Rattlesnake Canyon Arches Colorado Hike Guide

Rattlesnake Canyon Arches is a beautiful out and back hike located in western Colorado. While many people associate natural arches with Utah, Rattlesnake Canyon is a unique opportunity to hike to and on top of an arch right here in Colorado. This trail has two variations, one requiring a 4×4 or high clearance AWD vehicle that is shorter and one that any car could get to but requires additional mileage.

Both versions of the hike let hikers see several natural arches and windows in one beautiful hike. There are pros and cons of both versions which I will discuss more below. Rattlesnake Canyon Arches is not a destination hike, but is a must visit if you are planning a trip to the Colorado National Monument or Western Colorado in general.

Rattlesnake Canyon Arches Quick Facts

Rattlesnake Canyon Arches Rating: ★★★★ (4/5 Stars)

Distance: Various-Rattlesnake Canyon Arches Trail 6.2 miles RT; Via Pollock Bench Trail 14+ Miles RT

Elevation Start: 5,400 ft / 4,485ft (Pollock Bench)

Highest Point: 5,850 ft

Estimated Time to Complete: 1-2 Hours (via Rattlesnake Arches Trail), 4-7+ Hours (via Pollock Bench)

Difficulty: Easy to Difficult What does this mean?

Class: Class 1 (upper TH), High Class 2 (lower TH) What does this mean?

Season: Year-round

Weather: Check Weather Forecast

Directions to Rattlesnake Canyon Arches

Trailhead: Black Ridge Road / Pollock Bench

Getting Here: Rattlesnake Canyon Arches can be a bit tricky to get to.

Option 1 (shorter hike, longer drive): Head to the Fruita exit off I-70 and enter into the Colorado National Monument. Once in the monument, drive until you see “Glade Park Store” turn off and then turn right onto Black Ridge Access Road. Once you are on this “road” you will reach a fork that directs you to the upper road and the lower road. The upper road is open from August 15th – February 14th and the lower road is open February 15th – April 15th. If taking the lower road, if you reach the radio tower, you’ve missed your turn so head back and take the next right you can. Either road you take requires a high clearance vehicle. AWD or 4WD may not be necessary, but it can certainly help depending on road conditions from recent weather. Drive 13 miles down this single lane road until you reach the trailhead parking lot. The last ½ – ¾ miles of the road can be extremely tough to clear if you do not have a vehicle with at least all wheel drive and very high clearance. Be prepared to pull off to the side and walk if necessary.

Option 2 (shorter drive, longer hike): The other option for access to rattlesnake arches is to park at the Pollock Bench TH (located off road 1 ½ in the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area) and hike in that way. This adds another 8+ miles RT but eliminates the long drive in from Black Ridge Access.

Parking: The Upper TH lot is small but usually will not be very busy but can fit 10-15 cars. There are no restrooms here. The Pollock Bench trailhead (lower lot) is usually busy on weekends but has parking for 15-20 vehicles. There is a non-plumbing bathroom at the trailhead.

Fee: $15-$25 to enter the Colorado National Monument OR $0 from Pollock Bench TH

Summary

Camping: There are several spots to camp along Black Ridge Access road and near the trailhead if using the 4×4 trail. Alternatively, you can camp inside Colorado National Monument  which is located nearby. You do need a free permit to do that, which you can read more about here. The lower trailhead does not have camping options unless you decide to hike in quite a bit.

Dogs: Dogs are allowed on the hike to Rattlesnake Canyon arches, but keep in mind it is usually very hot and there are 0 water sources along the way. The terrain is mostly dirt and sandstone so the heat would be the biggest concern on your dog’s paws. If taking the Pollock Bench version, I would only recommend this during Fall and Winter months + bringing LOTS of water. There is some scrambling on the way (Class 2, low Class 3)

Make it a Loop: Although this trail is somewhat of a loop already, you can hook up with neighboring trails to extend this hike. Both the Pollock Bench and Pollock Canyon trails provide access to many neighboring trail systems.

Mountain X Factors: Route

Without question the Rattlesnake Arches is a must visit for outdoor enthusiasts. However, when I planned my trip here, the biggest X factor was how I would access the arches. For my trip, I decided to roll the dice and take the access road. I drove a Subaru Forester and it made the trip without any problems until the last ½ mile where I was forced to pull off and park. I should say I am very comfortable driving off road and have lots of experience with less than ideal “roads.” Having said that, the conditions of the Black Ridge Access Road will certainly play a large factor in the success of your trip.

In 2024, I revisited this hike and took the Pollock Bench variation. This is a much longer day but an awesome trail run if that is in your wheelhouse. This version does have some route finding in several sections so having a .gpx to follow is highly recommended. Additionally, if you choose NOT to scramble up the final Arch to complete the loop, please note that your day will be closer to 17 miles.

Hike Tip(s): If you are looking to camp in the area, head into the National Monument (camping with free permit required) and spend the night in this unique location before heading off to Rattlesnake Arches the next day.

Regardless of your approach, in order to get to the lower arches you can either take a trail OR (only recommended for those with lots of scrambling experience), there is a way to descend via the arch you can walk over. I won’t go into specifics here but if you have experience, this should not be too hard to find during your visit.

Best Views: The huge arches here provide fantastic opportunities for beautiful landscape pictures while letting you use your creativity for optical illusion pictures. Be careful if you choose to climb out onto the arch, the access points are extremely narrow and have poor foot holds. Bring a tripod and remote or use the self timer for some great group shots. Drones are not allowed in this Wilderness area.

Rattlesnake Arches Hike Route

This shows the trail from lower TH – if hiking from upper, ignore the long trail out to Pollock Bench.

Gear Needed

• Men’s Trail Runners 
• La Sportiva Cyklon
• La Sportiva Trango Hiking Boots (Men’s)
• Backpack (Winter)
• Backpack (Summer)
• Sunglasses
• Base Layers
• T Shirt
• Mid Layer
• Rain Jacket / Shell 
• Pants
• Shorts
• Socks
• Food & Water (lots of water if visiting during Summer, there are no areas to pump)
• Optional: Water Filter
• Optional: Garmin inReach
• Optional: Hiking Poles – 120CM
• Optional: Headlamp
• Optional: Garmin Fenix Watch
• Optional: GoPro, Joby Tripod, Selfie Stick, GoPro 360, Drone, Insta360
• *Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you.

My Trip to Rattlesnake Canyon Arches: October 2015 & December 2024

My first visit to Rattlesnake Arches was the last leg of the “Coloroadtrip” my girlfriend and I took which I have eluded to in previous posts. This was the most anticipated stop of the trip as I was feeling a lot of anxiety around the unknowns of this particular hike. Although the road in was a bit rocky, the hike itself was very straightforward. However, I did realize on my second trip that we had skipped some of the lower arches.

My second trip was in December of 2024 when my buddy Cam and I ran the 14 miles from the Pollock Bench trailhead. The trail involved lots of route finding in the middle but was insanely beautiful. We encountered no other hikers or runners along the way, it was insane.