Date Hiked: May 29, 2026
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

Date Hiked: May 29, 2026
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)

- LPD -> Danish Creek Camp: CLEAR to PASSABLE
- Danish Creek Camp to Hap's Cabin (Rattlesnake Creek crossing): IMPASSABLE (no tread in extended spots)
- Rattlesnake Creek crossing to Rattlesnake Creek Camp: DIFFICULT (although you could argue PASSABLE, IF you catch the second McCracken marker just up the hill from the meadow where red flagging is also wrapped around tree).

Both creeks had plenty of water and it had rained a bit a few nights before.

More details:

My first time (hopefully of many) in the Ventana Wilderness. I thought I'd go up Rattlesnake to Little Pines and Ventana Double Cone based on a nice looking loop hike in my Nat Geo map, but I was mistaken on trail conditions! I saw this website a little before I left, so brought some loppers and flagging tape but otherwise didn't want to read too much to get scared off, as I've been meaning to visit for years. I didn't know how to use my fancy GPS watch, but can see where I went after the fact here.

I left Los Padres Dam around 4 and made it to Danish Creek Camp around 6:30. That trail is certainly CLEAR or PASSABLE depending on how much shrubbery you mind scraping against. No wrong turns or obstacles that I recall. I should have slept here at Danish Creek Camp, but was too excited, and it was a full (blue) moon anyways.

I then made it to the creek crossing at Hap's place ok, although this seemed to be more luck than anything. I saw the Rattlesnake Camp sign that Alan stood against the tree. After crossing the creek, I really had no idea what I was looking for. I did see a pink flag in the meadow, but wasn't sure if these would be consistent. I walked all over the meadow and somehow ended following up Danish Creek (NW of the trail) and gradually (but still very steep) cut up the side of canyon skirting the shrubs. I kept looking for an opportunity to meet the ridge (and presumably trail), and finally found it via a pink flag way up around 2250'. Phew was I happy. I learned to take the pink flags seriously now. After the high point around 2570' when leaving the thick Manzanita and descending a bit, I lost the trail because it was getting too dark. I ended up backtracking a few hundred feet and enjoying the full moon at the 2570' spot where the path happens to be nice and flat and a foot or two wider, just perfect for a single person tent. The next morning I had no problem seeing the pink flags I had missed in the dark. I got to Rattlesnake Creek fine, although the last 100' of flatness by the creek was full of vegetation. No real tread after the creek so I also felt like I lucked into finding Rattlesnake Camp quickly.

I knew it was hopeless, but just had to try for Little Pines. I gave up after 45 minutes of getting ~700 ft upstream. If I'd been aware of the McCracken signs I would have tried for hours to just find one marker. But without GPS I was already getting confused by which tributaries were on the map versus not. My destination of VDC would have to wait, and I now had lots more time so I cleared the path ~150' on either side Rattlesnake Creek in addition to big patch of PO on the final descent to the creek.

Well now things got interesting. As I made my way back to Danish Cr Camp, before I even hit my previous night's sleeping spot, I got lost for an entire hour when I missed the path forking up and right. I must have been overconfident and aimlessly following deer paths. Worse, I lost my map during this time! I took it slowly the rest of the day, backtracking 6-8 times to take out PO where it got offensive. I also added flagging (pink) only where I genuinely took wrong turns and had positively confirmed the route. Safety measure in case I got real lost.

Once I got down to Hap's, I don't know what happened but I was pretty lost. Even with multiple attempts, I couldn't find any path whatsoever to Danish Creek Camp except pretty much as the crow flies due to my watch's imprecision and not knowing how to use it. Somehow, Rattlesnake -> Danish was waay more challenging to keep to the path than Danish -> Rattlesnake had been. Potentially because flagging has been added with the way to Rattlesnake in mind as opposed to the way back. With that said, I'd now probably say Rattlesnake Creek trail is DIFFICULT but very nearly PASSABLE, IF you know what you're looking for. Had I known about McCracken markers or to just take the pink/yellow/blue flags seriously, I think it's relatively straightforward to just follow the ridge and keep an eye out for flags. As I said, I also added minimal but deliberate flagging coming back on Rattlesnake Trail where I lost the path.

