THE RIM TRAIL

People of all ages enjoy a walk along this scenic trail, which offers views from many different vantage points and connects the main points of interest in the Grand Canyon Village area. Pick up brochures for the trail at the Visitor Center or along the trail. Shuttle buses stop at both ends of the trail and at many places along the way.

The popular 2.5-mile section east from Bright Angel Lodge to Mather Point is paved and nearly level, taking 45–90 minutes each way. You’ll pass El Tovar Hotel, Hopi House, and Yavapai Observation Station in addition to many viewpoints. At Mather Point, you can take a short stroll south to Canyon View Information Plaza or continue east on the Rim Trail for another 1.3 miles one-way, also paved and nearly level, to Pipe Creek Vista on Desert View Drive.

Heading west from Bright Angel Lodge, the trail is paved but narrow with some steep sections and stairs to Trailview Overlook, then level to Maricopa Point, a total of 1.4 miles and 30–60 minutes one-way. A narrow, unpaved section of the Rim Trail continues west 6.7 miles from Maricopa Point to Hermits Rest, at the end of Hermit Road, taking 3–4 hours one-way.

Mather Point

The panorama here is the first view of the Grand Canyon for many visitors. Walk north 300 yards from the Canyon View Information Plaza or walk east 2.5 miles on the Rim Trail from Grand Canyon Village. You may be able to park here, but finding a space requires luck or an early morning arrival. Below Mather Point (elev. 7,120 feet) lie Pipe Creek Canyon, the Inner Gorge of the Colorado River, and countless buttes, temples, and points eroded from the rims. It takes its name from Stephen Mather, who served as the first director of the National Park Service and was in office when the Grand Canyon joined the national park system on February 26, 1919.