Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Fay Canyon is a great bang for the buck hike in Sedona. I soloed this hike early in the morning. Unlike other popular destinations, this canyon is relatively quiet with incredible views. There is a hidden arch about 0.6 mile into the hike that requires over 300 ft vertical gain to get to, but it's well worth the effort to see not only the arch but also the canyon views. Then at the end of the trail, I went up a bit further to a unique rock formation , where I could get a peek into the deeper end of the canyon, but also the distance views of Sedona on the other side, including Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock. Similar to Doe Mountain, Fay Canyon is not to be missed in Sedona.
In the afternoon, the whole family went to one of the more popular hikes in this area, Boynton Canyon. Unlike Fay Canyon, Boynton Canyon was very crowded especially near the Subway Cave. The scramble up to the cave was not trivial, and we watched a lot of folks with poor footwear struggling to get up there. While up there, we took some quick pictures/videos, and made our way to the quieter side of the cave, where there was a ruin-like fort tucked away on the shelf. We went on to finish the remainder of the Boynton Canyon Trail, which was much quieter. Total stats for Boyton Canyon: 9 miles with 1500' elevation gain
Fay Canyon is a great bang for the buck hike in Sedona. I soloed this hike early in the morning. Unlike other popular destinations, this canyon is relatively quiet with incredible views. There is a hidden arch about 0.6 mile into the hike that requires over 300 ft vertical gain to get to, but it's well worth the effort to see not only the arch but also the canyon views. Then at the end of the trail, I went up a bit further to a unique rock formation , where I could get a peek into the deeper end of the canyon, but also the distance views of Sedona on the other side, including Courthouse Butte and Bell Rock. Similar to Doe Mountain, Fay Canyon is not to be missed in Sedona.
In the afternoon, the whole family went to one of the more popular hikes in this area, Boynton Canyon. Unlike Fay Canyon, Boynton Canyon was very crowded especially near the Subway Cave. The scramble up to the cave was not trivial, and we watched a lot of folks with poor footwear struggling to get up there. While up there, we took some quick pictures/videos, and made our way to the quieter side of the cave, where there was a ruin-like fort tucked away on the shelf. We went on to finish the remainder of the Boynton Canyon Trail, which was much quieter. Total stats for Boyton Canyon: 9 miles with 1500' elevation gain
