Painted Canyon

Painted Canyon would be a rare semi-technical slot canyon in the Palm Desert, but ladders and ropes have been placed at the drops to allow easier access to the public, although dogs and small kids may have a hard time going down the static ropes. This is an extremely popular trailhead.

Take Painted Canyon Road, a fairly rough dirt and sand road off of Box Canyon Road, 4.6 miles to the parking area. The parking area is just outside the canyon; walk up canyon from your vehicle to a large fork 450 ft from the parking area. Taking the left fork will lead you up onto the plateau above the main canyon while the much larger right fork is the main canyon itself.

Most parts of Painted Canyon can be traveled in either direction. The main attraction of this trip are the slot canyon sections, located off the main canyon. There are several routes possible, and all can be done one way or another, but remember that ropes are easier and less scary going UP. Both the Big and Short loop will take you to the most popular section, the Ladder trail through a small slot canyons 0.4 miles from the parking area off the main canyon one RDC.