Painted Desert Rim Trail
The unpaved Painted Desert Rim Trail begins from either Tawa Point or Kachina Point, just north of the Visitor Center in the northern unit of the park.
Plan Around Painted Desert Rim Trail
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
Painted Desert Rim Trail Details
The unpaved Painted Desert Rim Trail begins from either Tawa Point or Kachina Point, just north of the Visitor Center in the northern unit of the park. The one-mile roundtrip hike winds through the rim woodland, offering spectacular views of the painted desert, as well as an opportunity to view wildlife within the trail's plants, shrubs and trees. Hikers will see rolling, colorful badlands in all directions, including Pilot Rock to the northwest, Chinde Mesa to the north and Lithodendron Wash, which runs through most of the district.
Difficulty
Low
Distance
1 mile
Estimated time
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around Painted Desert Rim Trail
Compare nearby parks around Painted Desert Rim Trail when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around Painted Desert Rim Trail
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond Painted Desert Rim Trail while the map context is still fresh.
0.0 mi away
Painted Desert Inn
This inn has spend almost 100 years overlooking the Painted Desert.
0.1 mi away
Kachina Point
The Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark at Kachina Point once served as a way station for travelers along historic Route 66.
0.3 mi away
Tawa Point
The Painted Desert Rim Trail has trailheads at Tawa Point and Kachina Point; it's about a one-mile roundtrip between the two points.
0.4 mi away
Chinde Point
The Navajo word "chinde" means ghost or unwelcome spirit, perhaps a reference to the dinosaur bones found in abundance here.
0.6 mi away
No Name Point
Visitors who enter Petrified Forest National Park at the north entrance can head north past a number of scenic overlooks, each providing a view of the Painted Desert.
