The Moab Maiden is a large petroglyph located high up from Kane Creek Blvd in Moab Utah.  The hike is not too difficult, but will require a little route finding.  

A while back, I was talking with one of my friends who lives in Moab, and she was telling me that I need to explore down Kane Creek Blvd.  She told me there are tons of petroglyphs, granaries, and other ruins and it was worth it to explore there for a day.  I asked for some recommendations and she told me about a granary I needed to see.  I asked for some directions and she said she didn’t remember exactly where, but she gave me a large area to explore and so I set out to see what I could find!

I got to the trailhead a little later in the afternoon and was glad the sun was hidden behind the tall sandstone cliffs.  I found a nice trail which seemed to be a bike path, but I did encounter a few other hikers along the way.  As I was exploring around I wasn’t having much luck.  I decided to hike a little higher and go closer to the base of the cliffs.  As I was hiking up what I thought was a game trail I turned the corner and found this nice bench made out of flat sandstone rocks!  It was definitely deliberate and provided a nice overlook to the Kane Creek Recreation Parking area.  I had a snack break then I came back around a different way.

I was scrambling over some rocks and looked below me about 6 feet and saw it – the Moab Maiden!  I literally stumbled upon this amazing petroglyph!  It was quite a shock to see and I of course took some pictures and checked the surrounding area for more.  I didn’t see more in this general location, but seeing this petroglyph was worth the effort!

After this hike, I sent a picture of the petroglyph to my friend and she said “I think that one is called the Moab Maiden or something like that.”  So, I’m going to call it that too!

The Moab Maiden is a large petroglyph on the back of a boulder.  Her arms are wide open and she has two squares just below her shoulders.  She has short but distinct hair with two long braids or strands pulled up.  It’s anyone’s guess if this is really female or male, but it really makes you wonder what it’s doing up here hidden from view?   Why would the original creator decide to put it on this boulder where very few people would see it?  There are hundreds of rock art all along the Colorado River that are easy to see, but this large petroglyph is all the way up here and hiding.  We don’t know who made it, but it’s likely 1,000+ years old.  It makes you wonder…

Always remember to never touch rock art and don’t be that person to carve their name.  The oils from your skin will damage the rock art.  Just take pictures and enjoy it without making contact with it.

Nearby is a small ring of rocks that looks like it was originally part of some type of ancient pit house.

Trek Planner Insiders will have access to two more pictures below