Overview

If you want easy grandeur, the Rim Trail is the place to go. This trail runs within a few feet of the lip of the South Rim from Yaki Point to Hermit Rest, and much of the 13.5-mile trail is nearly level. You can hike any portion of the trail by riding the shuttle bus to a viewpoint, hiking as far as you want, and then riding the shuttle bus back home (except no shuttle bus on Hermit Road during winter). A good hike on summer evenings is to ride the shuttle bus to Maricopa Point, watch the sunset, and then walk back to the Bright Angel Lodge for dinner. The trail from Pipe Creek Vista to Maricopa Point is paved, and much of this is suitable for wheelchairs and other assistive devices. If you have visitors from out-of-town and you want to take them on an easy but extraordinary hike, this is the place to go.

Link to map.

Watch Out

Other than the standard warnings about hiking in the desert, ...this is a safe hike. There are many places where you could stumble off the rim and into the canyon if you tried, but the trail is safe if you stay on it. Just west of the Bright Angel Lodge, the trail is fairly steep, and even though it is paved, it would not be suitable for a wheelchair or for someone who shouldn't hike steep trails. The elevation at the South Rim is surprisingly high, about 7,000 feet, so take it easy if you aren't used to the elevation.

While hiking, please respect the land and the other people out there, and please try to Leave No Trace of your passage. Also, this is a fairly easy hike with several pit stops along the way, so just bring what you need of the 10 Essentials.

This hike is located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, about 5.5 hours southeast of Las Vegas.

From town, drive out to the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. From the Canyon View Information Plaza, which includes the Visitor Center (Table 1, Site 811), walk, ride the shuttle bus, or drive to any of the viewpoints between Yaki Point (Site 817) and Hermit Rest (Site 816). The Rim Trail can be started at the east end (Yaki Point), west end (Hermit Rest), or at any shuttle bus stop on the rim between those two points. It is a short walk from Mather Campground to the Rim Trail, so you can even park in the campground and walk to the trail.

The Hike

The Rim Trail officially runs from Pipe Creek Vista to Hermit Rest, but you can actually start at Yaki Point and follow a use-trail along the rim to Pipe Creek Vista, adding about 1.5 miles to the total length. Furthermore, if you haven't gone far enough by the time you get to Hermits Rest, you can walk another 0.15 miles along the rim to the Hermit Rest trailhead out on the point.

From the South Kaibab trailhead parking area (Wpt. 3), a dirt use-trail runs for 1.0 miles to Pipe Creek Vista (Wpt. 4). The use-trail leaves from the last parking stall in the southeast corner of the parking lot and runs south along the rim of the canyon through a pinyon pine forest. The use-trail gets pinched between the rim and the road, and then the rim and a powerline corridor. In these places, walk on the road or under the powerlines until the rim and the use-trail curve away to the west. The use-trail then runs along the rim all the way to the east-most parking area at Pipe Creek Vista. Walk through the parking lots and along the road to the west-most Pipe Creek Vista parking area (Wpt. 4), which is where the shuttle bus stops.

From Pipe Creek Vista shuttle bus stop (Wpt. 4), the paved trail runs west along the rim for 1.3 miles to Mather Point (Wpt. 5). I've not hiked this part, so I can't give any details except that the trail runs through an old burn area that is starting to grow back. Mather Point is a great place to visit: it is one of the most-visited viewpoints and one of the classic South Rim scenes. The views are spectacular, and there are several rock outcrops where you can get out into the canyon. Some of the overlooks have railings, but not all of them, so be careful if you venture off the trail. The Canyon View Information Plaza is located across the road from Mather Point, so if you are inclined to visit the Visitor Center or the restrooms, it is only about 0.15 miles (a few minute walk) southwest from Mather Point.

