Picture Canyon
Picture Canyon allows visitors to step back in time to discover remnants of Plains Indian cultures in rock imagery and early 20th century homestead remains. It is also an excellent site for viewing Bullock's oriole, scaled quail, several species of towhees, wrens and sparrows, ladder-backed woodpecker, eastern phoebe and blue grosbeaks. Scenic vistas, unique rock formations, gentle sandstone canyons and rolling hills are the main attractions on the 13 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails that start here.
General Information
As you enter this area, please remember that you are the guardian of this unique canyon. Rock imagery, stone tools, charred bones and rubble from dwellings provide evidence that people thrived on the Comanche National Grassland for thousands of years. Each relic of the past holds a clue that archaeologists use to reconstruct life here long ago. These cultural resources are ancient, fragile and irreplaceable. If destroyed or removed, the information they reveal is lost forever and so is a legacy that belongs to us all.
Please do not touch rock imagery. Oils from your hands promote deterioration of the drawings and the rock surface. Do not draw or scratch graffiti on rocks or cliff faces. Graffiti defaces a fragile, irreplaceable legacy. All cultural resources on public lands are protected by law.
Open year-round
All day
Park in designated areas only. No shooting. Use existing fire grates only. No camping is allowed.
The Antiquities Act and the Archaeological Resources Protection Act impose fines and penalties for disturbing or removing artifacts. Please help protect our past. Report any acts of vandalism to the Comanche National Grassland office in La Junta at 719-384-2181 or in Springfield at 719-523-6591. We thank you for observing the rules for this area and for helping us to preserve this valuable resource. Please be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Commercial use is required to have a special use permit. Fees vary.
No fees are required for this site
Address: 1420 East Third Street La Junta, CO 81050
Phone: 719-384-2181
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Closed for lunch 12:00 p.m. – 1:00p.m. (Closed on federal holidays)
Getting There
Latitude / Longitude
Latitude: 37.0123672
Longitude: -102.7446393
Elevation
4,300 feet
Directions
From Springfield, Colo., drive south on Highway 287 for 17 miles; turn right (west) on County Road M for 8 miles; turn left (south) on County Road 18 for 8 miles; turn right (south) at the Picture Canyon road sign (Forest Service Road 533) and continue 1 mile to the parking area.
From La Junta, Colo., drive south on Highway 109 for 58 miles; turn left (east) at Highway 160 for 25 miles; turn right (south) at County Road 10 for 9 miles; turn left (east) on County Road M for 8 miles; turn right (south) on County Road 18 for 8 miles; turn right (south) at the Picture Canyon road sign (Forest Service Road 533) and continue 1 mile to the parking area.
Facility and Amenity Information
Restrooms
Vault toilet(s)Water
Potable water is not available at this site.
