Site Open

Picture Canyon

Picture Canyon allows visitors to step back in time to discover remnants of Plains Indian cultures in rock art 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.

No camping is allowed in Picture Canyon.

General Information

Open Year Round

All day

Commercial use is required to have a special use permit. Fees vary. Contact the Forest Service office in Springfield at 719-523-6591 for further information.

Park in designated areas only. No shooting. Use existing fire grates only. No camping is allowed. As you enter this area, please remember that you are the guardian of this unique canyon. Rock art, 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 art. 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. 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.

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Getting There

Latitude / Longitude

Latitude: 37.0123672

Longitude: -102.7446393

Directions

From Springfield, Colorado, 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 2361) and continue on into the recreation area.