About
Length1 mi
ShapeLoop
DifficultyModerate
Elevation gain100 ft up
Typical time30 min
TrailheadBlue Mesa, off the main park road
SurfacePaved but steep, descending into badlands
Best seasonSpring and autumn. The park closes at night and gate hours are short, so plan long walks around them.
DogsLeashed / limited stretches
What you'll see 🌄 Big views🏛️ Historic site

Length: 1 mile (1.6 km) loop Trailhead: Blue Mesa sun shelter Descending from the mesa, this alternately paved and gravel trail loop offers the unique experience of hiking among badland hills of bluish bentonite clay as well as petrified wood. Numerous plant and animal fossils have been found by paleontologists in the sedimentary layers of Blue Mesa. Steep grade at beginning of trail

Tips
The best trail in the park. Paved but genuinely steep on the descent and the climb back. The banded bentonite hills are best in low light or under cloud, when the colours saturate.
Location

Blue Mesa, off the main park road

Other Hikers
No one has logged this trail yet.
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