Transept Trail

Distance: 3 miles round-trip
Duration: 1.5 hours
Elevation change: 100 feet
Effort: Easy to moderate
Trailhead: Grand Canyon Lodge [1] or the North Rim Campground [2]

The Transept Trail is an up-and-down meander through a ponderosa pine forest that gives way to Gambel oaks along the rim of Transept Canyon. Even though it leads along busy Bright Angel Point [3], the trail offers many spots to enjoy the forest solitude and rim views.

If you hike in the early morning, you have a good chance of seeing mule deer, Kaibab squirrels, and several bird species. Stop midway, where a couple of rows of benches offer views of Zoroaster, Brahma, and Deva Temples—fabulous at sunset.

Nearby, small Native American ruins, approximately 1,000 years old, stand next to the trail. Residents probably spent summers here on the rim, hunting and gathering wild plants in the nearby forest.

Return the same way, or make a loop by taking the Bridle Path [4] that parallels Highway 67 between the lodge and the campground.