Painted Desert (Arizona) plateau's south border the Mogollon Rim, the north border of the Arizona transition zone. Owing to the strong rain shadow of the Mogollon Rim, the Painted Desert has a cold desert climate (Köppen "BWk"), with hot, dry summers and cold, though virtually snow-free winters. The annual precipitation is the lowest in northern Arizona and in many places is lower even than Phoenix. Much of the region is accessible only by foot or unpaved road though major highways and paved roads cut across the area. The towns of Cameron and Tuba City, both on the Navajo Nation, are two major settlements.
Monastery of Christ in the Desert facilities. Christ in the Desert has three dependent monasteries. Two are in Mexico (Nuestra Senora de la Soledad and Monasterio Benedictino De Santa María y Todos Los Santos) and the other is in Kerens, Texas (Benedictine Monastery of Thien Tam). These monasteries also observe the Benedictine life with no apostolate other than a guesthouse. The monastery maintains one of the largest private solar power systems in the US, which provides its only source of electricity. The monastery comprises men from many nations. English is the common language of the house. In 2006 the monastery was the setting for a TLC