Chocolate Drops Trail

Chocolate Drops Trail is an 8.8-mile out-and-back over slickrock to four red towers in the Land of Standing Rocks. Allow about five hours on foot for roughly 540 feet of elevation loss and gain. This one makes sense as part of a deliberate Maze trip: the walk is rewarding, but the long four-wheel-drive approach makes it a poor quick stop from the park’s paved districts.

The roadside start near The Wall circles the east side of a large monolith, then heads across the plateau past smaller Organ Shale spires. After about half an hour, look for a balanced capstone above one of the mounds. Continue along the generally level ridge; a low spot requires a short scramble to descend about 50 feet, with an easier sloping way down nearby. The first Chocolate Drop is roughly three miles beyond the balanced rock. Follow the ridge north to the last tower, then return the same way.

The four upright, rectangular columns of Organ Shale rise almost 200 feet above the ridge between South Fork Horse Canyon and Pictograph Fork. Most of the once roughly 200-foot-thick shale layer has eroded away, leaving these towers and about half a dozen smaller pillars along the approach. From one point you can look down into Pictograph Fork toward the Harvest Scene panel, about three-quarters of a mile away; it is too far off to make out the figures. Near the last tower, the ridge opens to a view of the route down from Maze Overlook. For a photo, frame all four towers with the pale, layered cliffs beneath them.

The trailhead is on the roadside near The Wall. From Hans Flat, the park estimates about 36 miles and five hours to The Wall over remote backcountry roads. The Maze requires a high-clearance, low-range four-wheel-drive vehicle, and wet or snowy weather can make the roads impassable. Follow the cairns carefully, carry a topographic map and enough water and supplies for a remote walk, and check road conditions before setting out. Local trail guidance favors spring and fall; summer heat and winter cold make this exposed slickrock hike less comfortable. Pets are prohibited on the trail and Maze roads, and overnight backcountry trips require a permit.