McDonald Creek Canyon Trail | Great Scenery and Solitude

McDonald Creek Canyon Trail is a beautiful, scenic hike among towering canyon walls and colorful wildflowers. The gentle trail conditions through the canyon allow you to look around and enjoy the everchanging scenery. This quiet canyon adventure passes cool rock formations, colorful landscape views and even Fremont Indian pictographs before eventually reaching the railroad along the Colorado River. McDonald Creek Canyon Trail is a mild relatively easy to access yet rewarding hike in the McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area.

Nearby Day Hikes: Rabbits Ear Mesa | Trail Through Time | Lower Monument Loop | Colorado National Monument

Quick Info: Hiking McDonald Creek Canyon Trail

Distance: 4.5 miles roundtrip

Difficulty: Easy

Directions: From Fruita, take I-70 W to Exit 2 toward Rabbit Valley. Turn left onto Rabbit Valley Road. After 3.2 miles you will reach the McDonald Creek Canyon Trailhead on the left. Shortly after you turn onto Rabbit Valley Road it will become dirt and you’ll continue straight over the cattle guard. Continue straight past the next two roads and you’ll see a sign indicating high clearance 4WD recommended. Follow the dirt road for the remaining miles to the trailhead. During our visit, we found the road to be in good condition and did not need 4WD but make sure you stay on the main road. If you take a side road you may find deep ruts and rock crawling conditions.

Amenities: There is a vault toilet at the trailhead

Our Experience Hiking McDonald Creek Canyon Trail

While we were camping in McInnis Canyon National Conservation Area we decided to check out McDonald Creek Canyon Trail. We weren’t sure what to expect from the dirt road to reach the trailhead so we planned on walking part of it if we had to. But luckily it was in better shape than we expected.

When we arrived at the trailhead, we were the only one’s there. And we could really feel the peace and solitude of the canyon while we were on the trail.

Off we went. The trail is well defined and follows along the creek or in our case, a dry wash. It leads towards the canyon and we were just amazed by the number and variety of wildflowers along the way.

Before hiking McDonald Creek Canyon Trail we had no idea that there were Fremont Indian pictographs here. So unfortunately, we missed the first set of rock art but luckily we spotted the second which we’ll get to later. But we want you to be better informed than we were. The first set of pictographs is said to be about half a mile into the hike.

Hike it Later – Pin it Now

McDonald Creek Trail passes some cool rock formations and epic dry falls as it reaches the dramatic towering red rock canyon walls.

The tall red rock walls contrasted beautifully with the lush green vegetation along the canyon floor. It was an extremely peaceful and serene setting. We took some time to just stand still, taking in the colors, scenery and watching the sparrows and other birds flying above.

What I loved about McDonald Creek Canyon Trail is that the journey was just as beautiful as the destination. Also, we went in the evening so the temperatures and sun exposure were just right.

Eventually we noticed a little brown BLM sign about cultural heritage and reporting vandalism. That tipped us off that there were petroglyphs or pictographs nearby. Not sure if there were more than this but this is what we found.

From the pictographs, the trail got a bit more overgrown and narrow. But we squeezed and ducked through the vegetation until we reached the railroad. So we climbed up to the tracks and had a nice canyon view of the Colorado River. We stopped here for a snack and took in the sights and sounds before heading back the way we came.

Thanks for Reading!

We thought the landscapes throughout McDonald Creek Canyon Trail were just beautiful. And the whole hike was extremely scenic and peaceful. There’s nothing like exploring a new area.

If you’d like to read about some of our other hiking adventures, check out the articles below:

• Grapevine Canyon: Petroglyphs and Rock Scrambling
• Abineau and Bear Jaw Loop
• Elliot Ridge Trail to Meridian Peak
• Black Canyon Trail Oasis

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