The Indian Ladder is a ladder that is placed in a crack in the rock at the end of Moonflower Canyon that allows you to climb up to gain access to the rock outcropping above. The trail is located along Kane Creek Boulevard just south of Moab, Utah. You can easily reach this hike from our 10A7 Moab Vacation Rental.
We received a tip from a guy in town about a cool place named the Indian Ladder. We asked him what it was and he said "Well it's a ladder made by Indians." Dumb question right? Well, more specifically it is several logs positioned in a crack in the rocks that allow you to climb to the top of an outcropping about 30-40 feet in the air.
My first time at the Indian Ladder was simply an embarrassment. My two friends climbed right up but I didn't get past the first log. To make things worse a barefoot girl told me to move and she climbed right up. I wasn't really thinking about the climb up as much as I was thinking if I would be flexible enough to get down.
Later that day we went to get some ice cream and who was the server? It was none other than the girl that climbed past me. When it was time for me to place my order she kind of looked at me strangely for a second then said, "I recognize you, you are the guy that was scared to climb the ladder". Talking about adding insult to injury, first I had to listen to my friends sham me about getting out climbed by a barefoot girl in a dress, then the girl herself threw me under the bus.
In addition to the ladder, there are quite a few petroglyphs and cowboyglyphs in the area. Take time to explore the canyon area. The canyon itself is only a few hundred yards long at most. If you arrive at the right time of year, the mulberry tree in the parking area will be loaded with fruit. The entire hike can take as little as 5 minutes to look and take photos to about 45 minutes to climb the ladder and descend. This trail is also located along the Colorado River and many times you will see people swimming in the area to cool off.
If you are considering a Moab adventure we would recommend checking out the townhomes at Moab Adventure Condo. We stayed with them and it was so nice to have room to relax and not be stuck in a cramped hotel room. Since the cost of the rental was split between two families it actually ended up being cheaper than a hotel room and much nicer. Not to mention the pool and hot tub were just sets from our condo.