Find Your Way to Colorado’s Must-See Rattlesnake Arches

Grand Junction is near to so many of the great hiking trails and adventures in Mesa County, but it is also the home of one trail that not everyone in Colorado can find.

The trip to the famous Rattlesnake Arches in Rattlesnake Canyon is a hike that can take you all day, burn your legs out, and get you lost if you are not careful. Today we will make it a little easier to find this must-see hike on the western slope.

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Where are Grand Junction's Rattlesnake Arches?

You don't have to go all the way to Moab to see arches, we've got them right here in Grand Junction but you gotta earn them. There are 2 main routes into Rattlesnake Canyon, and one of them is not very accessible during the heart of winter. There is the upper route that you can access from Rimrock Drive inside the Colorado National Monument, and the lower route with a trail that begins near the Colorado River near Pollock Trailhead.

What is the Shortest Route to the Rattlesnake Arches?

The lower route to the arches from the Pollock Trailhead is about a 14-mile hike. Taking the upper route through the CNM will get you to access a parking area out in the wilderness. From there the hike is much shorter but you'll need high clearance to drive all the way to the parking area. Some people stop short and walk a little further. We'll include some maps of each route in the gallery below.

How Many Arches are in Rattlesnake Canyon?

All together once you reach the bottom of Rattlesnake Canyon you'll be rewarded with 8 different arches including the epic Centennial Arch which stretches out 40 feet high above the canyon floor.