Golden Stairs Trail

Golden Stairs Trail is a cairned out-and-back from its campsite trailhead to Dollhouse Road, crossing China Neck before dropping into Ernie’s Country. The mapped path is about 2 miles each way, or roughly 4 miles round trip; a recorded track puts the same camp-to-road walk closer to 5. Treat the distance as approximate, and allow another mile if you start from the overlook half a mile before camp. Set aside about 4–5 hours for a hard, exposed walk. Choose it for a memorable foot route into the Maze and big open views; skip it if heights or route-finding on cairned rock will make the day miserable.

The first stretch can be tricky to follow. It reaches China Neck, a narrow white-rock causeway about six feet wide, with steep drops on both sides. Take your time here. Beyond the neck, cairns lead across an open mesa shelf with views into Ernie’s Country. About 0.7 mile from camp, the route turns right and drops over the cliff.

The path loses about 800 feet between camp and Dollhouse Road. The descent is steep, exposed and rocky, with sections cut into the cliff and stretches that call for scrambling. There is no continuous built trail to follow; cairns mark the line. If you lose them, backtrack to the last one rather than choosing a route across the slickrock. At the bottom, the trail reaches a wash and follows it to Dollhouse Road. Turn around there: the way back is the same route, with the full climb to camp. From a steady spot on the descent, look out toward the Mother and Child Formation, the Fins and the Needles.

Ranchers built the route around 1900 to move livestock between Ernie’s Country and Elaterite Basin. China Neck takes its name from the pale rock’s porcelain-like look; the Golden Stairs are the gold-colored cliff face, which can look like a broken staircase in afternoon light.

The footpath starts beside Golden Stairs campsite in the Orange Cliffs Unit of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, outside Canyonlands National Park’s boundary but part of the Maze gateway. Reaching the camp is a serious backcountry drive: the National Park Service requires high-clearance four-wheel drive with low range on Maze roads and lists about 1.5 hours from Hans Flat. A 2024 trip report parked at the overlook about half a mile before camp, adding roughly a mile to the round trip. There is no food, fuel or potable water in the Maze. Pets are prohibited on the trail, and overnight trips require a backcountry permit.