Rattlesnake Creek to Ashdown Gorge

Start your day by dropping off a car at the bottom of the trail, located 7 miles up Cedar Canyon, at a large parking lot on the left. Once your shuttle is set, drive to the top and park at Rattlesnake Creek Trailhead.Start your hike by heading west along Rattlesnake Creek Trail #32051, tracing the boundary line of Cedar Breaks National Monument. Traverse through an alpine meadow with breathtaking views as you gradually descend into the forest below. Follow the trail for 2.7 miles until you reach Stud Flats, where the landscape opens up, revealing stunning vistas of Cedar Breaks' legendary terrain. Keep an eye out for rock cairns, especially in sections where the trail may be faint.After departing Stud Flats, navigate a series of steep switchbacks descending into Rattlesnake Creek. Follow Rattlesnake Creek for 1.6 miles until you arrive at Potato Hollow. From there, the trail climbs over a ridge for 0.7 miles into Ashdown Gorge.From this juncture there is no maintained trail; instead, follow Ashdown Gorge downstream until you reach a marked junction identified by Tom's Head, a 100-foot-tall freestanding rock tower. Around here is also where you can find Flanigan's Arch in the north wall of the gorge. Note: for a good side adventure you can hike back up Rattlesnake Gulch to a small waterfall. Proceed down Ashdown Gorge for another 2.4 miles, where you'll have to slosh in and out of the flowing stream. None of the crossings are especially deep at normal flows, but the rocks can be slippery so take your time and bee careful. Eventually you'll encounter a large constructed dike in the creek. Eventually the creek nears the highway and you'll encounter a large constructed dike. From there, ascend out of the wash to return to your car.