North Dakota · National Park trail

Painted Canyon Trail

in North Dakota

Just before you lies the beginning of the Painted Canyon Trail! This 4.3-mile-long trail offers a great pathway into the canyon I just discussed. You will descend to the canyon floor, where you will be able to fully experience the great scenery Painted Canyon has to offer.

Along the trail you will be able to see another of our park’s geological wonders, petrified wood! This rock is another great reminder of the park’s swampy past, as most petrified wood in the park are the remains of bald cypress trees. Petrified wood is formed by the conveniently named geologic process of petrifaction.

Petrifaction occurs when a tree is quickly buried in sediment or volcanic ash, protecting it from decay. This sets up the prime conditions for it to become a fossil! Groundwater that seeps through the ash and sediments begins to dissolve and carry silica, or quartz.

States: North Dakota
Trail type: National Park trail
Centroid coords: 46.8952°, -103.3799°

About Theodore Roosevelt National Park

National Park

This trail is inside Theodore Roosevelt National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $30 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/painted-canyon-trail.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/thro/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Painted Canyon Trail and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

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North Dakota