Trail Overview

The Painted Rock Gorge is a famous gorge with a colorful rock system that draws visitors to its spectacular geology. The route features many small rock gardens with most rocks under 12 inches, though you may see a few up to 18 inches scattered throughout. You'll encounter some steps under 18 inches, adding vertical challenges. Although it can get narrow at times, there are usually spaces to pass each other, making two-way traffic manageable. Although high clearance is not necessarily needed in the first couple of miles, where good clearance is sufficient, four wheel drive and high clearance with good tires become highly recommended and are required once you start to climb out of the canyon. You'll find sections with deep ruts under 18 inches throughout. The trail runs along a shelf cliff road at various times, so be aware of others coming the other way. There are lots of switchbacks as you navigate the terrain. Near the end, there is a section that has ruts 18 to 24 inches deep caused by erosion with loose rock and sand, creating a serious final challenge. It is smooth sailing after this one. The views are spectacular.

Photos of The Painted Rock Gorge - BLM 130

Want to see more?
View All Photos

Difficulty

This is a challenging trail that starts moderate, but becomes technical. Four wheel drive and high clearance with good tires are highly recommended and become required when climbing out of the canyon. The many rock gardens with rocks up to 18 inches and rock obstacles demand skilled driving. Sections with deep ruts under 18 inches require high clearance throughout. The shelf cliff roads with lots of switchbacks require careful navigation and awareness of oncoming traffic. The section near the end with ruts 18 to 24 inches in loose rock and sand is extremely challenging and may stop some vehicles.

Technical Rating

Justin

Oct 24, 2026

Obstructed

Washout

The heavy rains that came through really affected the trails in Painted Gorge. The natural washes have cut through portions of the trail, which will cause you to temporarily lose the trail and figure out how to cut back over. The rock garden sections are much more difficult now. The shelf roads have gotten multiple wash outs and rock slides, making it inadvisable for anything bigger than a dirt bike. At 32.81032, -115.99327, the shelf road is half gone. Rubicon on 37s almost rolled off the trail here, with complete luck his trailer saved him. It took us hours to make it around to the front of the Jeep to winch him out. We had to shovel out portions of the trail and build up areas that were eroded out just to get there. We would've turned around and not driven any of those shelf roads if we had a choice. There is going to need to be some substantial work on these shelf roads before they're safe for full sized vehicles. Recommend walking ahead before you get yourself in a bad spot you can't turn around from.