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When people think of Arizona, they think about the harsh desert climate, cacti, and temperatures that can reach nearly 120 degrees during the summer months. A few weekends ago, my besties flew out to discover and explore some of the less harsh parts of gorgeous Northern Arizona. 

A Sedona Start

Our trip started on a Friday. We geared up early and headed to Sedona, AZ. This is a wildly popular area in Arizona with gorgeous hikes, red rocks, and a cult following for the spiritual vortexes. To me, it felt like a mini Zion National Park.
The drive into Sedona is truly breathtaking. If you're short on time or need an accessible adventure, just simply driving through this area is a great trip!

Some Sedona facts:

  • The famous Red Rocks of Sedona are among the most beautiful natural sites in the United States. Part of the eroding Mogollon Rim of the vast Colorado plateau.
  • Sedona’s canyon walls show nine layers of stone from different geological periods spanning hundreds of millions of years. There are six layers of sandstone, two thin layers of limestone, and atop all of these, one igneous layer of basalt stone. The different sandstone and limestone layers were formed by wind-blown sand dunes or mud deposited by inland seas. The red colors of some of the sandstone layers result from iron oxide staining the rocks over great periods of time. The uppermost igneous layer was deposited by volcanic eruptions 14.5 million years ago and once covered the entire Verde Valley several meters deep in lava.
  • The Verde Valley, meaning Green Valley, is so named because of the natural copper, appearing green when extracted from the ground, which had long been mined in the nearby hills, and not because of the colors of local vegetation. The waters of Oak Creek come from the many natural springs along the course of the creek and not, as is commonly assumed, from the melting snow of the nearby sacred mountain of Kachina Peak.
  • Sedona’s McDonalds is the only McDonalds in the world that doesn’t sport the famous yellow arches. It’s actually more of a turquoise color. Pretty odd right? It turns out that when McDonald’s moved into the area, the city officials thought that the golden yellow color of the arches would distract from the natural beauty of the area and decided that turquoise would compliment the surrounding red rock a little bit better.
  • Sedona was named after Sedona Arabella Miller Schnebly (1877–1950), the wife of Theodore Carlton Schnebly, the city’s first postmaster. She was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness. Her mother, Amanda Miller, claimed to have made the name up because “it sounded pretty.”

Getting There

When entering this town, you are immediately welcomed with the most gorgeous red rocks that make up the picturesque horizon. You’re also welcomed with gigantic road signs informing visitors of the current parking and traffic situation.

With the popularity of this spot skyrocketing in the past decade, tourism boomed, which means more traffic and more people in the trailhead parking lots and on the trail.

Try to get to Sedona super early in the morning (read: 7 am or earlier, especially on those weekends), visit on weekdays, or arrive much later in the evening (when it’s cooler out anyway). I’ve tested and swear by all three of these methods.

When I first visited in September, the evening was best due to the extreme heat—and yes, it’s even hot at 4,500 elevation in Arizona! When I visited Sedona most recently, we arrived on a Friday morning.

The trail was mostly empty when we parked at the trailhead, put on our sunscreen, and geared up. The most popular time for hiking—especially in Arizona— is between 7 am and 9 am. Getting on the trail before or after that time is your best bet for some solitude.

The Hike

We hiked the Subway Canyon trail— a trail that is actually an offshoot of the Boynton Canyon Trail. Finding the AllTrails map is difficult, so I’ve embedded what we used below:

You’ll want to head back up towards the road from the parking lot, and on the right side, you will find the Boynton Canyon Trailhead directly across from the vault toilets.

At first, there are a couple of intersections you’ll hike upon, but if you follow the signs to keep on the Boynton Canyon Trail, you’ll be able to navigate just fine.

Overall the hike along the trail is easy. Those who don’t hike as often may find it more moderate, especially with the total distance. You’ll come upon the usual rock steps and inclines, but for the most part, the trail is flat in the beginning.

Because the Boynton Canyon Trail doesn’t lead you directly to the Subway Cave, many people get lost and miss the turnoff for it. The trail actually continues for a while past the turnoff but doesn’t take you to any “epic destination.”

If you want to see the Subway Cave, you’ll have to turn right onto a spur trail off the main trail. The Subway Cave will be 0.65 miles down the spur trail!

The approach to the cave was a bit sketchy if you’re not in grippy shoes or used to climbing. Go slow and steady and have your group take turns handing up packs so you aren’t off balance on the way up. Hesitation is the best way to get scared, stuck, or slip. I recommend four points of contact both on your way up and down!

Once you arrive, you’re greeted with incredible views of the Subway Cave:

Click here to read Part 2