No,this wasn’t an easy hike by any standards,even the seasoned hikers on this trail can be found taking breaks and resting those legs as they ascend towards the Rattlesnake ledge for the breathtaking panoramic view of mountains and the gorgeous rattlesnake lake.

The hike up to Rattlesnake Ledge is a sharp 1.9 miles ascend gaining a total of 1143 feet in elevation. From there, the trail goes another 3 miles on Rattlesnake Mountain, with scenic viewpoints all along the way.

We spotted a gorgeous brown fur and black stripe chipmunk on the ledge wandering like he was the king of the ledge leisurely wandering about looking for his food oblivious to all those staring eyes 😂 .

This hugely popular 4.0 mile out and back kid friendly trail was on my list for a while now.Remember the Coal Creeks Falls Trail, Well,it was Rattlesnake trail that I had wished on that day but ended up in Coal Creek instead.

We finally did it on Sunday of the long Memorial day weekend.Starting around noon from home,it took us about an hour to reach our destination.You know a place is popular when you spot cars parked up on both sides of the road for more than mile even before you reach the parking lot.

We got lucky and scored a parking space right there in the parking lot.The trail starts very close to the lot, a well maintained gravel path takes you straight to the signage,the hike begins from here.

• 

• 

The Ascend

Rated moderate,this ascending trail has some steep switchbacks making you wish that you never started the hike in the first place.

LOL don’t fret those moments are few and in between.For seasoned hikers this may seem a relatively easy hike but if you are anything like us, mere beginners this hike is anything but easy. The hike is tough but totally achievable.Carry the two W’s with you :Will power and Water and you’ll totally rock the hike!

Just when you think you can’t do it anymore, you will find encouraging words “It’s right around the corner” “You are almost there” from fellow hikers who after enduring the incline are now are gleefully descending back to civilization 😅.

At the start of the trail we were greeted with one of many monstrous boulder that belong to this trail, the greeter boulder is the one that greets you at the beginning of the trail,with help of S,girls enjoyed a little bit of rock climbing all along the trail.

• 

• 

• 

From the start you are gradually moving up gaining elevation and as you get closer to the ledge the incline starts to get steeper.It takes all your will to push yourself to keep climbing. It was a beautiful warm day with clear skies making it tad easier to hike.We kept taking short breaks to catch our breath and hydrate ourselves.

We weren’t the only ones with kids,there were many families out that day with kids as young as N and so many dogs on leash,all determined to conquer this trail!

• 

• 

Moss covered boulders,wooden bridges and tree stumps makes for most of this well maintained trail.The trail gets narrow as you ascend leaving space for only one hiker to cross at times.So be prepared to stop on your way up if you go during the popular hiking months.

I am truly in awe of both the girls, we have only recently started hiking, so when we decided on this trail I wasn’t too optimistic with us completing this one.Boy was I wrong! Both my girls surprised me with their resilience, the uphill climb tested our endurance and patience but these girls kept going.

I for one started huffing 10 minutes into my hike, But Ms. N was running,sprinting for most part of the hike upwards and Ms. V just focused on leading the group and kept on going.

I would be lying if I said that they didn’t complain, there were moments especially as we were nearing the lege when the incline got steeper and V almost gave up.A quick water break and “You can do this” did the trick and we were back on track.

The View

With all the snacking and water breaks,It took a little over an hour to reach the ledge. As we cautiously made our way through the crowd towards our eye caught the picturesque landscape glowing in shades of colorful shades of blue and green, we were blown away with the sheer beauty of the lake. Our hard work paid and how?!I mean look at those pictures and I am not even a professional photographer!

We spent good time on the ledge,resting those tired feet and soaking in the view. With renewed energy we made one final descend carefully moving down the ledge to take in the view of Rattlesnake in all its glory.

• 

• 

• 

Pictures and selfies later,the girls were ready for the descend. The descend down was Easy Peasy Lemon Squeeze.

Hike:The Descend

The hike down from the Rattlesnake ledge is a cakewalk compared to what you endure for that one hour of hike upwards. Right from the ledge all the way down to the signage it’s pretty much downhill. I was happy to join N in jogging down the hike,one should be careful but at that moment I didn’t care much 😉.

After the hike we dipped our tired almost dead feet in the cold waters of the Rattlesnake Lake.Not only is the hike popular it also makes for a popular picnic destination.There were about 2 birthday parties being celebrated next to the lake when we started our ascend.

As we S and I sat down next to the lake , V almosted yelled with joy “Hey isn’t that the ledge we hiked up to today?!”

Yes that’s the one 🤩.

What is your most memorable hike so far?Did you enjoy it? We loved this hike and can’t wait to try a few more before the summer ends 😀.

“You can do anything that you set your mind to do”.