While searching for the Moab Maiden rock art site, I found a hidden cave that led to a 300-foot cliff face overlooking Kane Creek Road and Amasa Trails.
It is a short hike from the Jackson Parking area to the Moab Maiden petroglyph. The hike starts by following the Jackson bike trail. After a short distance, you will cross a bridge and leave the bike trail. There is no official trail leading to the rock art petroglyph site, but you can see a faint hiker-made path leading up the hill. Please try not to make any new trails and walk on rocks and sand when possible.
What makes the Moab Maiden unique is that it depicts what appears to be a female with breasts. To date, this is the only site that I have found that shows breasts. However, birthing scenes are common. The very well-known Birthing Rock is just down the road. I think that the character depicted on the Moab Maiden and the ones on the Birthing Rock Petroglyphs are very similar. Is it possible that the same artist created both images? Both are clearly females with long hair. Unfortunately, this is one question that we will never know the answer to.
Though finding and inspecting the rock art is what will draw most explorers to this area, it is what is around the petroglyph site that makes this hike so interesting. If one is attentive, you will be able to spot several ruins adjacent to the panel. Two, possibly three, round foundations in the area could be what's left of Kivas. The circles are difficult to spot from the ground but can be easily seen if you can get into an elevated location and look down on them. If you have a set of binoculars, it is possible to view a well-preserved granary across the large elevated field on the fall cliff wall.
Another interesting feature of this rock art site is the location of a hidden cave right next to the panel. At first glance, the cave looks like nothing more than a crack in the wall behind the panel. However, if you enter the cave, you can explore 75-100 feet in the rock wall. What is even more exciting is that the cave doesn't just end; it leads to a cliff face that is hundreds of feet above Kane Creek on a sheer cliff face. The opening is invisible from below.
After exploring the hidden cave, take some time to walk out onto the peninsula surrounded by a large meander in Kane Creek. From here, you can get a 360-degree view of Kane Creek Canyon. Sun angles can really make this a spectacular area for epic photos. In the spring, try to be there around 9 a.m. for the best lighting. Since 9 am offers the best lighting, there is a good chance that you can watch thrill seekers jumping off of Tombstone Rock directly in front of the rock peninsula. This makes me so nervous watching these people; I am terrified that one of them could go splat.
Now for the best adventure, negotiating a cliffhanger trail to one of the best-framed photo sites in Utah. Climb up on the rock shelf above the rock art panel and walk uphill. You will quickly come to a high overlook and what appears to be the end of what is accessible. However, if you have the nerve, you can scramble down onto a narrow shelf and make your way along the face of the cliff into a large opening in the sandstone. Be careful here; the ledge is hundreds of feet up on a shear rock cliff, and a slip would be fatal. Once across the ledge, you can scramble into an interesting cavern hollowed out into the rock. Just getting here and climbing up into the opening is incredible.
However, it is not until you turn around and see the view across Kane Creek Canyon and into the Behind The Rocks Wilderness Area that you will know why I recommend continuing to this area. The view from here is breathtaking, one of the best in Moab. The best part of this hike is that you will likely have the entire area to yourself. While on your hike, you will see hundreds of vacationers passing by on Kane Creek Road, but none know the beauty that is hidden in the plan site. This is what makes Moab so great, one can explore just about any area and find beautiful vistas that seem like no one has ever visited before.
Would you like to visit this area? If so, we can help you plan a trip to Moab. We offer condo rentals in Moab that are way better and more convenient than hotels. In addition to great accommodations, we offer a huge vacation planning catalog to our clients so they can visit.
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