The final part of the story is that I resolved to clear the path between Danish Creek Camp and Hap's on Sunday morning (5/31). Lo and behold I still couldn't find the path even from the direction I had successfully navigated Friday night. Following Danish Creek upstream you reach a blue flag, and then 2 yellow flags on trees 10' apart on the little island in the middle of the creek where I presume you are supposed to connect the flags and follow to rejoin the path upstream to get to Hap's. Well, I couldn't find any tread anywhere even after an hour, so I cleared more PO on the creek path and called it good. This is the one section - between Danish Creek and Hap's place that I would call IMPASSABLE right now, because without my map (or perhaps the sense of confidence it gave me) I was pretty much unable to make it back to Hap's place.

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Overall I'm enthralled with this hike and the Ventana Wilderness. I hope to be back many times but will make future trail reports shorter. 3 1+ hour stretches of being lost is more than I ever could have asked for. It's been amazing finding this website and reading the incredible history of this trail. I have searched far and wide for any more mention of McCracken or Hap and have found none. Hope to join a volunteer trail clearing effort in the next 12 months although I live a few hours away.

Notes:
1. I say 'Hap', because user Corpus called it that with confidence in the Danish Creek trail thread on July 8, 2017.
2. After a lot of research I've found no other info on McCracken except that the forward of the LPNF Trail Guide (7th edition), first page, acknowledges H.J. McCracken as one of 7 people who 'Way back in 1969 [did] the original measurements of all the watersheds'. Jack G estimates that H.J. put the metal markers in around 1965 here: https://bigsurtrailmap.net/ROUTES/RATTL ... eCamp.html.
So am I to presume that McCracken was a grand old hiker who more or less lived (and died) in Anderson Canyon? I originally thought he must have died a freak death, but now am wondering if he was just more of a backwoodsman type who died more peacefully back there, perhaps even around the Anderson Creek Camp or where Henry Miller lived briefly. If I lived closer I'd check out the library for more info, as the internet has nothing. Maybe an earlier edition of LPNF Trail Guide would give more detail. At any rate, if anyone has more info on these proper names, please share as it is immensely interesting.

Finally thanks to Jack for his site and all it's resources particularly on this amazing trail, and for Alan H who I presumably have to thank for making it out in one piece after I (fortunately in the end) lost my map.

Date Hiked: February 2, 2026
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)

I returned to Rattlesnake Camp last weekend to finish up the last bit I left in 2024 and do some maintenance and flagging on the rest. I cut a couple logs and re-carved the original path through the bushes to reach the saddle point; I cleared a much more visible path across the saddle over to the trail descending on the other side. I did much needed trimming back of bushes on the descent, and cleared a fallen oak that was completely blocking the trail.

I did some trimming and added some flag markers on other parts of the trail, but I only saw a few of the markers I left a couple years ago so it seems they don't last too long. The section before the saddle where the trail is on the right side of the ridge is eroding away in several places, and that part is hard to follow in general.

Sections:
1) Cross Danish Creek
2) Across clearing to trail start
3) Ascent to ridge
4) Steep climb up ridge line or off to the right: each time the ridge line is blocked, look for trail off to the right.
5) Narrow ridge line, fairly flat
6) Reroute section: this is the one place the trail goes on the left side; this is a path carved through bushes, so should be evident
7) Open area on right side; hard to follow, eroding hillside; climbs back to ridge at saddle point, path carved through bushes for last 50 yards.
8) Saddle point; cross over to left side of ridge
9) Descent to creek; path carved through bushes, crosses one small run near bottom (always dry when I've been)
10) Cross Rattlesnake Creek
11) Couple hundred yards up stream to reach Rattlesnake Camp

There is no visible tread for much of the route, particularly 2, 3, 4, 7.
Look for both flag markers and metal squares nailed to trees.

Aside: on the middle day of my trip I climbed Elephant Mountain, following a similar route to what dmw mention in 2021 (I had previously failed trying the ridge line coming from the north; got close, but near the top the brush proved impassable). Following creekbeds south from Rattlesnake Camp all the way to the saddle point between Elephant and Uncle Sam does work, but it is super hard. It was still challenging for a bit after turning northeast from the saddle towards Elephant Mtn, but then you are rewarded with some open terrain and easier going up to the top. Amazing views in all directions up there; this is not a fun hike, but an accomplishment I will remember. Took 3hr 45min from Rattlesnake Camp, 3hr to return.

