Skip to main content

Arch Rock Trail

Arch Rock Trail is an 8-mile hiking trail located in Picture Canyon. Please carry water with you, as the spring water is not safe to drink. Look for cairns, or stone posts, to help you locate the trails. Please stay on the trails and pay attention to your surroundings. Shortgrass prairie and rocky areas are home to rattlesnakes and cacti.

General Information

No potable water

Additional Information

Operated By

Comanche National Grassland

Recreation Opportunities

Viewing Scenery Info

On the Comanche National Grassland, you can explore southeastern Colorado's rich history. The grassland has many stories to tell, from dinosaurs roaming the shoreline of a vast lake 150 million years ago to Mexican and American traders traveling the Santa Fe Trail 150 years ago. This is a timeless land of scenic creek canyons, picturesque grasslands, unique sights and activities. Trace the Cimarron Route of the Santa Fe Trail or explore the region for wagon tracks, fossils and dinosaur tracks.  Horseback ride through the expansive Comanche National Grassland or discover petroglyphs in Picture Canyon.

Viewing Wildlife Info

Henry David Thoreau could have been in Baca County when he observed, "The birds I heard today, sang as freshly as if it had been the first morning of creation." Spring mornings at the Comanche National Grassland in Baca County are alive with the haunting mating calls of lesser prairie-chicken showing off brilliant red and yellow feathers and performing their stomping courtship dance. Watch for other wildlife throughout the county. Rare species such as the lesser prairie-chicken, golden eagle and the swift fox make the Comanche their home. A wide variety of other animals, including pronghorn, coyotes, hawks, burrowing owls, wild turkeys, badgers, prairie dogs, turtles, roadrunners and collared lizards also live here.

Viewing Plants Info

The Comanche National Grassland is a place of unequaled sunsets, golden prairies, fragrant juniper canyonlands and a vast array of plants and flowers.

Picnicking - Single Info

Covered picnic tables available for use.

Horseback Riding Info

Certified weed-free hay and feed must be used for livestock while on the Comanche National Grassland.

Last updated June 12th, 2025