Discover the Maze Rock Art Site in Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, featuring well-preserved petroglyphs from the Anasazi people.

Ancient rock art sites are hiding all over Arizona, but this one is among the least-known (and most well-preserved) of all. Deep within the vast desert landscape of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, you’ll find the Maze Rock Art Site and the Maze Trail, a 1.4-mile hike that leads to a sandstone slab riddled with ancient petroglyphs. Created by the Ancestral Puebloan people up to 700 years ago, one of these pictures resembles a labyrinth whose twists and turns would render it impossible to escape from. Nobody knows for sure what the mysterious drawing is supposed to represent, but it sure is fascinating to behold.

Tucked away in the remote, uncharted landscape of Vermillion Cliffs National Monument, the Maze Rock Art Site offers a fascinating glimpse into the rich Native American history of the area.

Most people don’t even know the site exists and stumble upon it accidentally en route to another nearby hike like Paw Hole or Buckskin Gulch to Wire Pᴀss.

At just 1.4 miles round-trip, the out-and-back trail is short enough to fit into an already stacked itinerary.

The hike is rated as moderate on AllTrails, starting off relatively flat before embarking on a gradual ascent.

Wide-open desert transforms into rocky canyonlands before your eyes – a remarkable feat considering the entire hike can be done and dusted in just about a half-hour.

An elevation gain of just over 200 feet means that instead of using all your energy to climb, you can just focus on admiring the rapidly changing terrain.

Upon reaching the top, you’ll realize how far away from civilization you truly are.

It’s so quiet, you could hear a pin drop, and the undulating peaks of the Coyote ʙuттes North extend far as the eye can see into the distance – and the main attraction is yet to come!