Deep within Horseshoe Canyon, a remote, detached unit of Canyonlands National Park, lies several mysterious archaeological sites.

Trip Details

DURATION: 10 hours

We travel from Moab, Utah, across the vast Green River Desert to reach this isolated area. The 4x4 road itself is beautifully secluded, penetrating Robbers Roost Country—the same legendary wilderness where Butch Cassidy hid out from the law. This remains one of the most remote wilderness areas left in America.

Arriving at the west rim, we grab our backpacks, fill water bottles, and begin our descent 650 feet to the canyon bottom. This is an unforgettable 7-mile round-trip hike that leads us to the heart of the canyon.

Horseshoe Canyon is widely revered for one of the largest displays of pictographs in the country. The hike culminates at The Great Gallery, a series of elaborate, life-sized rock art panels considered the finest example of archaic rock art in North America. Left by mid-to-late archaic indigenous peoples, these images hold great mystery and leave much to the imagination.

Please Note: The hike is an out-and-back journey, and participants should be in reasonably good condition as they can expect a strenuous climb out of the canyon.