The Hidden Valley Trail starts at the south end of Moab.   Turn onto Angel Rock Road then follow Rim Rock Lane to the end where there is a good parking area and signage.   The trail climbs steeply for 0.8 km up through rocky slopes over the rim of the cliffs above, then levels off as it follows Hidden Valley   The trail is a single track up to the highest point of the trail where it meets a double track (Moab Rim Trail) coming from the west.   At this juncture is a mesa with lots of interesting rock art on the south-facing walls.

From below it looks as if there is no route up through the cliffs, but a well-designed trail winds up, climbing 600 feet to the entrance to Hidden Valley.

A grassy pasture is sandwiched between the bluff overlooking Moab and the Behind the Rocks Wilderness.

The Behind the Rocks Area is very rugged and can only be accessed by hikers with scrambling skills.     Fins, steep mesas, slot canyons and ramps cover a large area south of Moab.

We followed a single track to the base of cliffs on the north side of the trail and then wound around the cliffs to observe the rock art.

For about 0.5 km is a series of petroglyphs covering a long span of years.

Most of the art was etched into the desert varnish on sandstone walls.

We scrambled up over the mesa to create a loop route.   From the top we had fine views of the La Sal Range to the east.   Once we were back on the main trail the return hike was a quick one.   The trail + scramble return route was about 7.5 km.

The combination of an interesting route, fine views, rock art, and desert hills terrain makes this hike a rewarding one.   We will be back on this trail to access the Behind the Rocks Wilderness Area.