Good hikes in the Maze??

[devo_stevo]

I did a quick search for the topic and nothing specific enough came up, so I'll go ahead and ask.

I am planning a trip to the Maze District of Canyonlands with my bro-in-law to do some 4-wheeling and mountain biking and hiking. The question that I have is this...If you had 3 days in the Maze, where would you go hiking?

We are planning on setting up camp in the doll house area and doing some hiking around that area. What are the best routes and things to see around there?

Thanks in advance for the info.

[Scott P]

I am planning a trip to the Maze District of Canyonlands with my bro-in-law to do some 4-wheeling and mountain biking and hiking. The question that I have is this...If you had 3 days in the Maze, where would you go hiking?

Are three days available for hiking or three days available including the 4-wheeling as well or are you not counting drive time?

If only three days are available including everything, I would suggest starting the hike at the Maze Overlook rather than at the Dollhouse. From there you can hike into the canyon complex and to places like the Harvest Scene Pictographs (probably my favorite from that trailhead), lower Horse Canyon or Petes Mesa.

From the Dollhouse/Chimney Rock area, The Fins, Confluence Overlook, Water/Shot Canyon Loop and the Harvest Scene are all great.

The reason I would suggest going to the Maze Overlook on a three day trip is because a 3-day trip to the Doll House will be pretty rushed if you plan on wheeling, biking and hiking all on the same trip since the drive is so much longer to get there. If you want to spend most of the time in the vehicle and wheeling it would be a good choice, but keep in mind it that it can take as long to drive from Salt Lake to California for example, then Green River to the Dollhouse! Of course if you have a couple more days to spare, the Dollhouse is a great destination to do much of all those activities and not be rushed.

PS, I don't know current road conditions (call Hans Flat), but most of the time the Flint Trail is closed this time of year if you are heading down soon. If so you can come the long way in from Hite, but if coming from say Northern Utah (don't know where you live), it's a longer drive.

[devo_stevo]

Thanks for the advice Scott. We are not planning on going until the first weekend or so of April to avoid the rainier time of year but still not bake too much in the heat. Hopefully that works out for us. I'm just trying to gather as much info as I can in the meantime.

If all goes well and we get to go for as long as we want to, we will have 4 full days in the maze. We are hoping to camp at or near the park entrance the first night. The first full day would be biking to Cleopatra's Chair and that area and back to the Jeep. We would then be headed to the Standing Rocks area. From there, we would have three full days to play around in there and come out the next day.

Oh and I'm in Brigham City, so we are coming from northern Utah.

[erial]

At the Dollhouse campground there are several short hiking trails:

Down to the river.

A jaunt south thru a graben and by a granery.

And a hike northwesternly to Beehive Arch.

From the Dollhouse you could also hike west crosscountry passing on the southside of the Fins. You'll be able to visit a large arch and then as you get closer to the Flint Trail you should pass by an old cowboy camp with piped in water for the cow trough.

Also on the road near the Wall and Lizard Rock you can hike a trail northward to the Chocolate Drops. At the Drops you can drop down into the Maze and wander about. Or you access the Maze from other trails that decends from the other side of Lizard Rock or from the Plug.

[kris]

Thanks for the advice Scott. We are not planning on going until the first weekend or so of April to avoid the rainier time of year but still not bake too much in the heat. Hopefully that works out for us. I'm just trying to gather as much info as I can in the meantime.

If all goes well and we get to go for as long as we want to, we will have 4 full days in the maze. We are hoping to camp at or near the park entrance the first night. The first full day would be biking to Cleopatra's Chair and that area and back to the Jeep. We would then be headed to the Standing Rocks area. From there, we would have three full days to play around in there and come out the next day.

Oh and I'm in Brigham City, so we are coming from northern Utah.


Funny, I am planning my trip to the Maze for the same time period, or possibly Dark Canyon. That time of year is perfect, as I went two years ago around the same time. A great place to camp just outside the park is good camping at 38 14.401 N 110 12.832 W (google maps will pull it up) It's about 4 miles before you get to hans flat ranger station. A small dirt road on right will take you about a mile or so to a neck that looks into french spring canyon.

I agree, starting at the Maze Overlook would be a better point to depart from.

[devo_stevo]

Thanks for all of the replys guys. I appreciate it. I will post a TR when all is said and done and I'll take lots of pictures.

[RedRoxx]

I love that area. It is slow wheeling to Dollhouse, my favorite campsite there is between the two towers with the needle eye hole. I think it's Dollhouse one. Hiked all those trails. Also got rained in there one time and stuck for a few days because the Flint trail was impassable as was the Hite one, had to bring a grader in. No problem, just a cell phone call and a few more days of hiking. Ernies' country is cool. And of course the maze proper too. If you like rock art take the time to go to Horseshoe canyon, nearby, from Hans Flat, relatively speaking.

[ststephen]

New to this site and also heading to the Maze for my first visit beginning of April. We have reservations for a combination of 3 nights in 4WD sites (Chimney Rock, Dollhouse and Wall) and 3 nights backpacking. I can't wait!