Date Hiked: February 9, 2025
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

After reading of Alan's incredible work, I headed out for an overnighter.. bringing along a lopper and saw of course. I managed to make it to Rattlesnake camp, with a bit of thrashing through bushes after reaching the end of Alan's Nov 2023 gpx track. The camp is very nice, a small area with a table and fire ring, shaded by oak/madrone/bay trees, right by the creek. Attached is a picture.

For those making the trip for the first time..
- download the BigSurTrailMap.net Rattlesnake Creek Trail gpx for this trail
- download Alan's RattlesnakeTrailSectionNov2023.gpx. (it accurately shows the rerouted section)
- bring loppers and a saw, to widen/improve the trail as you go.

Suggestions for future trail work..
- on the way up the ridge, from Danish Creek, more metal markers or flags. We allowed to attach our own metal markers?
- need flagging after Alan's RattlesnakeTrailSectionNov2023.gpx ends.. given all the deer paths.
- there's an alternative route up from Rattlesnake CG to Alan's GPX to consider.. going down Rattlesnake creek, there is a decent tread for a bit. The uphill portion to the GPX track is, of course, overgrown and nearly impassable. You can see it in the attached "DanishCG_toRattlesnakeCG-Garys_first_try.gpx

[Ed=jg: Gary's descent from the ridge to Rattlesnake Camp began about 150 ft before the old trail descent route, likely requiring more "thrashing". Indicates how confusing things can get along the route. Would be good to have the start of that descent, which occurs at the saddle, better marked by someone since is critical point marking end of ridge-following. On return, in ascent to ridge I always needed to follow gpx track closely at start to get to that old trail route, as begins in sea of low vegetation with no guiding tread.]

Date Hiked: April 1, 2024
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)

The trail to Rattlesnake Camp is now ~97% restored.
I was able to find the original trail not too far from the endpoint of my work last fall. I had to carve through the brush 20-30 yards to reach some faint tread, and carve another 20-30 yards where that faint tread was completely overgrown... I then reached trail out in the open. There are several use trails around here, so I put up a dozen or so flag markers for what seemed the best route.
This will get you to a steep ascent back up towards the ridge; I left off there. The last 50 yards of the ascent are completely overgrown with brush; for now I suggest climbing straight up to the ridge (all clear that way) and then push through the brush on the ridge line until reaching the trail at the saddle point. From here the trail descends the other side of the ridge down to Rattlesnake Creek and Camp.

Overall advice for this trail:
There is no visible tread for much of the route, particularly near the start.
Make your way up to the ridge line, and the steep ascent from there is on the ridge line or slightly to the right.
Look for both flag markers and metal squares nailed to trees.
Once higher up the trail becomes easier to follow, as it is the clearest path through the brush.

Date Hiked: November 12, 2023
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)

I cleared another quarter mile of Rattlesnake Trail, leaving just 1/4 mi of impassable/lost trail before connecting up to the existing trail descending from the ridge to Rattlesnake Creek (I also did some maintenance on this section).

I scouted around and could find no trace of the original trail on the right side of the ridge in this section; the bushes on that side were also extremely dense. So I opted for a new route for this stretch, staying closer to the ridge line or slightly left of it.
See attached gpx for this section.

Date Hiked: March 25, 2023
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)

The first mile of trail (from Danish Creek crossing) is now cleared and marked with yellow flags (between the existing metal squares nailed to trees, so watch for both). The orange/difficult rating on https://bigsurtrailmap.net/trailconditions.html should be extended a bit further, across the narrow part of the ridge (a bit past the "R" in the Rattlesnake trail label as seen on the map).

The trail is now restored through a difficult section and back to the ridge line. The last marker has 2 flags on the same branch. While there is still about 0.5mi of remaining lost trail, bushwhacking on or near the ridge line can get you to the later saddle point where the trail heads down; pretty easy to follow from there down to the creek crossing, with dense bushes on both sides of the trail. Rattlesnake Camp is more accessible now than it has been in several years . There are several newly fallen trees near the camp (~50yds away), but the camp itself is still great.

[Aside: I saw mentions in old posts about a register at the camp. I looked around and didn't find it; I did find a lid for a metal latching box, but no box].

Date Hiked: November 6, 2022
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)

The first 0.8 mi of trail (from Danish Creek crossing) is now marked with flags (between the existing metal squares nailed to trees, so watch for both). The orange/difficult rating on https://bigsurtrailmap.net/trailconditions.html should be extended just a bit further, to just above the "2" in 2440 marking the elevation line on the oval feature.

