Canyon Pintado | Rangely Colorado

Hiking Canyon Pintado - Rangely ColoradoRoadside Attraction Canyon Pintado - Rangely Colorado Canyon Pintado

Rangely Colorado

Overview | Getting There | Route | Photos | Maps | Comments

Overview

Sat Sunny, with a high near 87. South southwest wind 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.
87° | 58°
Sun Sunny, with a high near 83.
83° | 55°
Mon Sunny, with a high near 80.
80° | 46°
Tue Sunny, with a high near 86.
86° | 47°
Wed Sunny, with a high near 90.
90° | 50°
View Full Forecast
RATING: Roadside / Easy Hikes
LENGTH: 1+ days
MAPS: BANTA RIDGE, CO; RANGELY, CO; WATER CANYON, CO; WHITE COYOTE DRAW, CO; PHILADELPHIA CREEK, CO
SEASON: Spring, Summer, Fall.
GEAR: Standard Hiking Gear
WATER: None, bring all you need.
Sat Sunny, with a high near 87. South southwest wind 20 to 30 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph.
87° | 58°
Sun Sunny, with a high near 83.
83° | 55°
Mon Sunny, with a high near 80.
80° | 46°
Tue Sunny, with a high near 86.
86° | 47°
Wed Sunny, with a high near 90.
90° | 50°
View Full Forecast
rock artnative american ruinsdog friendlyfamily friendlybeginneraccess: pavedaccess: high clearance

Canyon Pintado, located in the northwestern part of Colorado near the town of Rangely, is a historic and archaeological area filled with rock art and cultural remnants. Named "Painted Canyon" for its abundance of rock art, the area is home to thousands of petroglyphs and pictographs left by the Fremont and Ute peoples, dating back over a thousand years. These intricate and symbolic drawings offer insight into the lives, beliefs, and stories of the Indigenous people who once inhabited the region. Canyon Pintado lies within an expanse of sandstone cliffs, mesas, and valleys that constitutes the protected Canyon Pintado National Historic District.

Most of the sites require very short hikes to visit, and it is possibly to visit all the sites in a half-to-full day. Those interested in spending some time at the sites might want to budget a couple of days. We spent an afternoon visiting some sites, camped in Rangely, and visited more sites the next day. I thought breaking it up was a nice way to visit.

Naming History: Canyon Pintado (Spanish for "Painted Canyon") received its name in 1776 when Fathers Dominguez and Escalante noted numerous examples of ancient Native American rock art as they traveled through the Douglas Creek Valley.

"Halfway down this canyon toward the south, there is a very high cliff on which we saw crudely painted three shields or chimales and the blade of a lance. Farther down on the north side we saw another painting which crudely represented two men fighting. For this reason we called this valley Cañon Pintado."
-Fray Escalante

Getting There

See the description below for driving directions. The trip assumes starting in Rangely Colorado.

Route Description

Rock Art and Historic Site Etiquette
Rock art and historic sites are fragile, non-renewable cultural resources that, once damaged, can never be replaced. To ensure they are protected, please:
  • Avoid Touching the Petroglyphs: Look and observe, BUT DO NOT TOUCH!
  • Stay on the Trails: Stay on the most used trails when visiting sites, and don't create new trails or trample vegetation.
  • Photography and Sketching is Allowed: Do not introduce any foreign substance to enhance the carved and pecked images for photographic or drawing purposes. Altering, defacing, or damaging the petroglyphs is against the law -- even if the damage is unintentional.
  • Pets: Keep pets on a leash and clean up after them.
  • Artifacts: If you happen to come across sherds (broken pottery) or lithics (flakes of stone tools), leave them where you see them. Once they are moved or removed, a piece of the past is forever lost.
ACCESS NOTES: There are two areas to visit. The first are the sites off CO-139. Access to these sites is paved. These sites can be visited anytime, as long as there isn't much snow on the ground. The second area is off county road 23, aka Dragon Road. The county road is generally good enough for most vehicles when dry, but could be difficult when wet. The side roads off CR-23, especially the Fremont Ridge Site, require high clearance. Access to the CR-23 sites would be impossible with snow or heavy precipitation.

