Picketwire Canyon

Located just 30 miles south of La Junta, Picketwire Canyon is great for a more strenuous adventure. No motorized vehicles are allowed in the canyon except for guided tours led by Comanche National Grassland rangers.

The canyon is open to the public though, the Withers Canyon Trailhead on the mesa above the canyon offers access to Picketwire Canyon for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. Picketwire Canyon contains one of the largest dinosaur track beds in the world, ruins of an old Mexican mission and settlement, Native American rock art, and an early 19th century ranch, now preserved by the Comanche National Grassland.

Plan carefully if you plan to visit the canyon as your hike can be anywhere from 2 miles to 17 miles round trip depending on where you go. For example it is over 10 miles round trip to the dinosaur track site – the most popular destination in the canyon.