Serpents Trail, Historic hiking trail in Colorado National Monument, United States.

Serpents Trail is a historic hiking path in Colorado National Monument that winds through red rock formations with tight switchbacks. The route connects two different elevation points and offers views across the surrounding canyon and rock walls.

John Otto surveyed the route in 1911 with civil engineer J.F. Sleeper, and construction ran from 1912 to 1921, when Mesa County took over; engineer J.B. Claybaugh finished it in 1924. The road climbed nearly 1,100 feet from Grand Junction through No Thoroughfare Canyon toward Cold Shivers Point, then ran 4 miles to Glade Park. Rim Rock Drive later destroyed parts of it, and the surviving 1.6 miles became a hiking trail, listed on the National Register on April 21, 1994.

The French Wikipedia notes the road was nicknamed "the most winding road in the world" and stayed in use until around the 1950s. Visitors can still see stretches where rock was blasted away to make room for the route, and more than 50 switchbacks carry the path up the slope.

Hikers should expect steep sections and numerous turns that require physical effort. There are entry points at both the top and bottom, so visitors can choose which direction suits them better.

The name comes from the series of tight turns that give the path the appearance of a snake. These curves were carefully built so that travelers with simple vehicles could manage a steep slope.