The hike begins near the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum by descending into the bottom of the canyon. You'll soon get to enjoy up-close-and-personal views of the cliff dwelling—savor this stunning piece of history before continuing your hike. About 1.4 miles from the trailhead, you'll come to the petroglyph panel on the canyon wall. "The panel is extensive, over 20 feet wide, and quite high up so can be difficult to photograph effectively," according to AmericanSouthwest.net. "The designs are somewhat faded but varied, including hand prints, animals, humans, spirals and other geometric shapes."

After traversing the bottom of the canyon, you'll have to ascend to the rim. The climb to the top is steep and can be strenuous. "You’ll scramble up a large stone staircase using hands and feet to climb to the top," according to the NPS. The stone staircases are very narrow in spots, passing through small gaps in the rock. If this portion of the hike appears too challenging, it's best to simply retrace your steps back to the museum.

Once on top of the canyon rim, you'll enjoy a mellow hike back around to where you began. The hiking here is easy, and you'll enjoy several stunning vistas over the deep canyon below. After spending time in that same canyon, gaining views from above provides a totally different perspective!