Aztec Butte Trail

Aztec Butte Trail is a 1.4-mile round-trip out-and-back in Island in the Sky, with two branches from a sandy wash. The eastern fork climbs to the top of Aztec Butte for broad canyon views. The western fork climbs a smaller butte, then drops below its rim to two ancestral Puebloan granaries. Do both branches for the complete hike, retracing the fork approach each time. Plan on about 1.5 to 2 hours if you want time at both destinations; the short mileage hides two rocky climbs.

The approach follows a sandy wash to the split. Go right, or east, first for the summit, then return to the fork and take the left, western branch to the granaries. Cairns mark the route, though open slickrock can make the next marker easy to miss. Recheck your line at turns, especially if it starts to feel steeper or less clear than the trail you came up.

The summit branch changes quickly from a walk to a steep slickrock scramble with ledges and stone steps. It is the harder of the two branches, and repeated visitor descriptions say it feels steeper than the sandy approach suggests. Use your hands where needed and turn around if the exposed rock is outside your comfort zone. At the top, the payoff is an open view across the Island in the Sky mesas and canyon country. For a phone photo, keep a strip of the sandstone rim in the foreground so the drop and layered country below still read in the frame.

The west fork is a little easier than the summit ascent, but it still climbs bare rock before dropping below the rim. In sheltered alcoves are two stone structures about 900 years old, commonly called granaries. Indigenous people may have used them over time for food, medicine, or ceremonial supplies. “Aztec” is a misleading name: the structures are not connected to the Aztec civilization. View them from a distance; do not enter, touch, or climb on them.

Expect a rough, uneven surface, slickrock, ledges, and steps; this is not a wheelchair-accessible walk. There is no potable water on the park’s hiking trails, so bring what you need from a developed area. Dogs are not allowed on hiking trails; service animals are permitted. Snow or ice can make the rock slippery in winter, when traction may be useful.

Start at the signed Aztec Butte parking area beside the Island in the Sky road. The lot’s capacity and overflow arrangements are not established, and visitor reports about how easy it is to park differ, so do not assume there will be roadside overflow.