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All the United States Colorado Grand Junction Rattlesnake Canyon Arches
AO Edited

Rattlesnake Canyon Arches

This remote Colorado canyon is home to the second-largest collection of natural arches in the world.

Grand Junction, Colorado

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Ashawnta Jackson
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Fresh snow is preserved by radiating sandstone heat by the shade provided by a Pinyon Pine tree.   Matt Payne
Cedar Tree Arch   Pretzelpaws / CC BY-SA 3.0
East Rim Arch   Pretzelpaws / CC BY-SA 3.0
Standing above Cedar Tree Arch   Glenn Merritt / CC BY 2.0
East Rim Arch   Phil Armitage, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Arches   jimmy thomas/CC BY 2.0
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Many people are familiar with Arches National Park, a wonderland of stone structures in the Utah desert that includes one of the longest natural arches in the world. But the park is often filled with visitors hoping to take in these natural wonders. What if there were a place where you can see these magnificent rock formations, carved from the sand over millions of years, but in a place where you just might be the only other adventurer around? Meet Colorado's Rattlesnake Canyon. 

Rattlesnake Canyon is part of the 123,400-acre McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. Only accessible by a rugged drive or a 15-mile roundtrip hike, the canyon contains 35 natural arches, making it the second-largest collection of natural arches in the world, after Arches National Park. If you’re willing to take on the trek, you'll be rewarded with some of the state’s most beautiful and remote landscapes. The largest of the arches, Cedar Tree Arch, spans 76 feet with a vertical opening of 43 feet. And while the arches are a spectacular view, they aren’t the only natural wonders vying for your attention. 

There’s the Morrison Formation, a sequence of Jurassic rocks that were a rich source of fossils. There’s Wingate Sandstone, which forms swirling patterns along the canyon floor. And of course, there’s wildlife. Be on the lookout for deer, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, and over 20 species of birds. Breathe in and enjoy the silence.

Related Tags

Natural Wonders Geology Arches Hiking Canyons

Know Before You Go

Recommend a short wheelbase, high clearance 4x4 vehicle for the last several miles. Standard SUVs and longer wheelbase will have to stop and hike the rest of the way in. Also, there are several parking lots throughout McInnis and definitely at every signed area of interest.

Rattlesnake Canyon is a dog-friendly hike, though you need to carry a leash with you.

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Ashawnta

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trisporter717, Michelle Cassidy, colleencourtney c93b920e

  • trisporter717
  • Michelle Cassidy
  • colleencourtney c93b920e

Published

April 25, 2022

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  • https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/colorado/mcinnis-canyons
Rattlesnake Canyon Arches
McInnis Canyons NCA
2815 H Road
Grand Junction, Colorado, 81506
United States
39.164981, -108.862327
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