From Mather Point (Wpt. 5), the paved trail runs west along the rim for 0.6 miles to Yavapai Point (Wpt. 6). There are some great views along this section, which runs through a ponderosa pine forest. The Yavapai observation building has interesting natural history displays, displays that name the features in the canyon, and restrooms. The Park Service hosts a web cam of the canyon, which looks north across the canyon from the Yavapai observation building.

From Yavapai Point (Wpt. 6), the paved trail runs southwest along the rim for 0.8 miles to Park Headquarters Junction (Wpt. 7). As elsewhere, there are some great views along this section of trail. The trail runs through a beautiful ponderosa pine forest that provides plenty of shade, but doesn't obstruct the view too much. From the junction, the paved Park Headquarters Trail runs southeast to the Evening Program Amphitheater, the Shrine of the Ages, and the NPS Headquarters buildings. The Park Headquarters Trail is also the short way back to the campground and the grocery store from the Rim Trail.

From Park Headquarters Junction (Wpt. 7), the paved trail runs west along the rim for 1.0 miles to the Bright Angel Lodge (Wpt. 8). This first part of this section is a very pleasant piece of trail that runs through a ponderosa pine forest on the edge of the canyon. The second part runs through the historic El Tovar Hotel and Bright Angel Lodge area that was mostly built during the late 1800s. The historic structures are interesting, and the urban environment provides flush toilets, up-scale coffee, and ice cream cones; but to a naturalist, the California Condors who roost below the Bright Angel Lodge are the real attraction. While you are sitting on the back porch of the Bright Angel, dangling your feet over the rim, eating ice cream, and watching the condors, watch out for rock squirrels who will fight you for your ice cream and other snacks. Being an urban area, there are many ways to continue west from the Bright Angel, but staying along the rim as much as possible is the more interesting route.

From the Bright Angel Lodge (Wpt. 8), the paved trail runs west along the rim for about 0.1 miles to the Village Route Transfer bus stop (Wpt. 9). Just west of the Bright Angel Lodge, the trail passes the Kolb Art Studio, which, with the traveling art exhibits, always is an interesting place to visit. Just west of there, the top of the Bright Angel Trail is marked by the circular stone mule corral and several signs. The Village Route Transfer bus stop is a few yards west of the Bright Angel trailhead.

From the Village Route Transfer bus stop (Wpt. 9), the paved trail runs west along the rim for 0.7 miles to Trailview Overlook (Wpt. 10). This section of the trail starts at a great overlook down the Bright Angel Canyon. The canyon was formed by the Bright Angel fault, and you will notice that the cliffs on the west side of the canyon are about 200 feet higher than those on the east side. The difference is due to the fault, which uplifted the land to the west relative to the land to the east. Shortly after leaving the bus stop area, you can stop for a rest and sit in the fault, the low-point along the trail. While relaxing, consider what would happen if the earth quaked while you were sitting there.

Beyond the Bright Angel fault, the trail turns north and starts climbing up through Kaibab limestone cliffs that are cloaked in a pinyon-juniper forest. Through this section, parts of the Kaibab limestone cliffs are exposed and you can see many fossils in the rocks. If you walk off the trail onto the flat rocks on either side of the trail, you will find fossilized brachiopods (clam-like creatures), corals, and sponges set in a matrix of gray limestone rock. The Park Rangers do a nice Nature Talk here and explain the geologic history of the area. The Trailview Overlook is a great place where you can safely walk out a spur trail onto rocky outcrops on the edge of the canyon and look straight down onto the Bright Angel Trail. As you climb the "few" steps to get back to the Rim Trail, consider the plight of the people and mules you saw struggling to climb out of the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail.

From Trailview Overlook (Wpt. 10), the paved trail runs north along the rim for 0.7 miles to Maricopa Point (Wpt. 11). This section of the trail is nearly level and very pleasant. In some ways, the views from this section of trail, and from the point, are the most spectacular on the entire trail. I especially like the view where the paved trail seems to run out into nothing.

