Hidden Valley Trail

This hike climbs 550 feet to Hidden Valley, a grassy expanse surrounded by sandstone cliff walls. 

Trail description

This trailhead serves two trails, Hidden Valley and Pipe Dream. Both start near informational boards at the southwest corner of the parking lot. Head towards the one on the left and begin a gradual (soon to be steep) climb up to Hidden Valley.

Climb to the top

With your back turned to the La Sal Mountains, you approach the base of the cliffs. In a quarter mile, the trail begins switchbacking up the boulder-choked slope. Sign your name at the trail register box, and shortly after, pass into Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area. The trail crosses a small drainage and turns north towards a notch in the cliff wall. As you gain elevation, you can see the trailhead and the town of Moab spread below you.

Explore Hidden Valley

By the time you reach 0.6 mile, the trail levels out in a hanging valley high above the town of Moab. A small ridge of rocks to your right shields you from Hwy 191 and blocks your view of town. The towering cliffs to your left form the top of the Moab Rim and offer afternoon shade, a welcome break from the otherwise sunny and extremely hot trail during the summer months.

Juniper trees punctuate the grassy flat but offer little shade cover, and the trail cuts straight through Hidden Valley for the next 1.3 miles. Open views make for pleasant hiking, save for the thistles that line the narrow trail. Long pants or gaiters can make this section more comfortable.

At about 2 miles, you climb up a 125-foot pass. As you reach the pass, look back behind you for awesome views of cliffs, Hidden Valley, and the La Sals.

Along a sheer ridge

From the top of the pass, a ridge continues west and cuts Hidden Valley in half. You skirt to the left side of this ridge by following cairns along a precipitous route; beware of steep drop offs. As you negotiate the rocky trail, keep your eyes on the sheer cliff walls to your right for petroglyph panels. These flat, varnished surfaces are canvases for dozens of human and animal figures of the Ancestral Puebloans. Please be respectful of the cultural resources in the area and don’t deface them.

The trail can be hard to follow, especially when impressive views distract from focusing on your route. The cliffs to the south, which form the Moab Rim, etch the skyline of fins and domes. To the west, you can see the Moab Rim Jeep Trail in the bottom of the valley. This distant road will be your turn around point.

Near 2.5 miles, you descend to the valley bottom. The trail mostly disappears, and while you may spot a few cairns, you will have to choose your own route to reach the jeep trail. The trail is not obvious, but you generally walk down a slickrock terrace and follow a wash west until you meet up with the road.

From here, turn around and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Note: If you set up a shuttle in advance, you can continue northwest along the Moab Rim Jeep Trail and come out at the Colorado River along Kane Creek Boulevard.

Directions

From the visitor center in Moab, Utah, drive south on Hwy 191 for 3.8 miles. Turn right onto Angel Rock Road where you see a small BLM sign for Hidden Valley and Pipe Dream trails. Continue a third of a mile until you reach a T junction. Turn right onto Rimrock Lane, following signs to the trailhead. Park in the gravel lot on the left side of the road.