The following is a list of

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or small road usually passing through a natural area. In the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, a path or footpath is the preferred term for a pedestrian or hiking trail. Th ...

s that are, in whole or part, within the established boundaries of

Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon National Park, located in northwestern Arizona, is the 15th site in the United States 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 consider ...

, located in Coconino and Mohave counties in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Management

All pack and foot

s 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. 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: *Establishment of management zones (use areas) *Permit system and fee structure for overnight use *Establishment of visitor use limits *Enforcement of the plan's provisions *Interpretive programs to educate canyon visitors *Research to determine if the plan's goals are being met The adoption of the BMP marked the first time permits were required for overnight use of the park's backcountry. 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. 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.

Backcountry trail designations

Established trails within backcountry areas of the park are assigned one of the following designations by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

: *Corridor Trails *Threshold Trails *Primitive Trails *Routes/Wild 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.

Corridor trails

A corridor trail receives the highest

and

stock In finance, stock (also capital stock) consists of all the shares by which ownership of a corporation or company is divided.Longman Business English Dictionary: "stock - ''especially AmE'' one of the shares into which ownership of a company ...

use by visitors to the park and

mule The mule is a domestic equine hybrid between a donkey and a horse. It is the offspring of a male donkey (a jack) and a female horse (a mare). The horse and the donkey are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes; of the two pos ...

use by park concessionaires. To accommodate this, the

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: Indian Garden, Bright Angel, and Cottonwood, each of which have ranger stations, water, and emergency phones. The following are designated as corridor trails: *

Bright Angel Trail The Bright Angel Trail is a hiking trail located in Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. state of Arizona. Description The trail originates at Grand Canyon Village on the south rim of the Grand Canyon, descending 4380 feet to the Colorad ...

North Kaibab Trail 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. Access Access to this part of the park by car is seasonal, open from mid-May to mid-Octobe ...

* Plateau Point Trail * River Trail *

South Kaibab Trail 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 Kaiba ...

The

and

are officially part of the

Arizona Trail 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 ...

system which crosses the park from south to north, although they retain their original names in all park publications and signage.Arizona Trail, Passage 38 Trail Description
/ref>

Threshold trails

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.

Cairn A cairn is a man-made pile (or stack) of stones raised for a purpose, usually as a marker or as a burial mound. The word ''cairn'' comes from the gd, càrn (plural ). Cairns have been and are used for a broad variety of purposes. In prehis ...

s are permitted, but are to be placed discriminately. The following are designated as threshold trails: *

Clear Creek Trail 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. Description The trail begins near the Colorado ...

* Dripping Springs Trail *

Grandview Trail 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. Description The trail ...

Hermit Trail 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 experience ...

* Thunder River Trail *Waldron Trail

Primitive 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: *

Beamer 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. Description The trail begins at the end of the Tanner Trail, at the confluence of Tanner Creek and the Col ...

* Bill Hall Trail * Boucher Trail * Deer Creek Trail * Havasu Canyon Route (''a portion of this trail is within the park''). * Kanab Creek Trail *

Lava Falls Trail The Lava Falls Trail is a hiking trail on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. It descends from the north rim of the Grand Canyon just west of the extinct volcano known as Vulcan's Throne to the C ...

* Nankoweap Trail * North Bass Trail * New Hance Trail (a.k.a. Red Canyon Trail) *

South Bass Trail The South Bass Trail is a hiking trail located on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. Access The trail is accessible by use of United States Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service roads along the ...

* South Canyon Trail *

Tanner Trail 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, ...

Tonto Trail 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. Access The Tonto Trail does not terminate at either rim of the Grand Canyon, but begins along the south ...

Tuckup Trail The Tuckup Trail is a hiking trail on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. It extends from Toroweap Point-(Toroweap Overlook), to 150 Mile Canyon on the Esplanade Sandstone membe ...

Routes

A route is a footpath that does not fall under the definition of

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: *

Escalante Route The Escalante Route is a hiking trail on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. It starts near the Tanner Rapids ( Tanner Graben) on the Colorado River and follows the river. It also passes by Esca ...

Esplanade Route 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. Management All pack and foot trails ...

Royal Arch Route The Royal Arch Route is a hiking trail on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. Image:Royal Arch Route.jpg, A side canyon/drainage where part of the Royal Arch Route is located. Image:Royal Arch ...

Above-rim trails

The following

s exist within

but do not venture below the rim of the canyon. * Bright Angel Point Trail *

Cape Final Trail 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. Description It is located on the Walhalla Plateau at the Grand Canyon's North Rim. Access is from the Cape Royal Ro ...

Cape Royal Trail The Cape Royal Trail is a hiking trail on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. Access The paved trail begins in the parking area at the southern end of Cape Royal Road on the north rim. Descri ...

* Cliff Spring Trail * Fire Point Trail * Francois Matthes Trail (named after François E. Matthes) * Ken Patrick Trail * Komo Point Trail *

Rim Trail The Rim 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 is a trail between the South Kaibab Trailhead west to Hermit's Rest. It is also where former Major League Baseba ...

* Tiyo Point Trail * Transept Trail * Uncle Jim Trail * Walhalla Glades Trail * Walhalla Spur Trail *

Widforss Trail The Widforss Trail is a hiking trail located at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park in the U.S. state of Arizona. The Widforss Trail runs from the North Rim Village through the forest to emerge at Widforss Point, a narrow, wooded pro ...

References

External links

Grand Canyon Trail Descriptions
at HikeArizona.COM
Grand Canyon Summits List
at HikeArizona.COM
Grand Canyon National Park, Official SiteGrand Canyon National Park, Backcountry Permit Request FormGrand Canyon ExplorerDenise Traver's Hit the Trail Website
{{Grand Canyon *