The following is a list of hiking trails that are, in whole or part, within the established boundaries of Grand Canyon National Park, located in Coconino and Mohave counties in the U.S. state of Arizona. [1] [2] [3]
All pack and foot trails in Grand Canyon National Park fall under the jurisdiction of the Grand Canyon Backcountry Office (BCO), located in the Backcountry Information Center in Grand Canyon Village. This building previously housed a railway depot. The BCO administers trail maintenance, patrol, and search and rescue operations in the Grand Canyon's backcountry areas.
The Grand Canyon Backcountry Office manages undeveloped areas of the canyon by following the 1988 Backcountry Management Plan (BMP), as amended. [4] The goal of the plan is to mitigate human impacts to ecologically sensitive areas within the park. In those areas, the BMP provides management guidelines for:
The adoption of the BMP marked the first time permits were required for overnight use of the park's backcountry. [5] The permit process was instituted on 1 October 1988 and is still in use today. Permits may be applied for up to four months in advance of a hiker's planned itinerary, on the first day of each month. Permit requests may be faxed, mailed, or delivered in-person. A permit is not required for day use of backcountry trails. [6]
Fees are required to obtain backcountry-use permits. Information can be obtained from the parks Backcountry Information Center.
The Park Service asks that travelers abide by Leave No Trace principles. [7]
Established trails within backcountry areas of the park are assigned one of the following designations by the National Park Service: [8]
These designations define the expected daily use of a trail, as well as its level of management, maintenance, and patrol by park personnel or backcountry rangers.
A corridor trail receives the highest hiking and stock use by visitors to the park and mule use by park concessionaires. To accommodate this, the National Park Service regularly patrols and maintains corridor trails. Backcountry rangers recommend that hikers taking their first trip into the inner canyon use one of the park's Corridor trails. These areas include three campgrounds: Havasupai Gardens, Bright Angel, and Cottonwood, each of which have ranger stations, water, and emergency phones. [9]
The following are designated as corridor trails:
The South Kaibab Trail and North Kaibab Trail are officially part of the Arizona Trail system which crosses the park from south to north, although they retain their original names in all park publications and signage. [10]
A threshold trail receives lower visitation than corridor trails, but will receive more than primitive trails. The National Park Service does not regularly maintain threshold trails, but reconstructs sections damaged by environmental forces, or to prevent further trail erosion. Maintenance will also be done to protect historical features along a threshold trail. Cairns are permitted, but are to be placed discriminately.
The following are designated as threshold trails:
A primitive trail receives the least visitation of all trails. The National Park Service does not regularly maintain primitive trails, but reconstructs sections damaged by environmental forces only in cases where its existing condition creates a hazard. Multiple trail eradication is done to prevent accidental off-trail hiking. Cairns are permitted, but are to be placed discriminately.
The following are designated as primitive trails:
A route is a footpath that does not fall under the definition of trail because it was not deliberately constructed, or contains portions of trails that have fallen into such disrepair that they can no longer be identified on a map. Routes may exist due to cross-country hiking or animal use.
Due to their difficulty, routes receive the lowest visitation of all footpaths within the park. The National Park Service only maintains routes to minimize damage to nearby natural resources.
The following do not fall into any of the above trail designations, and are classified as routes:
The following hiking trails exist within Grand Canyon National Park but do not venture below the rim of the canyon.
Grand Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Wonders of the World. The park, which covers 1,217,262 acres of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties, received more than 4.7 million recreational visitors in 2023. The Grand Canyon was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. The park celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 26, 2019.
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile.
Capitol Reef National Park is a national park of the United States in south-central Utah. The park is approximately 60 miles (100 km) long on its north–south axis and just 6 miles (10 km) wide on average. The park was established in 1971 to preserve 241,904 acres of desert landscape and is open all year, with May through September being the highest visitation months.
The South Kaibab Trail is a hiking trail in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. Unlike the Bright Angel Trail which also begins at the south rim of the Grand Canyon and leads to the Colorado River, the South Kaibab Trail follows a ridge out to Skeleton Point allowing for 360-degree views of the canyon.
The Bright Angel Trail is a hiking trail located in Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. state of Arizona.
Phantom Ranch is a lodge inside Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. It sits at the bottom of Grand Canyon, on the east side of Bright Angel Creek, a little over half a mile north of the Creek's confluence with the Colorado River. Opened in 1922, Phantom Ranch is a member of Historic Hotels of America, the official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Arizona National Scenic Trail is a National Scenic Trail from Mexico to Utah that traverses the whole north–south length of the U.S. state of Arizona. The trail begins at the Coronado National Memorial near the US–Mexico border and moves north through parts of the Huachuca, Santa Rita, and Rincon Mountains. The trail continues through the Santa Catalina north of Tucson and the Mazatzal Mountains before ascending the Mogollon Rim north of Payson, and eventually leading to the higher elevations of Northern Arizona and the San Francisco Peaks. The trail then continues across the Coconino Plateau and in and out of the Grand Canyon. The Arizona Trail terminates near the Arizona–Utah border in the Kaibab Plateau region. The 800-mile (1,300 km) long Arizona Trail was completed on December 16, 2011. The trail is designed as a primitive trail for hiking, equestrians, mountain biking, and even cross country skiing, showcasing the wide variety of mountain ranges and ecosystems of Arizona.
The North Kaibab Trail is a hiking trail in the North Rim side of the Grand Canyon, in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona.
The Hermit Trail is a hiking trail in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. This trail provides access to a historic area of Grand Canyon and offers a more challenging route to the Colorado River for more experienced canyon hikers.
The Cape Final Trail is a hiking trail on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona.
The Tonto Trail is a hiking trail on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona.
The River Trail is a hiking trail in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. This trail connects the end of the Bright Angel Trail with Phantom Ranch and the South Kaibab Trail.
The Beamer Trail is a backpacking trail located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona.
The Boucher Trail is a hiking trail of the South Rim in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona.
The Clear Creek Trail is a hiking trail below the North Rim, from lower Bright Angel Canyon into lower Clear Creek Canyon of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona.
The Grandview Trail is a hiking trail located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona.It was built in 1893 by miners and is noted for its cobblestone and cribbing sections.
The Tanner Trail is a hiking trail located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. The trailhead is located at Lipan Point, a prominent lookout located to the east of the Grand Canyon Village, and the trail ends at the Colorado River at Tanner Rapids.
John Harvey Butchart was a mathematics professor who was well known for his hiking exploits in and around the Grand Canyon in Arizona, United States. Beginning in 1945, Butchart explored the Grand Canyon's backcountry on foot. He wrote extensively about his adventures and influenced generations of canyoneers.
The Grand Canyon National Park is a U.S. National Park located in the state of Arizona. The Park encompasses the Grand Canyon and the surrounding rim areas. The Park maintains an intricate trail system both above and below the rims of the canyon. To properly maintain and supervise the many trails and campgrounds in the backcountry of the Grand Canyon, Park implemented a system of zoning the different areas of the canyon and the surrounding rim area into backcountry "use areas," designated by a two-letter, one-number code system.
The Great Western Trail is a north-south long distance multiple use route that runs from Canada to Mexico through five western states in the United States. The trail has access for both motorized and non-motorized users and traverses 4,455 miles (7,170 km) through Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. It was designated a National Millennium Trail in 1999.
