We hiked to one of Sedona’s secret caves called Robbers Roost during our visit to Sedona in 2021. The cave is also known as Hideout Cave and Shaman’s Cave, and it’s located on the southeast side of Robbers Roost Butte in a remote area near Sedona. We accessed Shaman’s cave by hiking the easy Robbers Roost Trail from a nearby 4WD high-clearance only trailhead, which we could only do because we rented a Jeep.
In this guide we explain everything you need to know about hiking Robbers Roost Trail to Shaman’s Cave, based on our experiences.
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Our Experience
In December 2021 we took our very first vacation to Sedona AZ and spent 8 days hiking, taking photos and driving Jeep trails. Hiring the Jeep also allowed us to reach more remote areas on dirt, gravel or 4WD only roads, which included the closest trailhead for hiking Robbers Roost Trail to Shaman’s Cave.
After hiking almost all of the popular trails in Sedona, we can tell you that Robbers Roost Trail is perfect if you want a break from overcrowded trails. It’s a long way out of town and it’ll eat up valuable time on your itinerary but we think the cave is worth the effort because it has spectacular views over Sedona’s red rocks and you’ll likely have it to yourself.
Hiking Tip: When exploring outdoors, be sure to always practice the seven principles of Leave No Trace to preserve natural beauty so others can enjoy the same environments.
Where Is Robbers Roost?
Robbers Roost Trail is located on Forest Road 525C, 21 miles northwest of downtown Sedona. Follow these directions:
- Head southwest on AZ-89A
- Turn right onto FR 525
- Turn left onto FR 525C
- Turn right onto FR 9530
Both FR 525C and FR 9530 are bumpy roads to drive with loose stones, gravel and sand. Having a 4WD vehicle will make life much easier!
Where To Park
Robbers Roost has two separate trailhead parking areas:
- In a 2WD vehicle you must park immediately after turning onto FR 9530. You’ll have to hike FR 9530 if you don’t have access to a 4WD vehicle.
- But if you have a 4WD vehicle, you can drive up FR 9530 and park at Robbers Roost Trailhead.
Use the map we created above to visualize the two parking areas and route options.
Hiking Statistics
Here are the hiking statistics for both Robbers Roost Trailhead variations:
2WD Vehicle Trailhead
- Distance: 3 miles round trip
- Elevation Gain: 450 ft
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time: 2.5 hours
- Trailhead: Parking at FR 525C / FR 9530
- Parking: Google Maps
4WD Vehicle Trailhead
- Distance: 1 mile round trip
- Elevation Gain: 200 ft
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time: 1.5 hours
- Trailhead: 4WD Parking at Hide Out Trailhead
- Parking: Google Maps
Trail Walkthrough
Let’s get into our Sedona Robbers Roost Trail walkthrough. We’re going to show you the entire hike step-by-step so you know exactly what to expect.
1. Drive The Forest Roads
We recommend getting an early start and setting off from Sedona at first light. This way you’ll beat the crowds and avoid ATV’s on the gravel roads.
Take it easy and stick to low speeds on the gravel roads leading to FR 9530. Park at the fork if you have a 2WD car and begin walking up FR 9530, which is the start of Robbers Roost Trail for you.
Tip: You do not need to display a parking pass to hike Robbers Roost Trail to Shaman’s Cave.
2. Hike Or Drive FR 9530
If you’re driving a 4WD vehicle you can continue straight up FR 9530 until you reach an unmarked but obvious parking area.
Otherwise, you must hike 1 mile with 200 ft elevation gain along a boring and exposed rocky trail before you reach Robbers Roost Trail.
3. Begin Hiking Robbers Roost Trail
Whether you drove or walked FR 9530, you’ll begin your hike to Hideout Cave on Robbers Roost Trail. It’s a 1-mile round trip walk if you follow the lightly beaten path directly.
You can just about see the narrow trail running downhill and then back uphill in our photo above. The gradient is relatively steep and it’s quite rocky.
Robbers Roost runs east from the trailhead and eventually accesses Hideout Cave from the north. Stick to the main trail on your way out and back again to avoid damaging the natural environment.
4. Arrive At Shaman’s Cave
Robbers Roost Trail begins by dropping 60 feet down into a V shaped depression. Once you reach the bottom, you have to climb back up 60 feet before reaching a split in the trail.
