Exploring Painted Canyon


I took the new Jeep Grand Cherokee on a little adventure outside of Palm Springs along the San Andreas Fault to Painted Canyon, the fault line runs from Bombay Beach, near the Salton Sea, that transitions into upturned strata associated with that section of the fault. The canyons are located outside of the small desert community of Mecca, about an hour south to Painted Canyon & Ladder Canyon, and a pretty easy drive, even in a 2WD, for those looking to hike it is about a 6.5-mile trek two do both canyons and California Through my Lens has a great guide for hiking the trail.

Be sure to plan ahead and bring plenty of water and fuel because once you leave Mecca there is nowhere to stop. If you are going to hike don't leave anything visible in your car as cars have been broken into that were parked at the trailhead.