Upper Rattlesnake Canyon to Guadalupe Ridge Loop

Upper Rattlesnake Canyon to Guadalupe Ridge Loop is a six-mile circuit from Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead and back. It starts in the canyon wash, climbs out over a bluff, follows Guadalupe Ridge, then returns along a road. Plan on about four hours. The park calls it moderate, but the path is narrow and rocky, with a steep climb that makes this a real backcountry outing rather than an easy desert stroll.

The first 1.35 miles follow the canyon-floor wash. Then the trail climbs the nose of a bluff to the desert floor. That's the hardest section: it's steep and rocky, with little reason to hurry through it. Bring water for the whole outing; no dependable water point is identified for this backcountry route.

After the climb, join Guadalupe Ridge Trail and follow it east for just under two miles to the road. Turn west there and walk about 1.2 miles back to the start. That road leg is part of the six-mile loop, not an optional add-on. This isn't an out-and-back to a single landmark: the payoff is the change from the canyon-floor wash to the ridge and the full circuit back.

Rattlesnake Canyon Trailhead is about a quarter mile past interpretive marker #4 on unpaved Walnut Canyon Desert Drive. Parking capacity and trailhead facilities aren't documented, so arrive prepared to be self-contained. Day hikes don't require a reservation, pets aren't allowed, and overnight backcountry use requires a free permit. Food, toilets, and dependable water weren't identified along this route.