The last marker has 2 flags on the same branch; this gets you in sight of the narrower ridge past the oval feature. Once there, sticking to the ridge or just left of it is the best I've found so far. Still lots of brush to fight through. Look for flags at the later saddle point where the trail heads down; pretty easy to follow down to the creek crossing, with dense bushes on both sides of the trail. That section still orange/difficult. The hike out from Rattlesnake Camp to Danish Creek took me about 2.5 hours.

Water info: Rattlesnake Creek had good flow; Danish Creek above the confluence with Rattlesnake was dry.

PS: *Thank you* to the gentleman I passed on the trail who gave me flagging tape.. I had forgotten mine and it was much needed here!

Date Hiked: January 17, 2022
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)

https://bigsurtrailmap.net/trailconditions.html shows different conditions for different portions of the trail:
1st mile from Danish Creek marked as orange/difficult: still accurate.
2nd mile on the ridge marked as red/impassable: still accurate.
The last 1/3 mile from the ridge down to Rattlesnake Camp should be updated to orange/difficult. This was the one portion I could positively identify as the correct trail, so I did some clearing of deadfall and that portion is now in decent shape (if you can get there!)

More detail:

Start of trail: is not obvious. After crossing Danish Creek there is a nice clearing; head upstream, but not along the creek.. in the left half of the clearing. You'll reach a tree with silver metal squares nailed to it, one on the side you're approaching and another on the left side. Make a left turn here, heading towards the slope. There's another marker just a bit up the slope; I added red flagging tape on the same tree, as the metal square had partly broken off. Once here you're on trail that gets you started.
If you miss the tree at the bottom you'll reach a point where steeper slope comes down nearly to Danish Creek. You can head up the ridge line of this slope and likely find the trail, or backtrack to find the starting tree.

1st mile: this gets up onto the ridge and follows it for the steeper portion of the ascent. Much of it is fairly open and finding the "right" trail is the main challenge. There are patches of dense growth; if you manage to find another metal square every few minutes (or if you are lucky with the route you take!) then you can get through those patches without much difficulty. I found the gpx track from bigsurtrailmap.net to be fairly accurate in this stretch.

2nd mile: traversing the ridge. The ridge consists of an oval shaped feature, followed by a narrow saddle point, then a longer SW/NE section of wider ridge, and finally another narrow saddle point. At this 2nd saddle point the trail descends from the ridge.
Part 1: the oval. The gpx track shows the trail going along the right side and then curving back towards the center of the ridge; I found this to be the right idea, but a much wider curve avoids the worst of the dense growth in this area. Give the oval a wide berth, staying low enough to find gaps in the brush, then angle back to reach the center of the ridge at the saddle point.
Part 2: on the narrow saddle it is easy to find some tread; from here keep just slightly left (of the ridge line and the gpx track); there will be thick brush right on the ridge, but it is easy going for a bit if you stay along on that boundary.
Part 3: Transition to right side of ridge. This is the part I haven't figured out yet; hiking in and out I ended up fighting through some sizable sections of thick brush.
Part 4: once you are a bit below the ridge on the right side it is fairly open; ascend gradually to reach the saddle point.

Last 1/3 mile: the trail from the saddle point to Rattlesnake Camp is easy to follow and now in reasonable shape, as I mentioned above. It also matches the gpx track well.
Enjoy!

Date Hiked: January 23, 2021
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)

[Ed note: the below describes an off-trail route to Rattlesnake Camp, not Rattlesnake Trail itself]

I traveled from Danish Camp to Rattlesnake Camp, and from there to Elephant and Uncle Sam mountains. I have a lot of experience with off-trail travel, and this was truly a difficult trek.

Out of Danish Camp, it's an easy walk up Danish canyon to confluence of Danish and Rattlesnake Creek, only a couple hundred yards. Turning into the Rattlesnake drainage, you'll see some flagging on the south side of the spur which rises on your right. I didn't really attempt to follow the flagging, but stayed on the east hillside (traveling south), which is nice open forest for at least 1/4 mile. Unfortunately this hillside then turns to junkier forest as you bend west, and finally dumps you into a large open hillside of chamise. Traveling in the chamise is not all that bad, by Ventana standards. I tried venturing up to the ridgetop, but there is some thicker, stouter brush there (scrub oak etc), so I ended up traversing WSW through the chamise, losing altitude gradually until I was back in the Rattlesnake Creek canyon. Travel there was pretty easy until the camp. Not sure whether it would have been faster to stay along the creek the whole way - suspect yes, but there may be waterfalls and difficult vegetation where the canyon narrows.

