Parking
Chimney Rock Trailhead, reached via the high-clearance four-wheel-drive roads in The Maze. The district has no food, gas or potable water.
Overview
About Chimney Rock Route
Why go
- A direct historic route into Pictograph Fork
Heads up
- Steep, unmarked route with difficult wayfinding
- Remote four-wheel-drive access and no services
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Canyonlands map
Full mapElevation4,665–5,443 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Canyonlands alerts
- ClosureRain-damaged Needles backcountry roads impassableRecent rains have made several Needles backcountry roads impassable; do not drive these routes.Official details
- CautionMaze access roads require high-clearance 4WDOnly use high-clearance 4WD to reach Hans Flat or Horseshoe Canyon in The Maze; low-clearance vehicles are not recommended on these damaged, rutted, muddy routes.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Canyonlands Tour Guide
Your drive to Chimney Rock Route, narrated.
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- 43 audio storiesacross Canyonlands’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Mule Deer, Coyote, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 63 trails, 65 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Chimney Rock Route
A one-way route into the MazeChimney Rock Route is a 2.
Chimney Rock Route is a 2.3-mile one-way descent from Chimney Rock Trailhead to the junction at Pictograph Fork. It is an entry or exit into the Maze’s canyon network, not the longer Harvest Scene loop. Allow about 2–3 hours one way as a planning estimate. If you return to your car the same way, that makes about 4.6 miles, with a steep climb back out.
Ledges, shelves and sandThis is an old stock route with little on-trail wayfinding; don’t expect a signed, built-up…
This is an old stock route with little on-trail wayfinding; don’t expect a signed, built-up trail. The descent follows sandstone ledges and shelves into a sandy canyon bottom; expect scrambles, exposed rock and stretches where the route is hard to read. The National Park Service describes Maze trails as unmarked and minimally maintained and warns that GPS can lead hikers astray. Carry a topographic map and know your exit before dropping into the canyons.
Remote access and real hazardsStart at Chimney Rock Trailhead, reached by the Maze’s rough four-wheel-drive roads.
Start at Chimney Rock Trailhead, reached by the Maze’s rough four-wheel-drive roads. There is no food, gas or potable water in The Maze. Flash floods can rise quickly in canyon country, and wet or icy slickrock is especially dangerous. Pets are not allowed on park hiking trails, and overnight trips require a backcountry permit. The trail ends at Pictograph Fork, not at a road, so plan the rest of your trip before setting out.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Canyonlands
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.