Camel Ridge Site

Camel Ridge Site

View from Lookout Point

View from Lookout Point

Rock art at the Hoodoo Site.

Rock art at the Hoodoo Site.

Sun Dagger

Sun Dagger

The small State Bridge Site

The small State Bridge Site

Cow Canyon Site - Canyon Pintado - Rangely Colorado

Cow Canyon Site - Canyon Pintado - Rangely Colorado

White Birds Site - Canyon Pintado

White Birds Site - Canyon Pintado

Part of the White Bird Site

Part of the White Bird Site

Kokopelli Site

Kokopelli Site

Wavy Hands in context.

Wavy Hands in context.

Close-up of Wavy Hands in Canyon Pintado

Close-up of Wavy Hands in Canyon Pintado

Shield Site - Canyon Pintado

Shield Site - Canyon Pintado

"WE ARE HERE BECAUSE WE AINT IN HELL BUT WE ARE ON OUR WAY"

Carrot Men site in Canyon Pintado

Carrot Men site in Canyon Pintado


Photos

Maps

Printable Maps:

Camel Trailhead
12T 690029E 4437703N 40°04'05"N 108°46'18"W
Camel Panel
12T 689997E 4437616N 40°04'03"N 108°46'19"W
Lookout Point Trailhead
12T 690085E 4433487N 40°01'49"N 108°46'20"W
Lookout Point Site
12T 690024E 4433639N 40°01'54"N 108°46'22"W
Hoodoo Panel Trailhead
12S 690023E 4426672N 39°58'08"N 108°46'30"W
Hoodoo Panel
12S 689990E 4426590N 39°58'05"N 108°46'31"W
East Four Mile Trailhead
12S 691506E 4424003N 39°56'40"N 108°45'30"W
Sundagger Site
12S 691884E 4424266N 39°56'48"N 108°45'14"W
Four Mile Cabin
12S 691681E 4424181N 39°56'46"N 108°45'23"W
Four Mile Site A
12S 691598E 4424259N 39°56'48"N 108°45'26"W
Four Mile Site B
12S 691487E 4424173N 39°56'46"N 108°45'31"W
Four Mile Site C
12S 691520E 4424193N 39°56'46"N 108°45'29"W
Four Mile Site D
12S 691642E 4424210N 39°56'47"N 108°45'24"W
State Bridge Trailhead
12S 692820E 4421823N 39°55'28"N 108°44'37"W
State Bridge Site
12S 692899E 4421773N 39°55'27"N 108°44'34"W
Cow Canyon Trailhead
12S 694230E 4417829N 39°53'18"N 108°43'42"W
Cow Canyon Site
12S 694217E 4417858N 39°53'19"N 108°43'43"W
White Birds Trailhead
12S 693924E 4417092N 39°52'54"N 108°43'56"W
White Birds Site
12S 693875E 4417131N 39°52'56"N 108°43'58"W
Kokopelli Trailhead
12S 693959E 4416230N 39°52'26"N 108°43'55"W
Kokopelli Site
12S 693904E 4416254N 39°52'27"N 108°43'58"W
Waving Hands Trailhead
12S 693436E 4412545N 39°50'27"N 108°44'21"W
Wavings Hands
12S 693410E 4412578N 39°50'28"N 108°44'22"W
Wavings Hands Site 2
12S 693459E 4412590N 39°50'29"N 108°44'20"W
Shield Trailhead
12T 686358E 4431092N 40°00'34"N 108°48'60"W
Shield Site
12T 686205E 4431083N 40°00'34"N 108°49'06"W
Fremont Ridge Trailhead
12S 684496E 4425668N 39°57'40"N 108°50'24"W
Fremont Ridge Site
12S 684582E 4425771N 39°57'43"N 108°50'20"W
Crooks Brand Trailhead
12S 681602E 4426451N 39°58'07"N 108°52'25"W
Carrot Men Trailhead
12S 680247E 4424036N 39°56'50"N 108°53'24"W
Carrot Men Site
12S 680188E 4423976N 39°56'48"N 108°53'27"W

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