In one of my recent posts 4 Scenic Sedona hikes that don’t feel like bootcamp, I highlighted trails that were not only beautiful but fairly accessible for a range of travelers. While not truly ‘accessible’ (i.e. paved so those needing assistance from wheelchairs or other means can enjoy) they aren’t considered ‘hard’ or ‘technical’. In this post, I’ll detail 3 hikes that you may want to reconsider if you’re not in peak shape or have a fear of heights/falling.
First, a little background. I (Amanda) would consider my past self as semi-athletic. I was a gymnast as a kid, played recreational softball, ran a few half-marathons, taught group fitness classes, etc. I say ‘past self’ because all of that changed with my career change in 2011. As someone who struggles to set boundaries, I was not able to balance the life of a traveling consultant with a fitness routine. Sure, there were occasional bouts of motivation where I would join a gym or crank out a workout in the hotel gym, but they never stuck. I even trained for and completed a half marathon in San Francisco of all places in 2014. But from 2011-2024 I was primarily sedentary. Like 12–14-hour days with under 1,000 steps sedentary. Sigh… Fast forward to today. Sixteen months ago, I quit my full-time consulting gig and have been enjoying a sabbatical (more on that later). In that time, I’ve been slowly, steadily, working to reverse those 13 years of damage. All that to say, I’m not in peak shape but I’m not a couch potato anymore either.
So, what about these hikes? Well, when we were researching Sedona, I kept seeing all of these Instagram posts with GORGEOUS photos from some no longer secret hikes. “Insta-famous” as they say. While some of the posts gave details about how to get there, how to avoid crowds, etc., I realize I didn’t have a good sense of if they would be easy or hard.
While I’m all for testing your limits and pushing yourself to do things that scare you, I’m also a firm believer in listening to your gut and being prepared. If you have a fear of heights, get nervous when you’re on a narrow trail with a lot of people, have mobility issues, have balance issues, or are just not confident in your hiking/scrambling abilities, you may want to reconsider doing these trails. Here’s my perspective as a 45-year-old non athlete/non-couch potato. Hopefully it will help you decide if these trails are right for you.
Subway Cave section of Boynton Canyon Trail
Don’t get me wrong, Subway Cave is an amazing photo spot. Am I glad we did it? Sure. There is plenty of information online about how to get to Subway Cave, so I won’t reiterate that here. We hiked back Boynton Canyon trail which had quite a bit of snow when we visited in March. We started early in the day, so the trail wasn’t very crowded. We approached the base of the ‘cave’ and found a few people already up on the ledge. They mentioned there were two options. The first is the gentler ascent on the left which requires you to walk around the ledge (photo 2 below) in order to see the famous ‘subway’ tunnel portion. The second is a steeper climb in between the rocks (vertical pictures below). While probably more challenging initially, we took the steep climb because I didn’t feel comfortable walking around the ledge. It looked so simple from afar, but our shoes were muddy making the rocks slick. After a few attempts for me, we ended up going halfway up and crawling over to the right and then walking on all 4’s for a bit (feet on the sides) till we could stand up. At the top, there is a fair amount of room to stand and walk around. People take turns walking to the end (which is fairly wide) and taking photos for one another. You can also walk around the ledge to another section.
Reconsider if: you don’t feel comfortable scrambling on all 4’s
Cathedral Rock
Cathedral Rock may be one of the most popular hikes in Sedona. It is a short 1.1-mile trail with ~660′ elevation gain. It’s so popular that they close down the parking lot during busy times and require you to ride a free shuttle. To be fair, I typically check out trail reviews on AllTrails but I had seen and heard so much about this one I didn’t check beforehand. The trail rating is ‘hard’ and I would agree. I only made it to the “crack”. A section that will require you to use hands and feet to get up so don’t bring anything you need to carry in your hands and wear sturdy shoes. The “crack” (photo 4 below) is narrow. There are a few ‘footholds’ that if you have long legs and small feet, you’ll have no problem. I tried a few times and just couldn’t get to a position that I felt comfortable enough pushing down and hoisting myself up without feeling like I was going to slip. I wear trail runners when I hike so they weren’t giving me much support in that regard. Scott struggled a bit because his hiking shoes were too big to fit in the small crack. I ended up giving him a push from below and he made it up easily. I think if there hadn’t been a line of people above and below us, I would have had him come back down and push me up. Maybe next time. As I sat and waited for Scott to go to the top and return, I saw so many people that looked inexperienced taking risks.
Reconsider if: you have a fear of heights or are nervous standing on a narrow trail with lots of people
Cave on Soldier Pass Trail
Soldier’s Pass trail is rated ‘moderate’. Overall, it’s a very doable hike and will be pretty busy. Highlights for me were the sink hole and wide-open landscapes including the 7 sacred pools. The cave portion is definitely cool and wasn’t too busy. It was challenging to get up into but didn’t feel as steep as Subway Cave. Perhaps it’s because there are rocks on both sides and you can use them for leverage as you climb up. There were a handful of people in the cave when we arrived. There is a ledge on the inside wall where we are sitting in the photos below. There is also an outside ledge where everyone takes their photo. We saw some people climbing over to the outer ledge. It’s doable but you walk along a pretty narrow slope with not great hand holds and we saw some people slipping a bit. I honestly was nervous watching people and just didn’t feel it was worth it personally. This felt a little more challenging to get down with my short legs than Subway Cave.
Reconsider if: you have mobility or balance concerns
And please remember to be prepared when hiking. At a minimum, take plenty of water, snacks, first aid supplies, warm layers/sun protection, etc. You never know when you or someone along the trail may need it. I hope this information was helpful. Comment below if you have any questions that we might be able to help answer!
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