Moenkopi Brokeback Loop (to Cowboy Hill O&B) - 4/25/26

Wilson and Rainbow Peaks from Brokeback Mountain Trail

Kraft Mountain from Moenkopi Trail

Cliffs along Red Rock Wash

Moenkopi Trail

Over the last few years, bike trails have popped up between the North Blue Diamond Hill and SR 159 across from Calico Basin. Until recently, these trails didn't seem that attractive to hikers since they began as routes for bikers to enter Red Rock without having to deal with the fee booth traffic. Now, these trails have become very interesting. They offer sandstone outcrops, access to Cowboy Hill and the rest of the North Blue Diamond Hill trail system from the Moenkopi Trailhead, cliff inspections, and culvert tunnels! For what more could you ask? So, the other day, Susan and I parked at the Moenkopi Trailhead, went through the pedestrian gate and took a hard right to begin our exploration.

Dipping down to Red Rock Wash on Moenkopi Trail

View back after reaching Wash

View of North Blue Diamond Hill from Moenkopi Trail

Sandstone outcrop on Brokeback Mountain Trail

The vague trail to the right led straight over to the cliff that rises above the very wide Red Rock Wash. There is a use trail that leads down but we preferred to go back to the Moenkopi Trail and hike in style. The vague trail continues along and back over to the main trail. Following the Moenkopi Trail we passed the Firehouse Trail junction, another trail that led down to the wash and the Yellow Sandstone Trail junction. We continued straight.

Susan poking around for Fossils

Kay enjoying the Views

Sandstone wash at bottom of Muffins Hill

View back down sandstone Wash

As we hiked, the trail lowered down into the wash. To our right, all we could see was 0.15 mile of gravel and brush reaching across to SR 159. Soon, we passed colorfully painted rocks that clued us in on the names of our trail and a trail that forked to the right. Our trail was named Brokeback Mountain Trail, due to the path of the trail wandering up and down the hillside to the left. The trail forking to the right leads to a culvert tunnel into Red Rock. (We will explore that at a later date.) As we continued following Brokeback Mountain Trail, we found ourselves hiking along the base of the hill on a sandstone outcrop. There were a couple of places where the sandstone reached up the hill. We climbed up one to take a look. Hmm. Pretty cool. 😎 The trail proceeded up the wash along the base of the hill and met up with one of the Cowboy Trails at a small canyon wash. We took a right fork and continued up toward the Muffins approach trail. (Very familiar territory!) To put an exclamation point on this newly created hike, we made our way over past the horse corral and found a good start to the vague trail that climbs up what I am calling Cowboy Hill. This trail didn't always appear vague!

Trail leading back down to Red Rock Wash

Cowboy Hill in foreground to Right

Trail leading to horse Corrals

Corralled horses for visitors' Enjoyment

In fact, by the looks of the complete Cowboy Hill Trail, it was once used as part of the trail rides for said visitors. However, it is not used anymore for the horse rides and seldom do we see hikers along the ridge. It is difficult to find the zigzagging trail up the southwest side of the hill but somehow, I always find it near the top of the initial climb. The trail follows along the ridge of the hill and eventually comes to a small peak where there used to be a circle for the horse trains. There is also a well-made (albeit in poor condition) trail that descends down the north side of the hill from the peak. The peak views are of the route we took getting there. Here, we went straight down ... directly through an abundance of red brome (cheatgrass).

The climb up Cowboy Hill

Interesting sponge fossil fact: The ones that have the middle filled is a sponge and the ones that are just circles and empty are sponge skeletons!

The northeast side descent of Cowboy Hill

Hiking through the maze of Red Rock Wash

Starting along the cliffs next to Red Rock Wash

The cheatgrass covered our shoes and socks by the time we got to the bottom! (Gaiters would be appropriate everywhere off trail at this time!) Here, we sat and took our break. The wide wash with paths of gravel stretched out in front of us. We simply pointed our nose to the sandstone outcrop on the side of the North Blue Diamond Hill and found the best way to get there by foot! Upon reaching Brokeback Mountain Trail, we hiked back toward the Moenkopi Trail until we reached the trail that dips back down into the wash connecting us with the cliff base trail. This trail winded along the base of the cliffs and finally came to the old road exit. When we reached the top of the cliff on the old road, we were very close to the parking lot. Fun and interesting new route. We saw only two bikes along the way on this beautiful Saturday. The hikers we saw were all enjoying the Cowboy Trails or Firehouse Hill.

Stats: 6 miles; 625' gain: 4.25 hours

Light trail along base of Cliffs

Tall cliffs along Trail

Kay starts up the old road to exit the Wash