Keyhole Cave Sedona | Trail Guide + Map
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Keyhole Cave Sedona is a cave in Sedona that’s relatively easy to access and offers freaking epic views.
In fact, the views from inside Keyhole Cave may be some of the best cave views in Sedona. If you’re wondering how to get to Keyhole Cave Sedona and want all the insider information on this cave, you’re in the right spot!
Keyhole Cave Sedona Quick Facts
Location | 34.887286, -111.799163
Parking | Free at Sugarloaf Trailhead | 34.87429, -111.796447
Duration | 2.31 miles round trip
Elevation | 518 feet
Terrain | sandy trail with rock scramble at end
Keyhole Cave Sedona FAQs
Where Is Keyhole Cave Sedona?
Sedona’s Keyhole Cave is located right in the heart of Sedona. The trailhead is in an old Sedona neighborhood, and the cave faces the town and Airport Mesa.
Keyhole Cave is one of only a few caves that are actually geotagged on Google. You can find the exact location of the cave on Google here. (34.887286, -111.799163)
Do I Need A Parking Pass For Sedona’s Keyhole Cave?
No, the Sugarloaf Trailhead parking lot is a free parking lot. You do not need a national parks pass or the red rock pass to park here. However, note that there are only around 10 spaces in this parking area, and there is no street parking nearby.
How Do I Get To Keyhole Cave Sedona?
We go into detail of this below, but you can also download the free maps.me app, then, download the Flagstaff region. And on there, you’ll find a trail leading right to Keyhole Cave from the Sugarloaf Trailhead parking lot (coordinates above).
It’s almost a straight shot from the parking lot to the cave, which you can see from the parking lot, and it’s a pretty well-traveled trail.
If you look closely below, you’ll see I’m on the trail behind a few sticks where the trail spurs from the trail sign. On the right of the image, you can see Keyhole Cave, the dark spot in the red rock above the trees.
How Hard Is The Keyhole Cave Sedona Hike?
The hike to Keyhole Cave is super easy. It’s basically flat all the way to the trail at the base of the cave. Once you start hiking up to the base of the cave, it gets steep, but is not too difficult.
Getting in the cave requires actual rock climbing and finding holds you’re comfortable with. However, the views without climbing all the way up into the cave are also really great!
Check the elevation map below to see the direct peak in elevation when climbing into the cave.
Have People Got Stuck In Sedona’s Keyhole Cave?
Yes, people have gotten stuck in the cave. Sometimes there are people there to help you get out of the cave. Other times, search and rescue have to get involved.
We actually met a search and rescue guy in the parking lot before hiking to the cave. His exact words to us were, “That’s a really nice hike. Just make sure you know you can get yourself out of the cave before you decide to go into it.” I think those are some wise words to pass on!
What Is The Best Time To Hike To Keyhole Cave?
Keyhole Cave is best to hike around noon. In the morning, the cave is completely in the shade, so you won’t get many good colors inside the cave. And in the evening, it’s shadowed again by the red rock cliffs between it and where the sun sets.
Pay attention to the temperatures though. We were in Sedona in the winter, so we didn’t have to worry about it getting too hot. There is no shade on this trail though, so if you’re visiting in the summer, keep that in mind.
Do I Need Special Climbing Gear For Keyhole Cave Sedona?
While you don’t need any special gear for climbing into Keyhole Cave, we strongly recommend you wear proper trail shoes. Trail shoes are great for gripping onto the slippery slick rock in Sedona.
READ MORE | The Best Hiking Shoes for Sedona
I’ve read about people bringing a rope to the cave to get in and out of the cave, but this just doesn’t make sense, because there’s really nothing to secure it to, and then you’d have to untie it and pack it out with you anyways.
Is The Keyhole Cave Hike in Sedona Dog Friendly?
The Keyhole Cave Trail is a dog-friendly hike in Sedona since you won’t be visiting any ruins on this hike. However, with that said, you will not be able to safely get your dog into the actual cave itself.
If it’s well-behaved, you could tie it to the tree right in the cave, while you climb around the inside of the cave though! Be aware of javelinas and coyotes in this area, we saw tracks and heard coyotes even mid-day!
Map of the Keyhole Cave Hike in Sedona
If you’re visiting Sedona, you need to download the free maps.me app. Honestly, the trails in Sedona are not very well marked, and this app will help you on more than just this one hike.
When you download the app, you then need to download the Flagstaff region by searching for Sedona, Arizona in the app. A little window will pop up for you to then download the region.
Once the Flagstaff region of Arizona is downloaded, type in these coordinates, 34.87429, -111.796447. That’s the parking lot for this hike. You can then “save” this location, and a pin will be dropped on your map.
Do the same thing with the Keyhole Cave coordinates, 34.887286, -111.799163. Save this as a pin too, I like to name them, that way you know what the pin is.
You’ll see a couple of different trails on the map to get you to Keyhole Cave. Follow in the general directions towards the cave, the trails in the area are well-traveled, but it’s nice to have it on a map in your hand too just in case.
As a side note, I recommend doing this same thing for any other hike in Sedona you wish to do! It’s a great way to understand the area and where different things are! You can even get fancy and color code them and add notes too! It’s a great app for hiking!
Hiking To The Keyhole Cave in Sedona
From the Sugar Loaf Trailhead, you’ll be on a pretty wide and relatively popular trail for the first bit of your hike. This trail is relatively flat and switches between hiking on sand and on red rock.
Following the trail, Sugarloaf Mountain will stay to the right of you the entire way, until you come to a T in the trail, with a trail junction sign for Thunder Mountain and Tea Cup Trail (pictured below).
