Atlas › Mecca Hills / Coachella
Painted Canyon
verified
ACA 2A
High flood risk
Mecca, CA
Mecca Hills loop where placed ladders and fixed ropes get hikers up the dry falls of the Ladder Canyon side slot, then back via the broader Painted Canyon wash.
Ladders and ropes are community-maintained and occasionally damaged or missing; check recent trip reports if you need them to be in place. The geology is the draw: badlands faulted by the San Andreas, with bands of red, ochre, and green mudstone exposed in the walls.
Logistics
| Manager | BLM Palm Springs - South Coast FO, Mecca Hills Wilderness |
|---|---|
| Permit | No permit required. No fee. |
| Distance | 6.1 loop via Ladder Canyon |
| Elevation | ~720 ft gain on approach; ~320 ft gain on exit |
| Time | 3-5 hr |
| Technical | Semi-technical loop. Permanently placed wooden ladders and fixed static ropes get hikers up the dry falls in the Ladder Canyon side-slot, then the route exits back via the broader Painted Canyon wash. No technical gear needed when the ladders are in place, but ropes are easier going up than down. |
| Season | Nov-Mar. Brutal heat May-Sep. |
| Flood risk | High. San Andreas-shattered Mecca Hills drainage, flashy in any local storm. |
| Vehicle access | 2WD when dry on Painted Canyon Rd off Box Canyon Rd, last 4.6 mi on rough sand and dirt. Park as soon as the road turns deep sand; the marked trailhead is past that point but many vehicles cannot reach it. |
| Crowd | Heavy on winter weekends; quiet midweek. |
| Coordinates | 33.6191, -115.9991 |