Waldron Trail

Distance: 4 miles round-trip
Duration: 2–3 hours round-trip
Elevation loss: 1,020 feet
Effort: Moderate
Trailhead: Horsethief Tank, 6 miles west of Grand Canyon Village [1]

If you have a high-clearance vehicle, the Waldron Trail offers a shadier alternative to reaching Dripping Springs [2] or other West Rim trails. This lightly used connector trail crosses the piñon-juniper woodland of Hermit (Waldron) Basin to intersect with the Hermit Trail [3].

The trailhead is located six miles west of the village on a network of dirt roads, near Horsethief Tank. (A “tank” is a natural or constructed depression for capturing runoff, usually as a livestock pond.) For the most part the grade is gentle, with a steep descent about midway, as the trail climbs down the Toroweap and Coconino sandstone layers.

Hermit Basin makes a good day hike destination, or you can continue past the junction with Hermit Trail to Santa Maria Spring (another mile) or Dripping Springs (another 1.5 miles) via other trails.