From Maricopa Point (Wpt. 11), the paved trail ends and a dirt trail runs west along the rim for 0.5 miles to Powell Point (Wpt. 12). Just west of Maricopa Point, you can see the remains of the Orphan Mine. In the early days, they mined copper here, but later they mined high-grade uranium. The headway, supports for the cables, and mine shafts remain, but the area is fenced to keep people out of the radioactive mine tailings along the rim.

Out at Powell Point, which is on a narrow neck of rock that juts for 0.1 miles out into the canyon, there is a monument honoring John Wesley Powell. In 1869, Major Powell (1834 to 1902) lead a small group of men on the first expedition down the Colorado River. They ran the river for 3 months, never knowing what laid in wait for them around the next corner. Major Powell wrote a 400-page book about the adventure. He excerpted the best parts of the story in a short book, "The Cañons of the Colorado," which sells for about $6; it's a great adventure story that you can read in a couple of hours.

From Powell Point (Wpt. 12), the dirt trail runs west along the rim for 0.3 miles to Hopi Point (Wpt. 13). Initially, you have to walk on the road. As in other places, there are some great views off into the canyon from here. Hopi Point is considered to be the best place on the West Rim Drive for watching the sunset. There are grand views of the Colorado River and the canyon from the point.

From Hopi Point (Wpt. 13), the dirt trail runs along the rim for 0.8 miles to Mohave Point (Wpt. 14). A few minutes west of Hopi Point, the trail passes the Hopi Point shuttle bus stop, but then it continues on staying close to the road. The Hopi Wall, below the trail, is quite steep and spectacular. Mohave Point is another great place watch the sunset. As elsewhere along the West Rim, there are grand views of the river and the inner canyon.

From Mohave Point (Wpt. 14), the dirt trail runs south along the rim for 1.1 miles to The Abyss Overlook (Wpt. 15). This is a great piece of trail with grand views to the west into the canyon. The trail runs along the lip of the Abyss and feels quite airy in places, as the cliffs below the trail are some 3,000 feet high. Parts of this trail run along the edge of the road, so if you feel inclined to walk on the roadway, keep an eye out for traffic.

From The Abyss Overlook (Wpt. 15), the dirt trail continues west along the rim for 2.9 miles to Pima Point (Wpt. 16). The trail starts out running along the lip of the Abyss, gets pinched between the road and the rim, and feels quite airy. The road eventually curves away from the trail, and then the trail curves away from the rim to avoid climbing over a hill. The trail and the road return to the rim at Pima Point, which is another great place to watch the sunset. From Pima Point, you can look down to the Tonto Platform and see the site of the old Hermit Camp, a tourist camp that the Santa Fe Railroad ran during the early 1900s. You may even see hikers on the Tonto trail.

From Pima Point (Wpt. 16), the dirt trail runs southwest along the rim for 1.1 miles to Hermit Rest (Wpt. 17), the official end of the Rim Trail. For the first half of this section, the trail runs along the rim and away from the road. Later, the trail is again pinched between the rim and the road. Much of the view along this section is into Hermit Canyon rather than the Grand Canyon, proper.

From the front porch of the Hermit Rest buildings (Wpt. 17), a dirt use-trail runs west for 0.15 miles to the Hermit Rest trailhead (Wpt. 18), which is out on the end of the point. There are many trees in this area that block the view, so Hermit Rest isn't the best area for viewing the canyon. When ready, wander back to the Hermit Rest building.

At Hermit Rest, kick back, relax on the porch, enjoy a cold soda or a hot chocolate (depending on the weather), and gaze out over Hermit Canyon. In 1914, Mary Jane Coulter designed the Hermit Rest building using rough-hewn limestone blocks and boulders so that the structures would blend with the scenery. Ms. Coulter designed these and the other buildings along the South Rim that tend to blend into the background, all of which are interesting and worth investigating.

When you are ready to head home, hop on the shuttle bus and ride it back return to your trailhead.