Painted Canyon is within the Mecca Hills in southern California. This scenic geologic area is located on the eastern side of the southern Coachella Valley and is accessible via a well-maintained unpaved road that starts about 4 miles east of Mecca along Box Canyon Road. The canyon road starts about 12 miles south of the southern entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, and the drive is both scenic and highly recommended for nature observation and hiking in cool weather. The Mecca Hills are a rising block of sedimentary formations sandwiched between earthquake faults associated with the southern San Andreas Fault System that runs basically along the eastern side of the Coachella Valley and the Salton Sea (Sylvester and Smith, 1987). The Orocopia Mountains rise to the east of the Painted Canyon area, and the Cottonwood Mountains are to the north (in southern Joshua Tree National Park). The park features faults, Precambrian, Tertiary and Quaternary rock formations, unconformities, badlands and desert landforms, slot canyons, and diverse habitats for Colorado Desert fauna and flora. The land is managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in cooperation with other federal, state, and local organizations.

See nearby Joshua Tree National Park or Coachella Valley Preserve.

See Selected References.