Painted Canyon Trailhead

Daniel Schlaegel

It’s a beautiful canyon a bit tricky to hike it’s loose rough gravel and sand . The ladders are a cool feature too. It gets very hot here so hydrate well

Jorge Lopez

Fun and cool hike. You can do this hike in a loop which is what most people choose. Others backtrack and come down the ladders after reaching the top. I suggest doing the loop by climbing the ladders first reaching the top then comeback via the canyon. Things to consider in this hike is your vehicle, the road is in pretty good shape most of the time however if there is rain your car will not make it unless you have high clearance and 4 wheel drive. Second take lots of water. This is a desert area and the hike can take some time to do I did the loop in about 2 hrs single hiker with no stops. The top of the hike is exposed with no shade. Lastly at the top you can get cell reception at least for Verizon. This may be helpful in an emergency. The area is now used for camping and it is a pretty popular trail. Happy hiking!

Barba Mundial

Truly a hidden gem in Southern California. Did not expect to see this type of topography and geology so close to Los Angeles. It really does feel like you're in Utah, or Arizona. The Painted Canyon is parallel to the Ladders Canyon, and most people do the loop to get a taste of both: I recommend the painted canyon/ladders Canyon loop trail on AllTrails, and to do it clockwise.

Sheri Lucas

We did this hike today (3 over 50 years old, 12 year old and a 15 year old) and it was amazing. I would give it 10/5 stars if I could . We missed the turn driving there off of Box Canyon Rd. The turn is on to a sand road and you drive on it for approx. 2 kms and I would recommend not taking a car. The way back was worse like a washboard. Having said that I would definitely make the drive out as it is definitely worthwhile. When you drive in make sure you drive to the very end (past the small parking lot with the washrooms) to a larger parking area - you will know when you get there! You will see a big arrow on the ground but should have no issues finding the trail head. The hike will take you about 2 hours however there is so much to take in that we spent four hours - admiring the rocks and canyons, taking photos and enjoying the beauty of it all. Lots of great places to enjoy a lunch/snack or take a nap! The ladders were very easy to climb and felt very secure. Our kids had no problem going up and down. I would suggest you bring lots of water as it does get hot when you are walking on top of the canyon walls. We started the hike mid day so we had some nice shade the later part of our walk. I would also recommend downloading the All Trails map as it easy to see where you are if you get a bit turned around. There are arrows on the ground to ensure you are going the right way (large arrows made out of rock) but if you are gazing around you might miss them. There are also rocks across the path in a line that also give you a hint that you may not be on the main trail. You can go down them but they usually lead to a dead end but nice if you want some variety and different view points. I highly recommend this trail and we will be definitely be heading back to see where the other trails lead!