Turn long Grand Canyon trails into day hikes

Grand Canyon National Park

This blog entry by Hikes with Tykes author Rob Bignell originally appeared in Seattle Backpackers Magazine.

The Grand Canyon is one of those rare landscapes that humbles a soul.

Its immense size – 6000 feet deep from rim to canyon floor at its deepest, 18 miles across from rim to rim at its widest – appears unreal to most visitors. Then there’s the unfathomable age of the rock, up to 2 billion years old. Or simply watch the ever-shifting light as the canyon’s mood rotates through the day, ranging from the mystical, multiple hues of sunrise and sunset, to the utterly stark harshness of its brilliantly lit desert walls at high noon.

Many of the national park’s trails head into the backcountry by going up and down steep canyon sides, offering fantastic adventures for backpackers. That’s not so great for families, especially with small children, though, who often find themselves limited to the crowded paved rim trails. Still, a small segment of any of those backcountry trails can be done as a day hike.

Primary among them on the South Rim is the Grandview Trail. A segment of it can be done as a 2.2-mile round trip day hike, but you’ll need to be in shape, and any children with you should be on your back or in their teens.

Following the western side of the ridge that extends northeast of Grandview Point, the trail quickly descends into the canyon. Logs and cobblestones make up the trail’s base during many sections.

Hikers first pass through Kaibab Limestone, formed some 245 million years ago during the Permian Era. This 300-feet thick layer of white to yellow rock once sat at the bottom of a warm, shallow sea that was much like today’s Caribbean.

About 1.1 miles from the rim, you’ll reach the Coconino Saddle, having descended 790 feet. The rock here formed about 270 million year ago. The impressive view below is of the upper valley of Hance Creek. Given the elevation you must hike to reach the rim, this marks a good turnaround point for day hikers.

On the North Rim, the North Kaibab Trail is the only maintained trail into the canyon. Day hike about 500 feet down in elevation, which alone is a steep trail at a high altitude covering about a 1.5-mile round trip. Children again will have to be on your back or older teens.

The trail descends from a montane forest, consisting of aspen, Douglas fir and ponderosa pine, into Roaring Springs Canyon. Meltwater flowing down this side canyon feeds the Colorado River.

As the trail winds downward, you’ll have gone about 500 feet below the rim in 0.75 miles of walking. At that point is the Coconino Overlook, where an excellent view of Roaring Springs Canyon awaits.

Turning back at the overlook is a good idea for day hikers. If early in the day, you may want to consider going a little farther down to the Supai Tunnel. A man-made passageway through the rock, reaching the tunnel makes for a 1.8-mile hike and about 1440 feet below the rim. Go ahead and walk through the small tunnel to see the looming cliffs with pinyon and juniper ahead.

Some other backcountry trails that you can shorten into great family day hikes include:
g South Kaibab Trail – On the South Rim, take the Kaibab Trail Route shuttle bus to the trailhead, which is east of the village and south of Yaki Point. While the trail goes for up to six miles round trip, you may want to shorten this steep walk by stopping after 0.75 miles (for 1.5 miles round trip) at Ooh-ahh Point, which is less than 200 feet below the rim. At the point, you round Yaki Point for a suddenly expansive view of the eastern canyon.
g Ken Patrick Trail – A short segment of this 10-mile (one-way) trail on the North Rim can be done through a forested area. About a mile from the North Kaibab parking lot, you’ll reach the junction for the Uncle Jim Trail; turn back here for a two-mile round trip. For families with older teens, you might consider extending the hike by taking part of the Uncle Jim route. A lollipop trail, combined with the Ken Patrick it runs 5 miles through woodland to Uncle Jim Point, a canyon overlook.
g Widforss Trail – Walk about a half-mile through aspen groves to the North Rim’s edge for a one-mile round trip. You’ll find that this trail is much less busy than those in the lodge area or those at the end of Cape Royal Road. The walk can be extended for several miles; if going the full length, the Widforss runs up to five miles one way with 350 feet in elevation change.

Read more about day hiking the Grand Canyon in my Hittin the Trail: Day Hiking Grand Canyon National Park guidebook.

Select from three trails at North Kaibab

Coconino Overlook on North Kaibab Trail, looking into Roaring Springs
Canyon. Photo courtesy of Grand Canyon NPS.

A great set of day hiking trails on the Grand Canyon National Park’s North Rim start at the North Kaibab Trail trailhead.

After entering the park on Ariz. Hwy. 67, use the North Kaibab parking lot, which is immediately after the Forever Resorts Grand Canyon.

