Painted Canyon Ladder Hike
Painted Canyon Ladder Hike
Driving southeast down Highway 111 you’ll pass through the Coachella Valley, past wind farms, outlet stores, and nearly every desert city south of the 1-10 and north of Mexico. Stop in the unincorporated town of Mecca, turn left onto 66^th^ Avenue (which becomes Box Canyon Road), continue past the Coachella Canal, and turn left onto Painted Canyon Road. In about four miles, the road becomes a parking lot. If you’ve driven the right vehicle for such sandy terrain, you will have avoided getting stuck in the sand, and you will have made it to the parking lot. Now, exit the vehicle and walk the Painted Canyon Ladder trails through the gorgeous mountains that fade between deep reddish brown to light, almost white, ochre brown.
Some of the trails include ladders leaning against small cliffs. Others include ropes tethered to the cliff walls. Climbing up the ropes is a fun challenge, but climbing down the ropes is a whole different kind of challenge that requires you to make a wedge of your body so as to avoid flinging yourself against the rock walls. Climbing the ropes will make you feel like a superhero, even is you come through with a few bruises and scraped ribs.
One of the trails is a giant loop, the peak of which offers a view of Mecca and the Salton Sea. The loop is quite difficult, and takes 3-4 hours and the promise of a good Mexican restaurant in your future to complete.
Another trail snaked through a slot canyon tucked between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate along the San Andres Fault. At points, it is so narrow you have to turn sideways to shimmy through. Much of the trail through the canyon is shaded by the giant rock walls, while the trail along the top of the canyon is exposed to the hot, low desert sun.