Accessible by all Cars from the S2 close to Marker 27. Park at a large parking area on the east side of the road.
From the parking lot it is about 20 minutes to Rainbow Canyon Wash (go southeast).
Follow close to the road (down) or go cross country (southeast) as we did, through a beautiful cactus "forest".
Enter the sandy wash of Rainbow Canyon and head east - northeast.
The hike is fairly easy all the way except for the part after "Difficult".
After this section there is a short stretch of dry rocky waterfalls, nothing too difficult but you may need your hands at times.
As we near the end of the canyon, the canyon more or less ends and you have to go cross country (easy, not too much vegetation) until you hit another wash that goes downhill on the other side of the mountain.
Follow this wash down.
At the point "Xing - cross country" go a little left a few 100 yards out of the wash cross country (easy not too much vegetation) until you hit a dirt road of a primitive campsite.
Follow this road until you reach the California Riding and Hiking Trail.
Follow the CRHT to the left (west). You will get closer to the road, but the trail will go deeper into a box canyon.
When you get back to the road (S2) where the CRHT crosses the road, go left just before the road on a faint trail along the road.
After a short distance the trail turns left, away from the road in a wash toward the parking lot. Hike time 3 hours 40 minutes return.
Alternative with car shuttle.
Start at the entrance of Rainbow Canyon "Park 3" and end at the "Park 2" point in Blair Valley.
Going the other way will make the hike more difficult for most hikers.
"Park 2" (see GPX file) can be reached by taking the second Blair Valley exit (west), turning right on California Riding and Hiking and following the dirt road up to Park 2.
This road is usually passable by most cars with some ground clearance, except after rain.
Hiking time for the car shuttle hike: 2 hours 45 minutes (5 miles).