If you’re looking for a short and easy hike near Grand Junction, Colorado, that features a scenic canyon, towering rock walls, petroglyphs, and the Colorado River, then check out this guide to hiking McDonald Creek Canyon.
Located in Rabbit Valley near the Utah border, McDonald Creek Canyon is a great family-friendly and dog-friendly trail that typically sees less traffic than other hikes that are closer to Grand Junction. It’s one of my favorite local trails for a leisurely hike because it’s easy, but packs in beautiful views the entire way.
Quick Trail Stats: McDonald Creek Canyon
Location: Rabbit Valley in McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area
Bathrooms?: There is a pit toilet at the trailhead.
Trailhead Parking Difficulty: Easy-moderate. The parking lot isn’t very large, but the trail usually isn’t crowded so it’s easy to snag a spot.
Distance: ~4 miles out-and-back
Elevation Gain: 185 ft.
Difficulty: 2.5-3/10 (easy)
Estimated Hike Time: 1-2 hours
Dog-Friendly?: Yes, dogs must be kept under control. Remember to pack out pet waste!
Getting to the McDonald Creek Canyon Trailhead
McDonald Creek Canyon is located in Rabbit Valley near the Utah border and is within McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area. To get to the McDonald Creek Canyon trailhead, get off exit 2 on I-70, and head south beyond a parking area with an information kiosk. Follow the road and make a right at the first intersection and left at the second. You’ll see signs pointing towards McDonald Creek Canyon and camping in the area.
The first stretch of the road is gravel, but it eventually turns to dirt as it winds through a canyon. The road is a bit rough in a couple of areas, so having a high-clearance vehicle is recommended. There’s a large sign marking the trailhead that you can’t miss. Be aware, the roads may be impassable after snow or rain.
Trailhead Location: Google Maps
Recreating Responsibly: McDonald Creek Canyon
To help keep McDonald Creek Canyon beautiful and preserve the area for future generations remember to follow the 7 Leave No Trace principles on your hike:
- Plan ahead and prepare. Make sure that you’re prepared for the hike and pack enough water when hiking in the desert!
- Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
- Properly dispose of waste. Pack out all of your trash, including food scraps and pet waste.
- Leave what you find.
- Minimize campfire impacts.
- Respect wildlife.
- Be considerate of other visitors. Please don’t play music over speakers on the trail.
The member-driven Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics teaches people how to enjoy the outdoors responsibly. This copyrighted information has been reprinted with permission from the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics: www.LNT.org.
Don’t Bust the Crust
As you hike the McDonald Creek Canyon trail you’ll notice large swaths of crusty black soil alongside the trail. This is biological soil crust, otherwise known as cryptobiotic soil.
Cryptobiotic soil plays a critical role in the desert by helping to prevent erosion. It is also extremely delicate. It can take years to decades to recover from damage, so it’s important to stay on the developed trail, or other durable surfaces like the creek bed or rocks, to avoid disrupting the cryptobiotic soil.
Respect Archaeological Sites
The Grand Valley is the ancestral homeland of the Utes, as well as other Indigenous groups whose presence remains in the area today. You can see this history firsthand in McDonald Creek Canyon where you can find petroglyph panels created by the Fremont people. Please do not touch the petroglyphs because the oils from your fingers can cause them to break down faster.
Archaeological sites are protected by multiple federal laws in the United States, including, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and the National Historic Preservation Act. Damaging, defacing, or destroying archaeological sites is a federal crime. Please treat the land and the petroglyphs with respect when hiking in McDonald Creek Canyon by viewing the petroglyphs responsibly from the trail.
Canyon Safety
The McDonald Creek Canyon trail follows the bottom of a creek bed that eventually drains into the Colorado River. While it’s not a slot canyon hike, there’s still a risk of flash floods, so you should avoid the hike if storms are in the forecast. Flash floods can be triggered from rain miles away, so even distant storms can potentially be risky.
McDonald Creek Canyon Trail Guide
The trail through McDonald Creek Canyon is pretty easy to navigate. You’ll follow a well-defined singletrack trail throughout most of the hike. Some portions of the trail take you along a sandy creek bed as you make your ways through the canyon.
Approximately 0.7 miles into the trail you’ll reach a rocky drop-off that you have to navigate around. Stay to the left of the drop-off and follow a rocky ledge that skirts the side of the canyon. There’s a small downclimb as you make your way back down to the creek bed that dogs and small children might need assistance with. It’s not overly difficult, but you will need to use your hands to get up/down.
There is also a side canyon that branches off to the left of the trail in this area that you can explore. This will add some additional mileage to your hike. The terrain in the side canyon is much more primitive than McDonald Creek Canyon, but it makes for a fun excursion if you enjoy rocky terrain.
After a little more than 1 mile of hiking the canyon curves and opens up, while the trail weaves through vegetation like sage brush and mormon tea. There’s a lot of cheatgrass along the trail, which is an invasive grass species, so be sure to clean your shoes after your hike!
As you continue hiking the McDonald Creek Canyon trail you’ll pass a couple of large rock alcoves approximately 1 ½ miles into the trail. After that the trail becomes increasingly overgrown with brush as you make your way to the river.
The McDonald Creek Canyon trail ends somewhat abruptly at a set of train tracks that overlook the Colorado River. Be aware, these are active train tracks, so be careful exploring the area (you can see and hear trains coming from a distance). After taking in the view, hike back to the trailhead on the same trail you hiked in on.
Map of McDonald Creek Canyon Trail
How Can I Support McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area?
If you want to support McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area consider becoming a member of Colorado Canyons Association! CCA is a local non-profit that helps support education and conservation in western Colorado’s National Conservation Areas (including McInnis Canyons). By donating to CCA you’ll help kids get outdoors and provide educational programming for kids and adults that promote Leave No Trace ethics.
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