We (wife and son age 12) will be doing most of the hikes already mentioned. Maybe try to enter Sweet Alice Canyon from the road as well.

Has anyone camped out on the trail to the confluence overlook? Seems like an under-used area that might be great to enjoy as an easy backpack. For example, make a camp 3-4 miles in from the dollhouse and explore lower Water Canyon as well as the overlook and just generally poke around as day hikes from camp. Guide books seem to imply very reliable water at the end of Water Canyon (hence the name, I guess!).

[nelsonccc]

New to this site and also heading to the Maze for my first visit beginning of April. We have reservations for a combination of 3 nights in 4WD sites (Chimney Rock, Dollhouse and Wall) and 3 nights backpacking. I can't wait!

We (wife and son age 12) will be doing most of the hikes already mentioned. Maybe try to enter Sweet Alice Canyon from the road as well.

Has anyone camped out on the trail to the confluence overlook? Seems like an under-used area that might be great to enjoy as an easy backpack. For example, make a camp 3-4 miles in from the dollhouse and explore lower Water Canyon as well as the overlook and just generally poke around as day hikes from camp. Guide books seem to imply very reliable water at the end of Water Canyon (hence the name, I guess!).

Water canyon is awesome. We've hiked up though the springs all the way to the dollhouse several times now. Lots of water and there is one spot jsust below the mesa with some pretty challenging sandstone/canyon issues. I've attached a few pics of the upper and lower parts of water canyon.

[nelsonccc]

Guide books seem to imply very reliable water at the end of Water Canyon (hence the name, I guess!).

Water all over the place down there, but a pretty rough hike back to the mesa if you're loaded with water.

[Scott P]

Has anyone camped out on the trail to the confluence overlook?

Once in April 1994 we started at Chimney Rock, hiked down Water Canyon and set up camp. We then took the historic sheep trail to the rim of and out to the confluence overlook, back to Water Canyon and then followed it to near the Colorado River and back in one day. The next day we hiked up Shot Canyon and drove to Dollhouse for some exploring.

Water Canyon is the most logical place to camp though I guess you could do it out on the mesa near the Confluence Overlook if you carried your water. You could make it to Water Canyon from the Dollhouse in a fairly easy day and explore from there.

Besides what's on your list there are many other areas to explore as well. Ernies Country, Surprise Valley and Pictograph Fork are all really nice. From The Wall, the Chocolate Drops are an interesting walk as well.

[ststephen]

Cool pics!

Yes, I'm aware that the entrance to Water from near Chimney Rock is challenging. I think I might try that out as a day hike to gauge how the family is feeling about class 3 stuff. I'm bringing 50/60 ft of rope for hauling packs or fixing a hand line to aid my family.

But, if they're not having fun with it then, no worries, we can explore lower Water by means of the confluence trail and just do it as an out-and-back backpack from our vehicle at the dollhouse. I would just use the water there to augment our general supply over 6-7 days not that I couldn't pack enough for a simple overnight camp.

Looking at the topo I think there might be some nice campsites off trail in the area behind dollhouse maybe follow a wash (avoiding cryptobiotic soil).

What about the route *up* to the Chocolate Drops from the bottom of the Maze. Interesting that it was on the topo and then taken off. Is it cairned? How does that rate to the Water drop-in or to the Maze overlook?

There's also an interesting description of a route up (or down) Sweet Alice Canyon here:

http://bp2.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip.aspx?tripId=48391

I've saved those waypoints so it shouldn't be hard to locate the particular fork they use. I can't remember where but I also found someone who chose a different fork of the same arm of Alice and have that waypoint too.

The naturalarches.org site lists GPS coords for some amazing arches in a different arm of Alice.

There's just too much to see here! (I'm stoked if you can't tell :-))

[denaliguide]

the route up to the chocolate drops was cairned last time i was there. that was in 07. not that it really needed it. its easy (class 2) and straightforward. you can then run the ridge (good trail) all the way back to the car. makes a nice long day loop or an easy overnighter with a camp at the spring in horse canyon.

[ststephen]

Great to know. I've marked where the route was shown on the old topo as a waypoint and it appears to follow an obvious cleft just south of the junction with the Pete's Mesa trail. So it should be easy to find where to start the route.

Yes we're planning it as an easy overnighter. Probably go back up to Chimney Rock via Pictograph Fork though. My goal is to keep this a bit adventurous for the family but also laid back enough that they are always having fun.

[Reedus]

Flint trail is closed as of February 21st due to "impassable road conditions contributed to snow"

[ststephen]

Flint trail is closed as of February 21st due to "impassable road conditions contributed to snow"

Good to know. Presumably this is a temporary condition due to the snow itself rather than some damage to the road. I'll definitely be checking by phone before I make the drive to Hans Flat only to find I have to drive around to Hite!

[Reedus]

The snow is on the trail going down the swithbacks on the Orange Cliffs. Drifted over about two feet deep in some places. With this warm weather, i bet most of it is gone by this weekend.