How to Reach Shaman’s Cave/Hole in the Rock, Robbers Roost Trail, Sedona

5 minute read

Adventures abound both outside and inside, spiritually and physically, when ATVing to Shaman’s Cave via Robbers Roost Trail.

Adventures abound both outside and inside, spiritually and physically, when ATVing to Shaman’s Cave via Robbers Roost Trail (aka Hole in the Rock Trail).

Sedona encourages insight, especially spiritual insight. These spiritual insights are best captured at vortex spots found throughout Sedona. One of the must-have and off-the-beaten path experiences and hikes you must experience in Sedona is Robbers Roost Trail, also known as Hole in the Rock trail. The wonder of ATVing through the Arizona desert, hiking through Sedona, and the view from Shaman’s Cave, meditating in this spiritual spot for a few minutes, and seeing the perfect circle of Robbers Roost is an indelible experience. Thanks to some locals, I am able to share how to reach Shaman’s Cave via Robbers Roost trail, what to wear, where to find it, what to expect, and how to prepare.

Quick Note: Where to Stay in Sedona?

I would suggest you stay within walking distance of the main village of Sedona so that you’re an arms length from restaurants and shops all while still getting a beautiful red rock view. You can find anything from 8-bedroom properties with stunning views of the red rocks and hot tubs to simpler more affordable 2 bedrooms in the heart of town with a hot tub to unwind after those long hikes.

How to Get to Shaman’s Cave, Robbers Roost Trail

The road to Shaman’s Cave is not easy. You either have to pray that you have a rental car equipped to be bashed around in the Arizona desert to get to this location–good luck avoiding dents or scratches on the vehicle! I’ve heard you can get to it with a low clearance vehicle, but you’ll have to park 30 minutes away and hike the rest of the way. Or…your alternative is to rent an ATV and do it the fun way. Still bumpy, don’t get me wrong, and dusty–but more fun. That’s what Kundalini Yoga & Meditation Lead Teacher, Shakti Sita, and her friends Kat and Mike had us do.

Required if you decide to drive there yourself:

Make sure you buy a Red Rock Parking pass for your days in Sedona. It’s fairly affordable and you need it to access the majority of the parks in the area, including Robbers Roost Trail and Shaman’s Cave.

We rented some ATVs from a local store in Sedona and headed for Coconino National Forest. Now…the ATV company will tell you that if you rent the ATVs for only 3 hours, you won’t have time to make it to Shaman’s Cave and back. Especially since you’re likely to get lost along the way. They recommend you rent the ATVs for 5-6 hours to get to the cave. Because of the amount of time it takes, they give you a map and some recommendations for other places to visit in the desert. But, I was with locals. And the locals know what is and isn’t doable and are less likely to get lost. So off we went to Shaman’s Cave! However, if you’re not with locals, I don’t recommend you try and get to Shaman’s Cave and back in under 3 hours.

What to Expect in the Arizona Desert

We started off by driving the ATVs down the paved road before heading into the desert. The ATVs came equipped with Bluetooth speakers, which was awesome. Notice how steady my hand is when filming the scenery on the paved road. Now as you continue to read on…notice how shaky my hand gets as we get onto the dirt road with huge potholes in the middle of the desert. Some parts can get steep, rocky, and with plenty of divots and potholes so make sure you only go where your ATV can take you. The bigger, more expensive ones…the easier and safer it is to ride. Trust me, you don’t want your vehicle to get stuck, you to chicken out, or worst…for the ATV to flip.

How to Reach Shaman's Cave, Robbers Roost Trail, Sedona atv desert

As we started to make our way into the Coconino National Forest, things quickly went from smooth and easy to rough and feisty. It was a like a scene straight out of the movie MadMax. The road to get there was unpaved, very bumpy, and ridiculously dusty. Pat and I felt like bandits riding around in an open-aired getaway bandwagon in the Old West. Never had I ever appreciated a bandana (or mask basically) as much as I did that day. It is essential that you bring a bandana or a mask. If you don’t have one, you end up painting your insides red and inhaling and coughing out red dust for days to come. Rent goggles or pack sunglasses to avoid getting it in your eyes as well. TRUST ME.

Where to Find Shaman’s Cave

We took an ATV ride into the deep Arizona desert surrounded by its red mountain rims in search of Shaman’s Cave. Shaman’s Cave or Robbers Roost Trail is located in the heart of the Coconino National Forest. Once you get there, you can park your ATV near the overlook looking out on the reck rock mesa. Smile and take in the view…It’s rare to find anyone else around you at this point. Shaman’s Cave is not widely known to tourists, and even if it is, it is very hard and far to get to so many don’t make the trip out here. This makes it a true Sedona secret.

What is Shaman’s Cave?

Shaman’s Cave is where Native Americans who were chiefs or high priests practiced spiritual rituals. These people would stay here for several days, fasting and receiving insight from the spirits of nature as to whether or not they were qualified to lead their tribe. When the tribe faced difficult times, they would come to this place and burn plants and sing and dance as they sought answers from the one and only–Mother Nature. Because of all the energy present in Shaman’s Cave it is considered a vortex. More on what those are here.

Robbers Roost got it’s trail name because Shaman’s cave was once an outlaw hideout. The “hike,” which is more of a walk, to Shaman’s Cave is very easy. Reaching Shaman’s Cave is only 0.6 miles roundtrip, but it’s unmarked so you may end up doing a bit more than that if you wander. Shaman’s Cave is located on the dome rose sandstone rock pictured on the left above. To reach it, you need to walk up mid-way. It looks steeper in the picture than it really is. To the left there is a very gentle incline on the that is currently hidden behind the ATV. Once you reach the midway point, take a left and wrap around to the front of the cave until you can see an unpenetrated view of the Sedona canyons in the distance. At this point, you’ve reached Shaman’s Cave.

What to Expect at Shaman’s Cave

The view to Shaman’s Cave was fantastic with encircling mountains and a valley for miles. The small stone wall encircling the cave is the first thing you see. It was supposedly built by robbers for defense. The main attraction, however, is the picture-window view of Secret Mountain, Bear Mountain and the Sedona area from within the cave. That’s why the trail is also called Hole in the Rock. We all took a seat within Shaman’s Cave and practiced some Kundalini meditation for a few minute with Shakti Sita. I gazed quietly at the place where the distant blue sky and Secret Mountain touched. The cave felt extremely roomy and our voices echoed as we began to chant the Kundalini mantra that sounds like the word ‘hard’ on repeat. The mantra endeavors to bring prosperousness and success in whatever form you need it.

On the right-hand side, a hole through a small part of the cave provides a smaller circular window. Through it you can see a beautiful view of the desert and the red rocks of Secret Mountain in the distance.

You can hop through the hole and take a seat on the other side. Leaning against the rocks you can look out at the distance and take it all in. You will need to use your hands a lot to maneuver your way around the cave, so your bound to end up with a nice red and orange tint on your face from all the red dust. Needless to say, don’t even THINK of wearing anything white.

As we descended the dome and headed back to our ATVs, I felt as if a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I don’t know if it was the breathtaking and expansive views of the canyons that made me feel like I was a part of something bigger or if it was the spiritual energy tingling through my senses. If you’re looking for the perfect introduction to spiritual connection in Sedona, Shaman’s Cave at Robbers Roost Trail is hard to get, but worth the hike and seclusion.