READ MORE | Hiking Sugarloaf Mountain Trail for Sunrise
At the junction, you stay straight.. going on a much smaller “social trail” right behind the trail junction sign. Yes, even if there are sticks over the trail, step right on over them, you’re going the right way!
On this trail, you’ll no longer be on a wide red rock trail, but instead on a sandy trail through some desert brush. Be cautious of the spiky plants! They’ll get ya if you’re not careful!
Along this trail, you really just keep going straight toward the red rock cliffs in front of you. In fact, you can actually see Keyhole Cave in the red rocks along the entire trail.
You know you’ve made a wrong turn if you can’t see the cave anymore.
There are a few junctions within the trail, but we found all the trails lead to the same spot! It’s really difficult to get lost here! And the trail conditions are the same either way, so it’s all about which junction jumps out at you!
Once you cross over the wash, this is where the climbing begins. You’ll start to climb up the red rock, up and over large boulders, and skirt around cacti. Again, the cave is in sight the entire time, and you just keep going up!
As Jay always says, just take the path of least resistance!
Soon enough, you’ll be right inside the base of the cave. There’s a tree offering a little bit of shade, and enough space at the base to sit down and take it all in.
If you are not comfortable going up into the cave, don’t push it. It’s honestly harder coming down than going up!
How To Get Up Inside The Sedona Keyhole Cave
When we first attempted getting up inside the Keyhole Cave, we both had our backpacks on, and we went up the left side. We quickly realized this wasn’t the best idea, and ended up stopping and just sitting in a place we felt *kinda* comfortable to take in the view.
We scrambled back down to the base of the cave, where we then ditched our backpacks and Jay attempted the left side again. This time with success.
However, that’s not the way we recommend going!
I certainly would not be going up the left side, and actually was quite happy to just stay in the base. But then two other people came, and they decided to give the right side a try.
Watching them climb up the right side, gave me the confidence I needed that I could do it to. However, I say that with extreme hesitation, as I DO NOT RECOMMEND going up if you don’t have any climbing experience.
Taking the Right Side Up Inside The Cave
Leave your backpacks at the base and then face the cave and take the right hand side.
When looking at the cave, the right side has a small lip to climb up to, and then what looks like a very slippery rock to try and scale. Get yourself up onto that small lip, but don’t scale the slippery rock.
Instead, traverse a few steps to the farthest point to the right inside of the cave. Here, you can find some great hand and foot holds to get you up to the “step section”.
Always be sure to have a good, solid grip with two of your four points of contact before letting go with one hand.
**Now is a great time to add a disclaimer. You are doing this hike at your own risk, and we are not responsible for any injury or damage to yourself of your belongings if you choose to hike to and inside of Keyhole Cave in Sedona.
After climbing up around the right side, you’ll hook back to what looks like actual steps leading into the bigger lip and really inside the cave.
Don’t take these steps lightly. Again, ensure you have good handholds while you step with your feet, and good feet spots as you let go with one hand at a time.
Once you get up over the steps, you’re in the clear to walk around the inside of the cave!
How To Get Down From Inside The Keyhole Cave Sedona
Honestly, getting down was in some ways more difficult than getting up into the cave. Getting over the step part is the hardest bit, as you are really exposed and you’re entire body will be wanting to just lean forward, causing you to fall.
When you get to the step section, turn your body around so your belly is against the rocks. This way you can have the best handholds possible.
Slowly step down, making sure you have good handholds the entire way. Some of the steps are further than you think, so just move your foot around until you find something that feels safe and solid.
Again, make sure you have good handholds in case your feet slip!
Getting down from the step section, we saw one person slip and slide all the way to the bottom lip. While she was safe, it was definitely a scary experience for all of us.
Instead of sliding down the slick rock (where there is nothing to really stop yourself), keep your belly against the rocks, and traverse around the edge with the good holds all the way back down along the right side.
The handholds here are really good and strong, and are the only way that this climb is possible!
Again, getting down is much scarier.. so be sure to feel completely confident in coming out of the cave, before you choose to climb into it!
Before you know it, you’ll be back to the base of the cave. Give your adrenaline some time to die down, before making your way back to the trailhead parking lot!
Final Thoughts On The Keyhole Cave Sedona
The Keyhole Cave was one of our favorite caves in Sedona. The views from here are really great, and the hike to the cave is pretty easy.
I really like that you can get some cool cave feelings even from just the base of the cave, even if you are afraid of heights! There is nothing scary or too difficult hiking to the base of Keyhole Cave.
Getting inside Keyhole Cave is a bit different and should only be done by those who are extremely comfortable with both heights and their climbing skills.
When we hiked to Keyhole Cave in January, we only ran into one other couple, however, we did do the hike on a Monday. With that said, even on the weekends, I don’t think this hike would be that crowded, as it’s not as well known or as popular as Sedona’s Subway Cave, Devils Bridge, or Soldier’s Pass.
Even if you don’t get all the way up into the inside of Keyhole Cave, it’s still worth hiking to this cave in Sedona!
If this guide was helpful to you, be sure to check out our other posts on Sedona here. We created guides for most of our hikes and even made some fun Sedona itineraries too!
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Sedona Itinerary | Hike to Keyhole Cave + More in This EPIC 1 DAY GUIDE to Sedona
What to Pack For Hiking Keyhole Cave in Sedona
This hike is a pretty short hike in Sedona at 2.2 miles round trip. With that said, you should never hit the trail without lots of water and snacks! And as with most hikes in Sedona, we recommend trail shoes for hiking to the Keyhole Cave.
We’ve linked below the trail shoes we use and love, as well as the hands free water backpacks that are great for packing extra layers and snacks too!
If you’re interested instead in a complete list of things to pack for Sedona, check out this post here.
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