You need to turn left at the fork. This left turn leads clockwise around a rock formation and eventually you’ll circle around to your first view of Shaman’s Cave.
Accessing the cave entrance requires crossing narrow slick rock which will be treacherous when wet. The drop off is significant but the crossing is wide enough to safely navigate if you’re careful. Take your time and wear shoes with good traction.
5. Enjoy The Shaman’s Cave View
Shaman’s Cave has one huge oval shaped opening and one small circular shaped opening, like two windows. From inside Shaman’s cave you can enjoy spectacular views over Sedona’s wild and unspoiled landscape below.
The hike is called Robbers Roost because the cave is located on the southeast side of Robbers Roost Butte, named because (allegedly!) bootleggers, rustlers and robbers would steal cattle or other animals and hide here.
The small rounded window on the south side of Hideout Cave is where the thieves would supposedly look out to see if ranchers were chasing them.
6. Head Back To Your Car
Once you’ve had enough of those views, head back to your car the same way you entered. Take care on the narrow ledge and rocky paths.
Hiking Robbers Roost early in the day means you can go straight on to visit nearby ruins or drive Jeep trails in the area before they become too busy with ATV’s and other Jeeps.
Pros And Cons
Pros:
- One of the quietest caves you can visit in Sedona
- Stunning views from inside the cave
- Easy short hike with 4WD vehicle
Cons:
- Long way out of Sedona
- Accessing the cave can be a little tricky
- Longer hike without 4WD
Best Time To Hike Robbers Roost Trail
The best time to hike Robbers Roost Trail is early morning on a weekday in spring or fall so you can benefit from perfect hiking and light conditions. Unlike the other secret caves in Sedona, Shaman’s Cave is exceptionally quiet and crowd free. You can visit the cave any time of day and enjoy a relaxing experience.
Spring and fall are the busiest tourist periods in Sedona. Hideout Cave is relatively unknown but the odds of sharing the cave with other hikers will increase during April, May, June, September and October.
Winter and summer to a lesser extent are quieter periods in Sedona, which means you have a better chance of being alone in Hideout Cave during November, December, January, February, March, July and August.
The best time of day to hike Robbers Roost Trail to Hideout Cave is early morning because the cave is east facing, which means it will illuminate with golden yellow and deep orange light right after sunrise.
From midday onward the cave will be in deep and dark shadow as the sun moves around to the south. We were inside Hideout Cave at 11:30am during our visit to Sedona in December.
The best way to include Shaman’s Cave into your Sedona itinerary is to begin hiking Robbers Roost early in the morning, then immediately afterwards you can stop at Honanki Heritage Site and Palatki Heritage Site, before driving Outlaw and Diamondback Gulch 4WD Jeep Trails.
What To Pack
- Footwear – Footwear with good grips and traction will help access Hideout Cave via the narrow ledge. If it has rained recently, don’t try to enter the cave with running shoes or flip flops.
- Water – Carrying plenty of water is essential. Summer months require more water and even electrolyte drinks.
- Sun protection – Sunglasses, sun hats, long layers and sunscreen are vital if you are visiting Sedona in summer. Almost all of Robbers Roost Trail is open and exposed.
Our Top 5 Tips
- Hire a Jeep so you can park much closer to Hideout Cave
- Visit the cave early for the best lighting
- Wear robust shoes with good traction for the ledge
- Take a wide angle lens and stick to the back of the cave to capture the whole scene in one frame
- Use one of the best hiking apps like Gaia GPS or All Trails offline maps for navigation
The Morgan Conclusion
Robbers Roost Trail is an easy hike and Shaman’s Cave has excellent views over Sedona. It’s hard to reach but the trail and cave are much quieter than others in the region. If you have access to a 4WD vehicle, you’ll be able to park much closer to the cave.
Is Robbers Roost Trail Worth It?
Yes! We think Robbers Roost Trail is well worth the effort if you have a longer Sedona itinerary or you prefer to escape the crowds. The short hike has a great reward and it’s also close to other attractions including heritage sites and jeep trails.
We hope our guide to hiking Robbers Roost Trail helps with planning your visit to Sedona!
Please let us know if you have any questions in the comments below.
Happy Hiking,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen Morgan are travel, hiking and photography experts. Over the last 6 years traveling full time, they have explored more than 40 countries and 30 US states.
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