The looped trail begins 2.4 miles from the Needle district visitor center near a cowboy camp tucked under a rock wall. Pictographs on a nearby wall show signs of a much earlier life here. Kids love climbing the trail's two wooden ladders leading to spectacular views of massive rock formations. They also enjoy following cairns, or piles of rock that guide them across the sandstone. Along the way kids dash into rock overhangs that become their instant forts and cool hideouts.
Cairns mark the way over slickrock, providing route-finding fun for every hiker.
But please keep hands and feet out of potholes, because oils and lotions from human skin pollute these temporary oases, essential links in the high-desert life cycles of countless plants and animals. Pothole Point Trail is 5.8 miles from the Needles District Visitor Center. 1000 A.D. A stop at A.H.C., a museum for interpreting the history and cultures of the Four Corners region, is an ideal starting point for hikes featuring archaeological sites. Mesa Verde sits directly south. The lake below is McPhee Reservoir.