 -111.863006

The exact coordinates for the Subway Trailhead is 34.927861 -111.86188

6. What To Bring To Subway Cave Sedona

This isn’t the EASIEST hike, especially if you decide to do it during the summer, so here are some of the things we brought that we’re so glad we did!

Water Bottle

You’ll absolutely need to bring water on this trip and I recommend bringing AT LEAST 32oz per person.

Hiking Shoes

Hiking shoes are a must on this hike, there are some parts (especially when you get to the cave) that are difficult to climb if you’re wearing regular sneakers.

I highly recommend getting this pair on your trip because they double as water shoes as well! They were perfect for my Arizona trip and I can’t recommend them enough.

7. The Worst Mistake We Made Hiking Subway Cave Sedona

The worst mistake we made hiking Subway Cave was planning incorrectly and coming at about 4PM.

Initially, we thought this would be an easy 1 hour hike but got lost finding the parking lot.

By the time we got to Subway Cave Sedona, the sun was already setting and the cave wasn’t as bright in the photos.

We had to hike back in total darkness which was scary and we were so unprepared we had to use our phone flashlights. I highly highly recommend coming early to avoid this! However, if you don’t mind hiking at night, the view of the stars above are absolutely stunning.

8. Is Subway Cave Sedona Worth It?

Absolutely. This was probably one of my favorite hikes in Arizona and one I’ll never forget. If I had to choose only one hike to do in Sedona, it would be this one. Definitely add it to your Arizona itinerary and list of things to do in Sedona.

9. More Tips For Hiking Subway Cave Sedona

If you want photos of the iconic social media shot, you’ll definitely have to wait your turn. Either come really early or really late, since we arrived at 5 PM we had the entire place to ourselves.
The trail itself is dog friendly, but the incline up to the cave once you’re there is not.
Alot of people get tickets for parking illegally, so keep it legal!
There is a restroom at the trailhead