Boynton Canyon Trail Hiking Guide
Boynton Canyon is one of Sedona's classic box canyons, and unlike many of them you reach it on paved roads. The trail edges around a luxury resort, drops onto the canyon floor and follows it deep into the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness until the walls close in. It's long enough to feel like a real outing without any scrambling, which is why the lot fills early.
Permit: A Red Rock Pass or America the Beautiful pass is required to park at the Boynton Canyon Trailhead. Red Rock Pass: $5 daily, $15 weekly, $20 annual, covering everyone in the vehicle; buy at the trailhead kiosk or on Recreation.gov.
Length and Grade
AllTrails maps it at 6.6 miles out and back with 938 feet of gain and calls it moderate. The Forest Service's figures are close: 6 miles with 931 feet of elevation gain, rated moderately challenging, and about two and a half hours each way. The climbing is gradual and spread over the whole canyon, steepening a little in the final stretch where the trail ends in a cove beneath the cliffs. The start is the least pleasant part, running along the boundary of Enchantment Resort before it settles into the canyon.
Trailhead and Fee
Take Dry Creek Road north from State Route 89A in West Sedona and follow the signs; the trailhead lot is just outside the Enchantment Resort entrance. It's one of the Red Rock Pass sites, so you either display a pass or pay at the machine: $5 for the day, or $15 if you'll be hiking around Sedona all week. An America the Beautiful card covers the same thing. Spring and fall weekends are the busiest, and the resort's own lots are not trailhead parking.
The Vortex and the Side Trails
The Forest Service notes that the canyon's popularity grew once it gained a reputation as a spiritual energy vortex, and you'll see people meditating on the knolls near the start. Further in, an unsigned spur leads to the alcove widely called Subway Cave. It isn't a Forest Service trail and the agency's page doesn't describe it; the area around it contains fragile archaeological sites, so if you go, stay on the trodden path and don't climb on or touch any walls. Sticking to the main trail is the simpler choice.
Wildlife, Dogs and Footing
The canyon floor carries more plant life than the open mesas, and the agency mentions songbirds and shy white-tailed deer. The tread is mostly packed dirt with roots and a few rocky steps, easy on the feet. Leashed dogs are allowed, and owners are expected to carry out their dog's waste rather than leaving bags by the trail. Bikes are not allowed in the wilderness.
When It's Best
Cool months are ideal. Summer mornings work if you're done by late morning, since the first stretch beside the resort is exposed. During the summer monsoon, check the forecast; storms tend to build from late morning, and lightning in a narrow canyon with high rims is a real hazard.
Hiking tips for Boynton Canyon Trail
- Get there early on busy spring and fall weekends; the trailhead lot is the only legal parking.
- Pay for a Red Rock Pass at the machine or online before you start; resort parking is off-limits.
- Budget most of a morning: the Forest Service estimates two and a half hours each way.
- Stay off any ruins or walls if you detour to the cave, and pack out everything.
- Bring a layer in winter; the canyon floor stays shaded and chilly into midday.
Nearby trails to explore
- Fay Canyon Trail (Sedona)
- Doe Mountain Trail
- Devil's Bridge Trail (Sedona)
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Boynton Canyon is a long, easy-going walk that's better with conversation. Use TrailMates to find Sedona hikers planning a morning in Boynton Canyon. Download the TrailMates app to connect.