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Elevation: 3,072 ft
GPS: 42.6515, -122.8856
Google Map · Climbing Area Map
Page Views: 105,609 total · 598/month
Shared By: Scott Becker on Sep 29, 2009
Admins: Winston Mueller, Micah Klesick, Nate Ball

Description Suggest change

Rattlesnake is a secluded sport crag near Medford that provides a decent selection of single pitch climbs for climbers in the Rogue Valley. While it's no destination crag, Rattlesnake is a great training ground for local climbers and is worth a visit if you're in the area. There are over 100 climbs at Rattlesnake that range in difficulty from 5.8 to 5.13a with most of the climbs falling in the range of 5.10+ to mid-5.11. The vast majority of the climbs are bolted sport climbs with even most of the crack climbs 'sporting' a few bolts.

The rock at Rattlesnake is a variety of welded tuff that ranges in quality from 'solid' to 'abysmal' (a.k.a.: "Rattlechoss"), even over the course of a single climb. The cliffs are on a series of buttresses that range in height from about 40 to 100 feet. The bottom portion of the longer climbs may feature a band of heavily fractured (read: chossy) rock. That said, once you tiptoe though the loosest of the rock, the climbs are generally pretty solid.

Rattlesnake is on BLM land but the Boise-Cascade timber company owns some of the surrounding area so follow posted regulations, and as always, leave no trace. There are no outhouses or water out at the crag. If you must sit while you jettison your morning coffee, make a pit stop in Shady Cove or Trail.

Climbing is best during spring and fall, but possible all year. Wintertime can be great when the sun shines as long as a significant snow pack has not formed, which is unusual. Summer can be uncomfortably hot but shade can almost always be found.

A guide to Rattlesnake is in Greg Orton's "Rock Climbing Western Oregon: Vol. 3, The Rogue". It includes great topos, route descriptions, directions to the crag, FA info, and lots of other good stuff.

Getting There Suggest change

Getting to Rattlesnake can be tricky if you haven't been there a few times. Orton's guide contains detailed directions but it's possible to get lost even with these directions. I've even heard stories of people having to make two or three trips before they even find the crag.

  • From I-5 exit 30, head north toward Crater Lake on Highway 62 (Crater Lake Hwy.) Pass through Shady Cove after about 20 miles.
  • About three miles past Shady Cove at Trail turn left on Highway 227 (Trail-Tiller Hwy) toward Canyonville. Drive for about three miles. Keep an eye on the milepost markers on the left (south) side of the road.
  • Just before MP 50, turn left on W. Fork Trail Creek Rd. Just after the turn you will cross a bridge over a creek.
  • After the NEXT bridge, turn left onto a dirt road (I believe the directions in the book only mention one bridge, there are two).
  • The first fork in the road comes about a ¼ mile after turning onto the dirt road. Take the left fork. The road should switch back sharply to the left after making this turn.
  • At the next fork, go right. When approaching this fork, the right looks more straight, while the left drops down hill. The road should bend to the right after making the turn.
  • The next time the road splits, you have the option of making a 90 degree turn to the right or staying straight. GO STRAIGHT (a lot of people seem to go astray here).
  • After a while (about a mile from your last turn) the road will make a sharp bend to the left and you will pass a large quarry (a place where locals like to shoot their guns).
  •  Shortly after the quarry the road forks again. Keep right on the main road. 
  • The road will start to head uphill, flatten out, then head uphill again. There is a pullout on the left where the road fattens out and bends to the right. The approach trail is on the right. It can be tough to spot so keep your eyes open! Distance from the quarry to the trail is maybe 0.7 miles. Total distance on the dirt road is about four miles. A short (10 min) hike on the approach trail gets you to the crag.

Some more hints and notes on getting to Rattlesnake:

I've purposely left out exact odometer readings since different vehicles seem to have different odometer readings on the dirt road. The guide book has exact distances so use that if you want to be sure. 

All of the turns on the dirt road are of a "veering" nature. If you every find yourself contemplating a sharp turn in either direction, don't do it.

The road is pretty well maintained and is easily passable by low clearance 2WD vehicles unless there is an unusual amount of snow or mud. Turnoffs that are particularly rough or vegetated are not mentioned in the above directions. Finally, these directions assume you are coming from Medford or Ashland. If you come from north of Gold Hill (I-5) or Trail (Hwy 62), directions will be slightly different. Google maps will be your friend in this case...

Approximate coordinates for the parking spot (courtesy of J P in the comments) are 42.6483910,-122.8822140 

[2019 Update]: There are some relatively new clear cuts and 4WD/Jeep trails along the road between the quarry and the trailhead that allow views of some other cliffs in both directions. These are not the crags you're looking for! Keep driving on the main road until you're back in the trees and keep an eye out for the approach trail on the right. Some of the pics in the photo section might prove helpful.

100 Total Climbs

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Classic Climbing Routes at Rattlesnake

Mountain Project's determination of the classic, most popular, highest rated climbing routes in this area.
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 41
Arabesque
Sport, TR
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a
 40
Split Decision
Sport
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b
 30
The Great Bear
Sport, TR
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 9
Aurora
Sport
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c
 9
KaraKorum
Sport, TR
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c
 16
Chainsaw Psycho Dork
Sport
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a
 7
Whistler
Sport
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a
 10
Cloud Drifter
Sport, TR
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a
 17
Shadow Caster
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 4
Full Circle
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 16
Charybdis
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 6
The Scorpion
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 7
Rufous
Sport
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a
 6
Saturnalia
Sport
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b
 5
Girl With Flaxen Hair
Sport
Route Name Location Star Rating Difficulty Date
Arabesque (4)The Cathedral
 41
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport, TR
Split Decision (5)Jane's Buttress
 40
5.10a 6a 18 VI+ 18 E1 5a Sport
The Great Bear (2)Cloud Buttress
 30
5.10d 6b+ 21 VII+ 21 E3 5b Sport, TR
Aurora (1)Aurora Buttress
 9
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Sport
KaraKorum (8)Dominator Wall
 9
5.11a 6c 22 VII+ 22 E3 5c Sport, TR
Chainsaw Psycho Dork (8)Dominator Wall
 16
5.11b 6c 23 VIII- 23 E3 5c Sport
Whistler (3)Long Wall
 7
5.11c 6c+ 24 VIII- 24 E4 6a Sport
Cloud Drifter (2)Cloud Buttress
 10
5.11c/d 7a 24 VIII 25 E4 6a Sport, TR
Shadow Caster (5)Jane's Buttress
 17
5.11d 7a 24 VIII 25 E5 6a Sport
Full Circle (4)The Cathedral
 4
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
Charybdis (5)Jane's Buttress
 16
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
The Scorpion (8)Dominator Wall
 6
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
Rufous (3)Long Wall
 7
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
Saturnalia (8)Dominator Wall
 6
5.12a 7a+ 25 VIII+ 25 E5 6a Sport
Girl With Flaxen Hair (4)The Cathedral
 5
5.12b 7b 26 VIII+ 26 E5 6b Sport
More Classic Climbs in Rattlesnake »

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