Take a journey down to the Utah/Arizona border, and you’ll find some of the world’s most incredible sandstone formations. People come from all over the world to explore Buckskin Gulch and The Wave, and they’re some of the most-photographed places in the Southwest.

Permits are required for The Wave and Buckskin Gulch, and they can be difficult to get, but the Edmaiers Secret Trail is a great alternative.

The landscape near the Utah/Arizona border is otherworldy. The Navajo sandstone formations here have been carved by wind and water since the Jurassic Age, and they're truly spectacular.
Rick M/Alltrails
To take the Edmairs Secret Trail, start at the Buckskin Gulch Trailhead. There's a parking lot there, and you'll pay a $6 BLM fee.
Gilles Pellerin/Alltrails
The trail is 4.4 miles out and back. Make sure you're prepared for this hike with plenty of water. The trail is almost completely flat, but you'll be exposed to the sun the entire time.
Marlene King/Alltrails
The trail follows along the gulch, winding through sagebrush along the sandy terrain. You'll soon come to some cone-shaped formations. Check out the deep ridges and grooves carved into the rock.
Marlene King/Alltrails

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Just a little farther down the trail, you'll come to a large field of mounds that are often referred to as "brain rocks." You can see why! The bumpy texture and striations in these mounds does look an awful lot like the surface of a human brain.
Ernst Fricke/Alltrails
You'll also see all kinds of odd formations where portions of the rock seem to be peeling away. Thin layers create odd fins and interesting designs.
Marlene King/Alltrails
In some places, thin sheets of rock create natural sculptures. These large shingles look as though they were placed there on purpose, but they're just the result of the different rates of erosion of the rock layers.
Doug Neidholdt/Alltrails
Edmairs Secret is named after Bernard Edmair, a German geologist who specializes in aerial photography. He photographed this area from a plane for his book Earthsong in 2005. You'll definitely want to explore this unique spot!
Rick M/Alltrails

Have you hiked Edmairs Secret Trail? We’d love to read about your adventure and see your photos in the comments!

Learn more about Buckskin Gulch here, and read about The Wave in this article.

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