Boynton Canyon Trail

3 years ago

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Children-Sport Culture-Landmark Diverse-Nature Exercise-Other

The Boynton Canyon Trailhead is down a small road in West Sedona. It’s not far from the city center and very easy to get to. This is a popular trail though so parking is limited. You can park on the main road, at the insection near the parking lot, but I do recommend starting early to guarantee a close spot. This trail is around 7.3 miles but given a few detours that you’ll definitely want to take, it’s actually an 8.7 mile route. I suggest using AllTrails to make sure you stay on the trial while hiking, although this one is pretty upfront minus some of the detours. Although all Sedona is considered a vortex, there are few vortex centers and Boynton Canyon is one of them. The first detour is the “Boynton Pass Vortex” right near the start of the hike. It’s a quick, uphill detour that provides great views. From here, most of the trail is through wooded areas. In the fall, the Aspens were a beautiful bright yellow. The joy of this trail isn’t the entire hike but more the 3 viewpoints you’ll get to. The next detour is to the Subway Cave. This spot is epic! You’ll want to keep an eye on the map to know when to veer off the trail because otherwise it isn’t marked. Getting into the cave isn’t super easy but it’s well worth it…unless you’re scared of heights, then you might disagree. We always hike with our dog but since he’s small, we put him in a carrier for tricky and dangerous areas like this. Big dogs, unless incredibly trained, shouldn’t join their owners to the cave. After enjoying the cave and exploring the surrounding area, you need to hop back on the trial to get to the canyon. The canyon itself is a really magical place. We shared the spot with a few other hikers but all were quiet and respectful of nature. It’s a great place to have your lunch and just soak it all in before turning around and heading back. Picture by me, Kat Smith