Sight · Canyonlands National Park
A striking pictograph panel on a hard Maze backcountry loop.
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Canyonlands Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Canyonlands National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Canyonlands audio tour“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
The Harvest Scene is a named rock-art panel deep in Canyonlands’ Maze District, with a broad row of dark painted figures across an orange sandstone wall. It suits visitors specifically planning a demanding backcountry trip; this is not a casual pullout.
The commonly described hike is an 8.7-mile difficult loop from Chimney Rock Trailhead, over slickrock, washes and steep climbs. Cairns can be sparse, and side canyons are easy to confuse, so keep a topo map in hand and don’t rely on GPS alone. From Hans Flat Ranger Station, the rough drive to the Maze canyons takes another three to six hours in high-clearance four-wheel drive. NPS cautions inexperienced drivers against these isolated roads.
The Maze has no food, gas or potable water. NPS describes it as remote country where visitors need to be self-sufficient and prepared for self-rescue; overnight trips require a permit. Check current road conditions with Hans Flat before setting out.
The route passes a view of the Chocolate Drops shortly before turning into an unnamed canyon; the panel appears on the left about half a mile farther along. First take in the long line of figures against the sandstone, then look closer at their varied patterns. Keep to the established approach and don’t touch or disturb the rock art.
Wildlife
48 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
47 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
12 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
30 sightingsWestern RattlesnakeMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
18 sightingsTurkey VultureMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
18 sightingsWild TurkeyMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Canyonlands. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingMaze Overlook Trail1.1 mi · 1 hr · 1.2 mi awayA cairned scramble from Maze Overlook into South Fork Horse Canyon.
ChallengingShot Canyon Route10.1 mi · 8 hr · 2.5 mi awayCairns lead from Chimney Rock into Shot Canyon's broad floor.
ChallengingPete's Mesa Route8.4 mi · 6 hr · 2.5 mi awaySlickrock miles with the Maze spread out below.
ChallengingChimney Rock Route2.3 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA steep old stock route drops into Pictograph Fork.
ChallengingHarvest Scene Route8.7 mi · 7 hr · 2.5 mi awayA rugged loop reaches the Maze’s famous Harvest Scene pictographs.
ChallengingSouth Fork Horse Canyon Route23.9 mi · 20 hr · 2.8 mi awayA remote canyon branch for experienced Maze backpackers.
ChallengingThe Plug Route3.9 mi · 2.3 hr · 3.3 mi awayA hard one-way 3.9-mile connector from The Plug to Pictograph Fork.
ChallengingHorse Canyon Trail (The Maze)15.1 mi · 7 hr · 3.3 mi awayCairns lead down to a sandy canyon in the remote Maze.
Sight · 0.4 mi awayChocolate DropsFour nearly 200-foot shale towers, deep in the Maze.
Sight · 1.1 mi awayMaze OverlookA canyon panorama reached only after hours of rough 4WD travel.
Sight · 2.5 mi awayChimney RockA sandstone tower worth stopping for once you're deep in the Maze.
Sight · 3 mi awayStanding RockA roadside spire reached by a five-hour, low-range 4WD drive.
Sight · 4.4 mi awayPanorama PointA two-hour 4WD crawl from Hans Flat ends above Horse Canyon.Parkwolf’s Canyonlands ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
