Parking
Use the roadside parking area on U.S. 191 about half a mile north of the Colorado River; start on the paved pathway across Courthouse Wash.
Overview
About Courthouse Wash Panel Trail
Why go
- A rare mix of painted figures and carved markings at one small site.
- The paved, level crossing gives an accessible view before the rough final climb.
Heads up
- The weathered details can be hard to make out without binoculars.
- The last short section climbs over uneven rock.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Arches map
Full mapElevation3,963–4,062 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Arches Tour Guide
Your drive to Courthouse Wash Panel Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Arches National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Arches audio tourRecorded for this area
La Sal Mountains Viewpoint0:00 / 0:27
“Up ahead is La Sal Mountains Viewpoint, where red sandstone towers stand against the much higher mountains beyond. Give it five minutes if you’d like a sense of the whole landscape.”
Plays on the road 1.4 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Arches Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Park Avenue Viewpoint
- Moab Fault Viewpoint
- Arches Visitor Center
- Courthouse Towers Viewpoint
- 35 audio storiesacross Arches’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Raven, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 28 trails, 41 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“I can’t believe how helpful this app is and how interesting the information is for each highlight along the Arches Scenic Drive! This is the first park I’ve used it in.”
Trail guide
Hiking Courthouse Wash Panel Trail
The short walk to the panelCourthouse Wash Panel Trail is an easy 0.8-mile out-and-back from roadside parking on U.S.
Courthouse Wash Panel Trail is an easy 0.8-mile out-and-back from roadside parking on U.S. 191 to a cliff-base panel of painted and carved rock art. Allow 30 to 60 minutes. Follow the paved, level pathway across Courthouse Wash on a small bridge, then take the dirt path and a brief climb over uneven rock to the west-facing cliff. The first paved section is wheelchair accessible and the panel is visible from there; the rough final approach is not.
At the information sign, follow the path left around the large boulder instead of aiming straight up the cliff. If you want to see the fine marks, bring binoculars; some are hard to make out from the trail.
What to look forLong, tapered painted figures in the Barrier Canyon Style are thought to be 1,500 to 4,000…
Long, tapered painted figures in the Barrier Canyon Style are thought to be 1,500 to 4,000 years old. Lighter circular designs were added later, but their age and makers are uncertain. Smaller carved marks appear on the wall, the adjacent boulder and even the rock along the walkway, so the artwork is spread across more than one surface.
A fragile recordThe panel was vandalized in 1980.
The panel was vandalized in 1980. Cleaning and restoration revealed older painted figures beneath white circular additions, and infrared photographs made in 2008 exposed figures that are difficult to see with the naked eye. Archaeologists use that work to study how the images changed over time. Stay on the path and never touch the paintings or carvings; even skin oils can damage this fragile site.
Access and rulesThe roadside parking area is on U.S. 191 about half a mile north of the Colorado River.
The roadside parking area is on U.S. 191 about half a mile north of the Colorado River. Dogs are not allowed, though service animals are permitted. You can view the panel from the paved section if the uneven final climb is not right for you.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Arches
14 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
10 sightingsPronghornMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
608 sightingsRavenMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
187 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
51 sightingsPrairie DogMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
15 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Arches. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
