Death Rattle Canyon
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| | Difficulty:3A III (v3a1 III) Raps:4-14, max ↨120ft
Red Tape:No permit required Shuttle:Optional 3 miles (40 minutes) Vehicle:4WD - Very High Clearance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Condition Reports: | 13 Dec 2025
"We did not see any sign of canyoneers having been in the canyon: no webbing or ghost-able cairns. All but 4 of the drops we encountered could be downc |
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| Best season: | Oct-Mar
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36.0015, -117.1707
35.9956, -117.1744
36.0014, -117.2100
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Introduction
The canyon is shallow and most drops can be easily bypassed, often on trails created by burros. This canyon is only recommended if combined with Hodgepodge Canyon, which is much more interesting.
The first descent team reported 14 rappels. A group in 2025 did 4 mandatory rappels, 2 optional rappels, and walked around a couple more.
Approach
Drive from Ballarat (nearly a ghost town) south on graded dirt road about 3.8 miles to South Park Canyon Road, which is easy to miss.
Turn left (west) onto South Park Canyon Road. This road REQUIRES high clearance 4x4 and skid plates. You won't be driving on this as far as the really bad parts, Chicken Rock and the wash above it, but expect to be in low range, and you will want passengers to scout occasionally.
Drive about 1/2 mile up South Park Canyon Road and park your exit vehicle. This is exit if you are combining with Hodgepodge Canyon, which is highly recommended. If you aren't doing Hodgepodge, follow GPS to the exit vehicle location for just Death Rattle.
The road gets worse. Drive about 3 miles to a junction with an old road to Suitcase Mine. These 3 miles will take about 40 minutes. Park.
Follow old road and mining trails generally to the north until you get to the canyon. Doesn't matter exactly what route you take.
Descent
This description starts around 4,400' elevation, which is lower than where the first descent team entered. However, there didn't appear to be anything higher up to warrant hiking up there, so the Dec. 2025 team didn't.
Several downclimbs & several walk-arounds on burro trails.
R1 90 feet from a cairn anchor. (Note: this is listed as R7 in the GPS points from the first descent team.)
R2 95 feet from cairn anchor
Optional R3: about 40 feet. Used meat anchor, then a few downclimbed.
Optional R4: about 20 feet. Used meat anchor, then downclimb and bypassed.
R5: 30 feet from a flake and knot chock. Would be easy to build a cairn here if desired.
R6: 70 feet from a pinch point. There is a spooky fresh-looking rockfall on the top of this rappel.
Walk a short distance after last rappel, then exit to left (south).
Exit
Less-fun choice: Contour back to South Park Canyon Road.
More-fun choice: Contour until you get to the head of Hodgepodge Canyon. Canyoneer that to get to your exit vehicle.
Red tape
BLM lands managed by Ridgecrest Field Office
Beta sites
Trip reports and media
First descent: https://www.facebook.com/scott.swaney/media_set?set=a.10156134120147930.1073742443.668617929&type=3
Background
First Descent exploration completed 2-11-18 by Scott Swaney and team (see trip report above)
Suitcase Mine https://thediggings.com/mines/camc320367