more, Museum of Western Colorado: Dinosaur Journey Museum. Anyway: Rattlesnake canyon is supposed to have the second biggest concentration of arches in the country; second only to Arches National Park in Utah. Trail Summary: Rattlesnake Canyon Arches is a beautiful out and back hike located in western Colorado. Check out page 26 of theÂ. Around 1808, the Santa Barbara Mission received water from Mission Creek through an aqueduct that was made by the Chumash people.Through Las Canoas (The Flumes), water was funneled from Rattlesnake Canyon into ⦠A trail leads from the parking area across a mesa for a half mile where it descends to a bench that it uses to travel around the cliffs until it is above Rattlesnake Canyon. Centennial Arch, also dubbed East Rim Arch or Rattlesnake Arch, is the siteâs most elegant archway with a thin 40-foot span above a 120-foot-high window. The Rattlesnake Arches are off the beaten path, but those willing to make the journey will be rewarded with one of Coloradoâs most remarkable landscapes. Both the Pollock Bench and Pollock Canyon trails provide access to many neighboring trail systems. One of the best-kept secrets in Colorado is hiking Rattlesnake Arches from the Colorado River. Grand Junction invites you to celebrate our Nationâs independence! The 13-mile-long drive on Black Ridge Access Road west of Colorado National Monument takes you to the upper trailhead, which makes for a much shorter hike. The road into the canyon is only accessible by a 4X4 vehicle, so keep that in mind if you want to visit Rattlesnake canyon. Rattlesnake Canyon is a scenic area within the Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness which in turn forms the core of the Bureau of Land Management administered McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area in west central Colorado. Between these canyons are pinon-juniper covered mesas which slope downward to the Colorado River. Colorado is home to dozens of stunning canyons of its own, including the jaw-dropping Rattlesnake Canyon near Fruita. Maybe someone saw a rattlesnake in this canyon years ago, so that's how it got it's name! The canyon contains nine natural arches, the second highest concentration of such arches in the United States, after the much better known Arches National Park. Rattlesnake Canyon provides outstanding opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation. These soaring spans, protected in the 123,400-acre McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area, form the worldâs second largest concentration of arches outside of Utahâs Arches National Park. Just consider Rattlesnake Canyon in Colorado to be the stateâs very own Grand Canyon, and one visit to this spectacular scenery will make you fall in love with Colorado all over again. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book online for the date(s) you selected. This trailhead is easily accessible from the mild dirt road running along the Colorado River. For experienced and adventurous hikers, this trip is not to be missed. Plan on a full-day adventure and carry plenty of water, at least two liters per hiker. Incredible whitewater rafting on the Colorado River. 13 reviews of Rattlesnake Canyon "Always a good time. The other two varieties, the Massasauga and the Midget Faded Rattlesnake, will grow to around 30 inches. We had a great time!! Bridge Arch within Rattlesnake Arches in Black Ridge Canyons Wilderness, Colorado. The arches are great to see. Make sure you have. As the ancient inland sea disappeared, erosion started sculpting contoured alcoves in the cliff with wind-blown grit, frost wedging, and quick runoff thinning out the alcoves until holes appeared. Hikers without a four-wheel-drive vehicle can park eight miles after at the junction of the two roads and either hike or mountain bike the last couple miles to the trailhead. The strenuous hike threads up rock-walled canyons, scrambles over sandy slabs, and skirts strangely eroded hoodoos and spires, but gets you to the same jaw-dropping scenery as the upper trailhead. Rattlesnake Canyon â Area Recreation. Maybe someone saw a rattlesnake in this canyon years ago, so that's how it got it's name! Rattlesnake Canyon stretches from Skofield Park into the Santa Ynez mountains. Four Ways to Enjoy Fall Foliage on the Western Slope. Enjoy paddleboarding, kayaking, tubing, or wading along the Colorado River. Although this is referred to as a canyon, the normal destination is a ridge above and west of Colorado National Monument with numerous arches. The northern end of western Coloradoâs Uncompahgre Plateau comes alive with remote canyons that slice through colorful sandstone layers to form cliffs, pinnacles, alcoves, andâmost impressivelyâarches. This is a beautiful canyon. Trickling water later enlarged the holes, leaving todayâs magnificent parade of arches. If youâre looking for a longer hike or just want to avoid the 4x4 route, the Pollock Bench Trailhead is another option. Look up to catch turkey vultures, golden eagles, and hawks flying above the arches. While the arches have always had affectionate nicknames, it wasnât until 1972 that any of the arches was officially named. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. It is a bit difficult to get to it; the roads require four-wheel drive, and they can be impassable when wet. Leaving Rattlesnake Arch, I continued to enjoy the scenery of both Rattlesnake Canyon and the sandstone wall above the trail. Search for exclusive lodging deals in Grand Junction. Turn left at off ramp and cross back over I-70 and follow the signs to Colorado National Monument (CNM). Alert hikers will spot wildlife, including mule deer, coyotes, desert bighorn sheep, grey foxes, cottontail rabbits, lizards, and occasionally a midget faded rattlesnake, a small, seldom-seen rattler. But I usually hike it about every other year or so, and I've never seen a rattlesnake! Geologic features in this area includes arches, spires, windows, giant alcoves and desert patina. Accessible only by a rough drive on a 4x4 track and a moderate hike or about a 15-mile round-trip trek from a trailhead west of Grand Junction. The trailhead starts at the end of the 4x4 road and descends down to the bench. Another place we see rattlesnakes is Clear Creek Canyon. Make a four-mile, out-and-back hike to the arches before retracing your steps down to the trailhead. 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