From there, you can choose among three trails:
g North Kaibab Trail – The North Kaibab is the only maintained trail into the canyon from the North Rim. Rather than hike all the way to the bottom – which would require an overnight stay – hike about 500 feet down in elevation, which alone is a steep trail at a high altitude covering about a 1.5-mile round trip. The turn back point is the Coconino Overlook, where an excellent view of Roaring Springs Canyon awaits. While the North Kaibab is well-maintained, it’s also very steep with long drop-offs. Because of this, you won’t want to take young children on the trail.
g Bridle Path – The 1.2-mile trail (2.4-miles round trip) links the North Kaibab trailheads to the Grand Canyon Lodge. It parallels Hwy. 67 and typically is taken by those staying at the lodge to the North Kaibab trailhead. For travelers not staying at the lodge and who have dogs, this is a great trail as pets on leashes are allowed.
g Ken Patrick Trail – A short segment of this 10-mile (one-way) trail can be done through a forested area. About a mile from the parking lot, you’ll reach the junction for the Uncle Jim Trail; turn back here for a two-mile round trip. For families with older teens, you might consider extending the hike by taking part of the Uncle Jim route. A lollipop trail, combined with the Ken Patrick it runs five miles through woodland to Uncle Jim Point, a canyon overlook. To shorten the trip, go right where the trail’s loop begins; it’s then a little more than three miles when combined with the Ken Patrick.

Read more about day hiking the Grand Canyon in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking Grand Canyon National Park guidebook.

Day hike North Rim’s Cape Royal road trails

Unkar Delta is framed through the natural arch
of Angels Window on the Cape Royal Trail.
Photo courtesy Grand Canyon NPS.

Plenty of North Rim trails at Grand Canyon National Park can be day hiked without driving all the way to the Grand Canyon Lodge. A good set of them are along Cape Royal Road.

To reach this part of the park, as driving south on Ariz. Hwy. 67, turn left onto Point Imperial Road about three miles before the visitor center/lodge. In 5.4 miles, turn right onto Cape Royal Road.

The Ken Patrick Trail crosses Cape Royal Road in about a half-mile. There’s no parking lot here but is a pullout area just south of the trail crossing; be careful of road traffic.

If taking the trail on the road’s left side, you’ll head just under three miles one way (slightly less than six miles round trip) briefly through an alpine forest and then along the canyon rim to Point Imperial. Picnic tables and restrooms make this a perfect stop for a midmorning snack or noontime meal with great views of the Painted Desert and Mount Hayden. The trail does continue heading north, but the point makes a good turnaround spot on what already is a long day hike.

Taking the trail on the road’s right side leads along the canyon rim to a small point overlooking Bright Angel Canyon in about a mile (two-miles round trip). While there are no facilities there, it offers a more “out in the wilderness” experience and at times can be difficult to follow. The trail does continue heading southwest along the rim, but the point makes a good turnaround spot.

Alternatively, you can skip the Ken Patrick Trail and take Cape Royal Road across a narrow isthmus, with the canyon on both sides, onto the Walhalla Plateau. You’ll pass Greenland Lake and Vista Encantada (which has picnic tables) before coming to Roosevelt Point. Park at the Roosevelt Point parking lot for the Roosevelt Point Trail, for a 0.2-mile loop through a woodland along the rim. Breaks in the trees frame great views of the canyon. Benches also are along the trail.

Continuing farther onto the plateau on Cape Royal Road brings you to Cape Final Trail. Running four miles round trip with 150 feet elevation change, the trail heads to a canyon overlook. The path is part of the Arizona Trail, which runs across from the state from the Mexico border to Utah.

A little farther along the road is the extremely short Walhalla Ruins Trail. From the Walhalla Overlook parking lot, a 0.2-mile round trip trail heads to the archeological site. Ranger talks often are held at the overlook, from which you can see a delta of the Colorado River, the Unkar Delta. Ancient Native American who once lived in the canyon farmed the delta.

About 0.75 miles south of that trailhead is Cliff Spring Trail. Park in the pullout; the trailhead is across the road. The one-mile round trip trail changes 600 feet in elevation but offers plenty of great sights. It begins by cutting into a forested ravine then parallels a sandstone wall with shade from overhangs. It ends in a fern oasis at a man-high boulder under an overhang; look for the spring between the boulder and sandstone wall. Though the water appears crystal clear, it can be contaminated, so do not drink it.

Cape Royal Road ends its 15-mile stretch by winding down to its namesake, Cape Royal, a peninsula sticking out the of Walhalla Plateau onto Bright Angel Canyon. The Cape Royal Trail takes you from the parking lot at the road’s end to farthest point on the peninsula, which sits at 7685 feet.

The 0.6-mile round trip paved trail is among the easiest walks of those in this section of the North Rim. Look for the trailhead at the Cape Royal parking area’s southeast side. The flat trail offers pleasant views of the canyon and the Colorado River with a short side trip to Angels Window. Interpretive markers about the area’s natural history line the trail. This path also is part of the Arizona Trail. There are picnic tables and restrooms here as well.

Be advised that a wildfire swept through this part of the North Rim in autumn 2011. Because of this, some trails and facilities may be temporarily unavailable to visitors.

Read more about day hiking the Grand Canyon in my Hittin’ the Trail: Day Hiking Grand Canyon National Park guidebook.