One of Sedona’s most picturesque hikes, Boynton Canyon takes you between towering sandstone walls, inside carved out caves, and to the depths of a stunning box canyon.
The Boynton Canyon hike is about 7.5 miles and is considered moderate due to some of the scrambling at the Subway Cave. We added on a couple miles of optional trail to explore some fun areas. It took us about 4 and a half hours with many stops to climb, explore and take pictures. Dogs can join this hike, although keep in mind there’s a bit of scrambling at the Subway Cave and some other areas.
Note that the parking lot is relatively small and fills up early. There are spots alongside the road that will add some mileage to your trek.
Details:
Directions (Google Maps): To get to the Boynton Canyon trail, search for the Boynton Canyon Trailhead in Sedona, Arizona or click here.
Directions (old school maps): From Sedona, get off Highway 89 and go north on Dry Creek Road until it ends at a T intersection. Go left onto Boynton Pass Road until it also ends in a T intersection. Go right onto Boynton Canyon Road and you’ll quickly turn right into the paved parking lot.
Driving Info: This is all paved so it’s accessible to anybody. But keep in mind, the trailhead parking lot is very popular for hikes like Mescal Mountain. The lot is almost always full unless you arrive very early. You can park near the T intersection for spillover parking. Note that you also need a permit to park.
Time & Weather: We did this hike in early March. Since it’s Arizona desert it can be painfully hot or cold. We had wonderful 50 degree hiking weather for most of the hike. And if you start in the morning like we did, the first few miles are primarily in the shade as the sun rises above the canyon walls.
Gear: You can hike this in normal running/trail shoes. But if you plan on scrambling and exploring Subway Cave, make sure you’ve got grip because you’ve got to scale up a bit of an include to get up top. And you want to make sure you have good footing as you walk around the ledges. Hiking poles are always recommended.
Trail Navigation: This is an easy trail to navigate. If you plan on doing Subway Cave, pay attention for the trail that branches off the main one. Most times of day there will be crowds of people in and out of these trails so it’s easy to ask or follow.
Water & Food: As is the case for any desert hike, bring plenty of water and stay hydrated. Bring a snack to enjoy atop some of the boulders you’ll scramble up, either at Subway Cave or at the end of the Boynton trail.
Trailhead Info: The parking lot can fit roughly 15 cars, but it fills up quickly. Most people park along the road (but check for ‘No Parking Allowed’ signs). There is a bathroom at the trailhead. There are also quite a few cyclists and mountain bikers on these trails, so be aware.
Pictures of the Boynton Canyon Trail:
Just a minute into the hike you’ll break left. Although, we do recommend enjoying the hike around Mescal Mountain some other time.
The first few miles you’ll hug the inside canyon and start to cut your way into the middle.
Here is the branch off to the right to head for Subway Cave. This next part of the trail is much tighter with lower hanging branches.
Here’s the view looking out from Subway Cave. It’s a gorgeous rock formation, with some nearby ruins as well. This area gets very popular so plan to start very early if you want some solitude, otherwise expect crowds of people here all day.
After Subway Cave, you’ll head back to the main trail and turn right to continue into the depths of Boynton Canyon. Most of the trail looks like this, following a (usually) dry creek bed.
The end of the Boynton Canyon trail, this is a great area to relax with a snack.
Before heading back, soak in the views of the walled-in box canyon.
On our way back, we explored this amazing cave.
The picturesque view out the other side of the cave.
From the cave, you can wander out onto the ledge to experience this jaw-dropping panoramic view. There’s not a lot of people in this secret cave so it’s a nice place to relax before finishing the trail.
Be careful as you get back to the road and the parking lot. There is a ton of traffic from cars, cyclists and other hikers.
This is one of the many trails that makes it onto our list of the best hikes in Sedona. If you have limited time be sure to check it out so that you can prioritize properly.
