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There are just two
established hiking trails in this area.
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North Canyon Trail
travels 7 miles through the Orange Cliffs to the
4wd road that leads to the Maze Overlook. Those
without a 4wd vehicle can use this trail to hike
into the Maze District proper. The trail is
moderately difficult, descending then ascending
1,000 feet.
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Golden Stairs Trail
is a steep 2-mile long trail that descends from the
Maze Overlook 4wd Road to the Land of Standing
Rocks 4wd Road.
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Glen Canyon NRA is
connected to the actual Maze District by the Flint
Trail, a 3-mile long, narrow, steep and tortuously
switchbacked 4wd road.
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The Maze Overlook
area contains the remarkably sinuous canyons that
give the Maze its name. The hiking in this area is
for the experienced only. You'll need good route
finding skills and it helps to have some rock
climbing experience. You'll need a rope to lower
your pack at some points. (You'll want an internal
frame pack for squeezing through tight
cracks.)
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A 4wd road ends at
the Maze Overlook with its outstanding views of the
area. The difficult Maze Trail (1 mile) gets you
600 feet down into the "Maze" itself, or more
specifically the South Fork of Horse Canyon. Once
on the floor of the canyon, you can explore on your
own or follow one of several lightly cairned
trails. Four routes lead to the Land of Standing
Rocks Area. Other trails lead down canyon to the
Green River and climb up to Pete's Mesa. You can
spends days or even weeks in this wonderful
area.
(We intend to expand the
information in this section at some point,
but until then you'll have to rely on the
publications listed at the bottom
of this page for more detailed
information.)
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The Land of
Standing Rocks offers some of the best scenery in
the district. There are numerous interesting named
rock formations as well as some nice canyon views.
At the end of the Land of Standing Rocks Road is
the Doll House, so named for its cluster of rounded
rock spires. Getting to this area by 4wd vehicle
involves some difficult and very slow driving. Six
scenic camping areas are available for vehicle
camping. (Permit required.)
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There are numerous
trails in this area. Four trails lead to/from the
Maze Overlook area. Another set of trails are
accessible from near the Doll House area, described
briefly below.
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Spanish
Bottom
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Moderate
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4.5 miles
out/back
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____
feet
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2-3
hrs.
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Spanish Bottom
Trail descends steeply 1.2 miles to the bank of the
Colorado River at Spanish Bottom. A narrow trail
there leads downstream along the river about 1 mile
to the first of a series of rapids in Cataract
Canyon.
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Surprise Valley
Overlook Trail
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Easy
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____ miles
out/back
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____
feet
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___
hrs.
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The easy Surprise
Valley Overlook Trail branches off the Spanish
Bottom Trail and passes rounded spires to views
over Surprise Valley and Cataract Canyon.
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Green River
Overlook
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Moderate
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10 miles
out/back
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____
feet
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4-5
hrs.
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The Colorado and
Green River Overlook Trail climbs up and down
slickrock with nice panoramas to a good overview of
the confluence of the Colorado and Green
rivers.
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 Horseshoe
Canyon is a separate unit of Canyonlands situated
20 miles north of Hans Flat Ranger Station. A
spring fed creek within the canyon provides
nourishment to flowers, grasses, sage and
cottonwoods creating a bit of a sanctuary within
the arid surrounding desert. The main attraction of
this pretty canyon, however, is the Great Gallery
-- a collection of life size pictographs created by
an archaic Indian culture that existed from 8000
B.C. to 450 A.D. These pictographs may be the most
impressive such collection in the country.
The Horseshoe Canyon Unit is accessible from Hans
Flat from the south or on 2wd dirt roads from the
northwest. The road from Hans Flat is rough but
navigable by high clearance 2wd vehicles in dry
weather. Most persons coming from Hans Flat drive
to the canyons northeastern corner and descend on a
steep difficult 4wd road into the canyon. The road
ends along the canyon floor and a hiking trail
leads another 1-1/2 miles to the Great Gallery. A
less used and more difficult route from Hans Flat
approaches the canyon's southern rim. A hiking
trail there descends 600 feet (1-1/2 miles oneway)
to the Great Gallery.
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If you arrive from
the northwest from Hwy. 24 (rather than from Hans
Flat), a hiking trail drops 800 feet in 1 mile to
the canyon floor. The Great Gallery is another 2
miles up canyon. Camping is not permitted in the
canyon, but you can camp along the rim. There is a
designated campground at the end of the road from
Hwy. 24.
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Mountain Biking
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You can bike any of
the 4wd roads in the area, but off-road riding is
not permitted within the Maze District. Mountain
bikers may consider riding from Hans Flat to the
Horseshoe Canyon Unit (14 miles roundtrip) or to
Panorama Point (16 miles roundtrip) or on the roads
to Maze Overlook and through the Land of Standing
Rocks.
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Camping
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Overnight camping
in the Maze District proper requires a permit
($10). Person's with vehicles (including bikes)
must camp at one of the designated vehicle sites
($25 for a permit). Call 435-259-4351 for
information.
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Helpful Publications
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If you are planning
on exploring these areas for any length of time, we
suggest you browse Canyonlands
- Publications for a list of relevant books and topo
maps.
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