Dinosaur National Monument · Colorado, Utah

Swelter Shelter Trail

0.1 mi of trail, end to end · about 30 ft of climbing · 4,840 ft–4,874 ft · earth surface · hiking

Exhibits

4,840 ft 4,874 ft · 0.1 mi high 4,874 ft

Along the way Swelter Shelter Interpretive Exhibit

Trailhead Swelter Shelter Trailhead 4,840 ft Drive there

Hike to the Swelter Shelter Petroglyphs the Park Service's write-up

10-30 Minutes · dogs allowed · season This path is short and may be covered with snow during the winter, but the road to this site is typically accessible year round.

Start Cub Creek Road

A short stone wall covered in snow offers a place to view petroglyphs and pictographs.
Swelter Shelter offers a place to see a variety of petroglyphs and pictographs. Photo: NPS / Dan Johnson

Distance: 400 feet (122 m) round trip

Elevation Change: Minimal, with a few stone stairs

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Type of Trail: Out and back

Trailheads: Cub Creek Road 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the Quarry Visitor Center, Stop #1 on Tour of Tilted Rocks Scenic Drive

This short walk ends at the Swelter Shelter site, which features a variety of petroglyphs (etchings) and pictographs (paintings) created by the ancestral indigenous people of the region. Based on arheological evidence, the shelter was used, but not extensively occupied, by these peoples. It may have been reserved for special purposes and activities. Swelter Shelter has been occupied by older cultures dating to as early as 7000 BCE.

Don't touch! Petroglyphs and pictographs are fragile, irreplaceable records of the past that many still hold sacred. Touching them can leave skin oils behind, and tracings or rubbings can ruin the designs. Federal law protects all artifacts, including these sites. Do your part to respect and protect the past, and report any vandalism you find.

A pamphlet for this trail is available at the Visitor Centers.

Accessibility The path to the Swelter Shelter Petroglyphs is short and relatively level with a few stone stairs at the end. The terrain is unpaved, mostly packed dirt and gravel, and at least 2 feet (0.6 m) wide. It's not wheelchair accessible, but the flat section before the stairs may be possible in a wheelchair with some assistance. The petroglyphs can be seen from the parking area with binoculars. Leashed pets are allowed on this trail.

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

All 35 trails in Dinosaur National MonumentFind a trailOn the parks mapPark on nps.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.