RC3331 Rattlesnake Canyon

Total Miles
15.8

Elevation

1,752.09 ft

Duration

2 Hours

Technical Rating

4

Moderate

Best Time

Spring, Summer, Fall

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RC3331 Rattlesnake Canyon
8

Trail Overview

A beautiful trail that winds its way from the deserts near Johnson Valley into a lush Joshua tree forest. Approximately 16 miles in length, this trail can be tackled in any high-clearance 4x4 vehicle, making it perfect for all levels of off-roaders. You will encounter everything from deep sand to creek crossings with some light rock crawling. Spend a couple of hours or even a whole day. Some fantastic abandoned buildings and structures within the canyon make perfect spots to have lunch before you take a trek through the dense forest.

Photos of RC3331 Rattlesnake Canyon

RC3331 Rattlesnake Canyon
RC3331 Rattlesnake Canyon

Difficulty

There are some deep sandy sections where 4WD will be required during some seasons. The creek section of the trail gets very rocky, and will require careful lines and/or spotting around tight corners with ruts and rocks up to 12" in height.

Technical Rating

4

Status Reports

Andrew Hughes
Nov 27, 2024
2023 Jeep Wrangler
Open
Normal
Muddy/Wet
The trail follows a wash cutting through the canyon so there are areas of sand and areas of water/mud. All the “difficult” sections are in the wash. There are 3 or 4 20-30 foot sections of rocks that you need to plan a route through and a couple stretches of pretty annoying washboard of 6 inches or so deep. We went north to south but running it the other way would be just as easy. As a relatively new off-roader, there was never a time where I was concerned I wouldn’t make it. Once you get to Burns Canyon, if you take it south east to Pioneertown, it’s just a 1/10 dirt road.
Dan Dalton
Oct 24, 2024
Open
Normal
Beautiful day. Saw one other party with two vehicles. Trail is part of BLM so it’s not closed. I entered from the north and took it all the way down Burns Canyon. The lower part of Burns is also open.
Wayne Taylor
Sep 20, 2024
2021 Toyota Tacoma
Temporarily Closed
Fire Danger
Vanessa Marie
Apr 06, 2024
4x4
Open
Normal
Muddy/Wet
Snow/Ice

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