The camp location is approximately 36.3609, -121.6995, in the canyon along Rattlesnake Creek (the table and sign are on the east side of the creek). It is marked wrong on some maps, including Google maps.

Upstream from the camp, the character of the canyon changes and travel becomes incredibly difficult. (In many years of off-trail trekking experience, this was the most difficult creek trek I have encountered.) The water flows in a 3-4 foot deep, narrow channel; the channel itself and any flat ground around it are absolutely choked with thick, waist to head+ high bushes and, especially, blackberry vines. The canyon walls are very steep and have a lot of thick, tough brush (scrub oak, coyote brush, etc), though there are small openings in places (usually the steepest places). No more chamise, alas. I opted to traverse on the slopes, which was physical but much faster than staying in the bottom. My plan to use a side drainage up to the ridge failed, as these are just as bad as the main creek; so I finally left the canyon around 36.3539, -121.7004 and bashed through the heavy brush on the open hillside. It's worse up higher (plenty of belly crawling).

Eventually, a ruined pair blue jeans later, I emerged onto the relatively open ridgeline joining Elephant and Uncle Sam mountains, near the saddle. The way up to Elephant is really pretty nice - there are even a few grassy areas with great views. The place I identified as the Elephant summit was pretty open and beautiful, in contrast to other reports from previous years (perhaps that brush has not yet grown back?). The Uncle Sam side of the ridgeline SW of the saddle is not too difficult but thicker, with some fighting required and small but tricky rock outcroppings in places. Uncle Sam's summit is brush-choked, though there are some nice meadows and even beautiful lone oak trees on and around a second, lower high point to the south.

Getting to Rattlesnake Creek with an overnight pack would be difficult. Past the camp, impossible.

I would only recommend this trip between mid November and mid January, when the poison oak is bare.

Date Hiked: March 28, 2019
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)

Rattlesnake Trail, between Danish Creek Camp and Old Homestead
People: 0
Trail: Good – trail is good out of camp, but crosses creek immediately, and if you cannot cross than you walk pretty easily on the same side until the homestead. Tread is not always evident. Landslide across trail just up creek from Danish Creek Camp. Yellow flagging going up Rattlesnake Creek where trail does not go. Perhaps a route up the creek?

Rattlesnake Trail, between Homestead and Rattlesnake Camp
People: 0
Trail: Impassable – There is a metal trail sign for Rattlesnake Creek trail at the beginning of the incline and a large human-made rock pile is the most evident sign of the trail head. Corrugated sheet metal markers from the old McCracken trail mark the trail throughout but are only worth following up to the first hill-top on the ridge. On the ridge top the trail is overgrown with many dead-falls and much brush making it hard to continue following them.

For the first half we left the trace and followed other use trails going on the left side of the ridge towards Rattlesnake Camp. The way was easy going contouring upward along steep grassy hillsides until chaparral starts and we went back up to the ridge and McKracken markers. The last half of the trail was spent attempting to follow the trail more or less, snaking through brush on top of the ridge. The creek rises sharply towards the trail, (waterfalls can be heard below confirming a difficult creek route), making the descent in view and more obvious where to go down. However, the actual drop down to the camp is the easiest section of Rattlesnake Creek Trail since the initial climb, and is a well-cut swath through the chaparral down to the creek bottom. The trail crosses creek to left bank and follows along creek until ground flattens and you are at Rattlesnake Camp.

Rattlesnake camp is in good shape, seems rather untouched by the fire and still has enough trees to have a canopy, a picnic table and camp grill. The picnic table has the least amount of graffiti seen in any back country camp. Everything is covered in brambles from open canopy. Large population of tall, spikey Santa Lucia gooseberry in open dappled sunlight spots. The large rolling area around camp seems like it had more tread activity before the burn. A stovepipe for ice box assemblage is still present.

On the way back we followed trail markers but found we had to drop down to the left side of the ridge several times to get around brush. In short both sides of the ridge offer some advantages and while Rattlesnake Camp can be reached in a few hours from Danish Creek Camp the trail is gone.