Hiking Rattlesnake Mountain
Trail Distance: About 8 miles RT
Time on Trail: 4 hours
Difficulty: Moderate to Difficult
Summary: If you’re tired of hiking Cedar Mountain for a good, close-to-town workout, try Rattlesnake. You’ll get stunning views along with some great cardio.
Who’s Going to Love It
This hike will appeal to those who enjoy a good workout and like traveling without a well-defined trail. The first mile is steep and out in the open. After that you’ll be in the trees until you reach the summit, with the last half mile again being fairly steep. The views from the entire trail and especially the top will more than make up for the uphill trudge. This is one of the few truly forested hikes close to Cody and you’ll have the company of beautiful wildflowers in the summer.
What Makes it Great
There aren’t a lot of folks who hike Rattlesnake. There’s no real trail to the grassy meadow at the summit, but as long as you keep the ridgeline on your left and keep heading uphill, you’ll eventually reach the top. Hiking Rattlesnake Mountain will earn you some bragging rights though, since it’s 1226 feet higher than its smaller sibling, Cedar Mountain.
Those views from the top will make all the effort worthwhile. You can pretty much see all the way up the valley of the North Fork to the west, over the top of Cedar and past Carter Mountain to the south and on a clear day, out east to the Big Horn Mountains. Heart Mountain looks tiny and the Pryor Mountains feel a long way off in Montana from this vantage point. Seeing Buffalo Bill Reservoir from the air gives you a whole new perspective on this lake. You’ll definitely want a camera to document your trek and the beauty around you.
A very early morning hike up Rattlesnake might reward you with an incredible sunrise, and conversely, being at the summit for sunset can make for a memorable experience. Whatever time and whichever season you hike Rattlesnake, you’ll be glad you did.
Directions
From Cody, take State Highway 120 north, just past the Belfry Bridge. Turn left at the north end of the bridge and follow CR 2ABW to where it ends next to the Heart Mountain Irrigation Canal. Park near the canal gate. The trail starts just to the left where the canal tunnel exits the mountain. Be sure to check out the date on the plaque at the top of the tunnel.
Exercise caution around the canal - the water is deep, cold and incredibly fast. The walls here are concrete and sloped just enough to make climbing out very difficult for people and dogs.
This hike is best for experienced hikers. If you don’t want to go all the way to the summit, you can still get some great views at treeline.
Despite its proximity to town, Rattlesnake is grizzly country so bring your bear spray. Also note there isn’t any water to speak of along the route.