Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
Just west of town, the hike to the Birthing Cave, Sedona offers beautiful views of the surrounding rocks and a short walk that ends at the Birthing Cave Rock formation. If you are looking for a short hike to one of Sedona’s hidden caves, definitely add this hike to the list. The hike itself is easy and as long as you find the right trail to the Birthing Cave, it is a lovely hike that is less crowded than some of the other local trails.
We visited Sedona during the spring of 2022 and spent the entire time hiking – sometime 2-3 hikes/day. This incredible area is truly gorgeous and we loved exploring the hiking trails and town.
Below you can find details of the hike to the Birthing Cave hike as well as some general details to help you plan your hiking time in Sedona. You can also see more hiking suggestions on the 10 best hikes in Sedona.
Quick Overview of the Birthing Cave, Sedona
Distance: 2 miles (1 hour) Elevation Gain: 300 ft Difficulty: moderate (with a challenging section near the end)
This hike is actually relatively easy until you get to the end where you have a steep uphill scramble to the Birthing Cave. This cave is large but shallow and different than the Subway or Soldiers Pass. From inside the cave, you have lovely views out over the canyon.
The story behind the Birthing Cave is that the Hopi people sent women to the cave to give birth.
Looking for a perfect long weekend in Sedona? Check out this 3-Day Itinerary or 11 Things to do in Sedona.
Map of the Birthing Cave Trail Sedona
Things to Know about Hiking to the Sedona Birthing Cave
Best Time to Hike to the Birthing Cave, Sedona: The best time to hike in Sedona is spring (March-May) and fall (Sept-Nov). Spring tends to be the busiest time.
Summers in Sedona can be incredibly hot, so if you decide to visit during the summer, make sure to plan your hikes for early in the morning as many hikes don’t have shade. This hike has very little shade, so plan accordingly.
Does it Cost to Hike in Sedona? Most parking lots in Sedona require a parking pass for your car called the Red Rocks Pass. These cost $5 for the day and $15 for the week. A National Parks pass also works.
You can purchase this parking passes in most of the parking lots. There is also a Sedona Shuttle service, but it does not serve the Birthing Cave Trail as of spring 2022. There is no fee to park at the trailhead to the Birthing Cave.
How to Avoid the Sedona Crowds: Sedona is a great place to hike, which also makes it crowded. When we visiting in late March, most of the parking lots were filled by 7 in the morning. The Birthing Cave is on a slightly less popular trail and when we got there in the afternoon, there were several parking spots.
Although the rule is to get to the trail early, I do think the light is better in this cave in the afternoon.
Cell Service: We had limited cell service, so make sure to download directions or maps before you head off on the trail.
Directions to the Birthing Cave Trailhead
To get to the Birthing Cave, you park at the Long Canyon Trailhead about 13 minutes outside of Sedona This is really just along the road without a real parking lot.
To get to the Long Canyon trailhead, drive out of Sedona on 89a and turn north onto Dry Creek Rd. From here, turn right onto Boynton Canyon Rd. The Parking area and Long Canyon trailhead are about a half-mile down this road.
Hiking to the Birthing Cave, Sedona
The trail starts out flat and easy. You will pass a golf course on your right. At 0.6 miles, you will see a wooden fence. At this point, you should turn left to go up the hill to the trail to the birthing cave (we weren’t paying attention and walked right by the trail the first time). There was also a small arrow made from rocks.
From here, the trail continues and begins to head uphill towards the canyon wall – you may see several paths, but choose the biggest and they all make their way up the hill. The last part of the trail up to the cave itself is steeper, but it’s just a short push to the cave. If you are at all confused about the trail, look up to the cliff face for a heart-shaped indent in the cliff walls.
The birthing cave is a rounded, open cave. The best photos from this space are taken with a wide-angle lens. There is a small hole in the back of the cave where you can sit and capture a photo of the entire cave.
It is really a beautiful place to sit and since there were just a few other people, it felt much different than several of the other caves and canyon hikes we did.
Looking for other great hikes in Sedona, check out the Best Hikes in Sedona. Check out:
- Boynton Canyon Trail to Subway Cave
- Brins Mesa and Soldier Pass
- Devil’s Bridge Hike
- Broken Arrow Trail to Submarine Rocks and Chicken Point
