List of trails in Grand Canyon National Park

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. [ [http://www.nps.gov/archive/grca/backcountry/trails/index.htm Grand Canyon National Park Backcountry Trails] ] [ [http://www.kaibab.org/bc/gc_trail.htm#south Grand Canyon Explorer, Trail Listing] ] [ [http://www.hitthetrail.com/trails.php Denise Traver's Hit the Trail, Corridor Trail Information] ]

Management

All pack and foot trails 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. [ [http://www.nps.gov/archive/grca/wilderness/documents/1988_BCMP.pdf Backcountry Management Plan, Grand Canyon National Park] ] 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
*Interprative 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. [ [http://www.nps.gov/archive/grca/wilderness/documents/1988_BCMP.pdf Backcountry Management Plan, Grand Canyon National Park, Appendix B, p.20] ] 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. [ [http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry-permit.htm Grand Canyon National Park, Backcountry Information] ]

Fees are required to obtain backcountry use permits. Information can be obtained from the parks Backcountry Information Center.

Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace [ [http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/backcountry-permit.htm Leave No Trace] ] ethics ask that all hikers abide by the following nine principles while hiking in the Grand Canyon National Park:
# All hikers should be prepared for the hike before them. Know the trail and know your limits.
# Do not create your own campsites. Only use existing sites and do not alter them.
# Stay on the trail as much as possible. No shortcuts.
# Pack out everything you bring in the canyon. This includes trash and toilet paper.
# Do not make any fires.
# Please refrain from using loud noises unless absolutely needed.
# Do not wash your dishes in a water source. Carry water 200 ft away and scatter the dish water.
# Bury any solid human waste at least 200 ft away from any water source. It should be buried in a hole 4 to 6 in deep and wide.
# Do not interfere with wildlife or items with cultural significance. Taking any items out of the Grand Canyon, including rocks, is prohibited.

Backcountry trail designations

Established trails within backcountry areas of the park are assigned one of the following designations by the National Park Service: [ [http://www.nps.gov/archive/grca/wilderness/documents/1988_BCMP.pdf Backcountry Management Plan, Grand Canyon National Park, Appendix G, Section C, p.39] ]
*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 hiking and stock use by visitors to the park and mule use by park concessionairres. To accommodate this, the National Park Service regularly patrols and maintains corridor trails.

The following are designated as corridor trails:
*Bright Angel Trail
*North Kaibab Trail
*Plateau Point Trail
*River Trail
*South Kaibab Trail

The South Kaibab Trail and North Kaibab Trail are officially part of the Arizona Trail system which crosses the park from south to north, although they retain their original names in all park publications and signage. [ [http://www.aztrail.org/passages/pass_38.html Arizona Trail, Passage 38 Trail Description] ]

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. Cairns are permitted, but are to be placed discriminitely.

The following are designated as threshold trails:
*Clear Creek Trail
*Dripping Springs Trail
*Grandview Trail
*Hermit Trail
*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
*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
*Nankoweap Trail
*North Bass Trail
*New Hance Trail (a.k.a. Red Canyon Trail)
*South Bass Trail
*South Canyon Trail
*Tanner Trail
*Tonto Trail
*Tuckup Trail

Routes

A route is a footpath that does not fall under the definition of trail 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
*Esplanade Route
*Royal Arch Route

Above-rim trails

The following hiking trails exist within Grand Canyon National Park but do not venture below the rim of the canyon.
*Bright Angel Point Trail
*Cape Final Trail
*Cape Royal Trail
*Cliff Spring Trail
*Fire Point Trail
*Francois Matthes Trail
*Ken Patrick Trail
*Komo Point Trail
*Rim Trail
*Tiyo Point Trail
*Transept Trail
*Uncle Jim Trail
*Walhalla Glades Trail
*Walhalla Spur Trail
*Widforss Trail

References

ee also

*Grand Canyon
*Grand Canyon National Park
*List of Colorado River rapids and features

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/grca Grand Canyon National Park, Official Site]
* [http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/permit-request.pdf Grand Canyon National Park, Backcountry Permit Request Form]
* [http://www.kaibab.org Grand Canyon Explorer]
* [http://www.hitthetrail.com Denise Traver's Hit the Trail Website]