Overview

Page Spring (also called Miner's Spring) is a perennial water source at the base of the Redwall Limestone on the east side of Horseshoe Mesa. The spring is accessed from the Page Spring Trail (also called the Miner’s Trail) between the Grandview Trail and the Tonto East Trail. From the top of Horseshoe Mesa, it takes about 1 hour to get to the spring with a full 8-day backpack.

Link to trail map.

Trail Guide
Getting to the Trailhead

This hike is located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, about 5 hours southeast of Las Vegas. For details of Getting to the Trailhead, see the Grandview Trail.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...the trail through the Redwall is steep, narrow, quite exposed, and includes some 2nd-class or 3rd-class scramble-downs. There are many places to slip on the loose gravel and fall into oblivion, so be careful every step of the way. This is a mining district, and although mines are inherently interesting, it is never safe to enter holes in the ground. We drank raw water dripping from the ceiling of the Page Spring grotto without ill effect, but it would have been safer to treat it; treat water from the springpool because Bighorn Sheep and other wildlife use the water.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and try to Leave No Trace of your passage. From the South Rim, this is a long hike, so be sure to bring the 10 Essentials.

The Hike

From the trailhead on the rim (Table 2, Waypoint 1), the route follows the Grandview Trail for about 2.7 miles to Horseshoe Mesa (Wpt. 19), which is the top of the Redwall Limestone and about half-way down to the Colorado River.

From the top of Horseshoe Mesa, the route follows the Page Spring Trail over the edge of the Redwall. There is considerable exposure, and the trail requires careful attention every step of the way, but the trail crew worked on it during the fall of 2005, so at least there is a trail (such as it is). With a full backpack, it takes about 40 minutes to descend the Redwall.

Below the Redwall, the trail is steep dirt with loose gravel and rocks, but the trail is fine and the grades are moderate. The Page Spring Trail passes an old mine, then continues along the base of the Redwall until switchbacking and descending to a junction with the Page Spring Spur Trail (Wpt. 22). From the old mine, it takes about 20 minutes to get to the trail junction.

The trail junction is marked with an old wooden sign and an old wheelbarrow with a metal wheel. From the junction, the Page Spring Spur Trail runs south across the canyon for about 5 minutes to Page Spring (Wpt. 23). Page Spring is in a grotto on a rocky ledge at the base of the Redwall, a few feet above the ground. The grotto is filled with Maidenhair Ferns, and there are Redbud and Utah Juniper trees in this shady area. Bighorn Sheep use the spring (watch for scat), so the water in the pool might not be the best to drink, but clean water drips from the ceiling of the grotto.