Grandview Trail Loop

Bring water. The streams were all dried up.

Friends and I won some camping spots via lottery to this trail (specifically Horse Shoe Mesa camping area) in April or May 2012. Unlike Bright Angel, there is a different view every turn, lots of twists and turns, solitude, and a bit more shade in parts. The saddle is particularly gorgeous. And also unlike Bright Angel, it has a lot of rocky, tall, steep stairs in the top half which can wear you out early, even if you consider yourself in moderately good shape, as I did. The forest service provides a detailed caution in how to prepare for this trail, yet our group still made some rookie camping mistakes. We brought too much gear. A trail this steep means you need to be light, especially returning up when you're already tired. Bring extra water...We used up more than 2.5-3 liters each in 24 hours, including cooking. The spring is to the east of the campsite, at least a mile away. It's in a small fern filled cove but not easy to spot from a distance. You should have a water filter as well. I missed locating the spring and hiked another 3 miles looking for water the next day after hiking from the rim to the camp. Talk about tired. And the anxiety I felt when returning to camp to tell the other campers I couldn't find any water. We all returned together to search again and found the spring, which was a lush small pool in May. I missed a turn at the old miner's wheelbarrow.... But by day 3, when it was time to go back up the canyon, with our heavy packs, nearly every one of us gave out before reaching the top. One camper got altitude sickness (vomited) on the easiest part of the hike, which was near the start as we descended from the rim. If you're not living at a similar altitude, take that into consideration as a possible unexpected setback. Take wind into consideration as it may mean you can't get that too heavy cook stove to work that you (we) shouldn't have brought anyway. It was a grueling time due to our mistakes, but still an amazing trail without the crowds. I returned a few weeks later to trail run the flatter parts of it. If you're a novice camper, though, consider the physical toll hauling gear and water at altitude will take on you and skip a camp stove, plush bed rolls, big tents, or thick sleeping bags, and non-prepared food. Don't risk camping more than one night in times when the spring might be dry. It was also extremely windy at the camp site. I got by with a kid's sized tent for $10 from Walmart. Light and small and didn't tear up in the wind, amazingly. Items we didn't secure really well blew off our packs and out of our reach as we returned up to the rim. The only shade are short juniper trees at the camp site, but there is some shade. It felt 20 to 30 degrees warmer on Horseshoe Mesa compared to the rim. The wind only made it hotter. The top half of the trail has rock walls and taller pine trees intermittently for shade.

Terrible place. Don’t go here :)

I lucked out on a sunny and unseasonably warm day in Jan (~50s at the top/70s on the floor). I loved, LOVED this trail! It is definitely a challenge due to the rocky, uneven terrain at times and extremely steep descent/ascent, but the variety of views are phenomenal and well worth the effort. As others have noted, give yourself 8 hours to complete the full loop. I got a late start at 11:15am (began my day with a helicopter ride -- highly recommend!) and ended at 7pm with two 20 min breaks, which meant an hour+ in the dark with a headlamp. It was a blessing in disguise: I got to hike under the most brilliant dome of stars!

I wandered off trail a couple times on the back side of the mesa (kinda on par for me), but found my way back thanks to my offline AllTrails map/GPS since the trail isn't well marked. The Tonto portion is a nice, flat respite across the canyon floor and follows along the river (such a pretty sound!). But this is where I saw FRESH mountain lion tracks and hadn't read up on what to do in an encounter (don't run; wave your hands and yell; appear large; throw rocks, if necessary -- you're welcome).

I did the loop clockwise. I recommend the reverse. Going clockwise means you tackle the full 4000 ft ascent in your last 4 mi. It's no joke and pretty brutal, although my ass is probably 2" higher for it. The only other trail I've done in the south rim is Bright Angel to Plateau Point, which was awesome, but I liked this one a ton more due to the view variety, more natural trail, and solitude (I only saw 3 people -- and thankfully, no mountain lions).

Jan 7, 2018: Beautiful scenery. Be sure to start early, carry plenty of water and carry flashlights (just in case)

Oct 7, 2017. Left at 9, back by 5. Was hustling though. Gorgeous terrain and plenty of Canyon scenery including seeing the river. There is a spring along the way. But definitely Bring water.

This trail is very steep, and very strenuous on the way back up. The warnings on the park's website to take plenty of water, and to hike early in the morning are spot on. We started hiking at 8:45, and it was already hot. We would have been able to go deeper than one mile down the trail if we would have left earlier. There are sections that are steep, with footing that is a bit tricky. This is unlike any trail I have ever hiked. The views are phenomenal. I would recommend using a GPS device (we used Alltrails) to keep track of how far you have gone down. Going back up is probably 3-4 times harder. Tracking our path helped us know when we needed to turn around. It was about 100 degrees by the time we arrived back at the top.

not for beginners. we went down to the horseshoe. very technical areas. steep. because of how steep it is remember to give the hiker coming up the right of way. beautiful view of the canyon and Co river in the distance. bring lots of water 3 L a person and good footwear is a must. bathrooms available at trailhead.

Best trail down to the Tonto Platform. Visit Pete's Cabin and old mine. See the Cavern, if you know where. Great Views of Vishnu Temple and Wotons Throne. Can connect to Tanner Rapids trail.

Awesome trail with very few people if any. Very steep at the top with lots of exposure to injury or death. Great views of the canyon and beautiful trail. I wouldn't bring kids or old people because of the narrow trail next to the cliffs. Bring three times as much water as you think you will need.

Great trail for experienced hikers. Amazing views every step of the way.

We only hiked a small portion of the Grandview on our was out from Hance Creek on the Tonto. The trail was very nice and well maintained.

We hiked down to the beginning of Horshoe Mesa and then went back. It was a very fun and extremely beautiful hike but also very difficult. The first mile or so is very steep and icy but offers some of the best views in the canyon. The trail is not very well traveled which I prefer. If you can handle how steep the trail is I would fully recommend it.

This was a great way to see the Grand Canyon. You get away from all of the people. The first .5-1 miles down is pretty steep. One of my favorite hikes!

This trail is beyond brilliant. We didn't see a soul until we were on Horseshoe Mesa, 3 people hiking, and then not another soul until we got back to the rim.

It's a great hike that's difficult and challenging, can't wait to go back!

Rugged and unmaintained. Perfect if you want to explore the canyon without the crowds. We hiked down an hour and then back out. Only saw 8 hikers total.

Great hike, make sure you explore the Mesa,
lots of little treasures linked to the history and construction of this trail

Nice trail with steep descent--not for those who have a problem with heights. Beautiful views the whole way to horseshoe mesa and back. When you get to the saddlepoint bridge, great views of two canyons. Be sure to take a look back at the awesome construction of the trail you passed over. We made it to the mesa and had to turn back as the monsoons were upon us. Caution: cobblestones are slippery when wet. What a workout!

Was an excellent hike, although had to turn back because the trial was very icy still at the top. Did not have crampons or Yaktracks to keep from slipping. Made it a mile down to "The Saddle" then turned back. Actually came back out faster that it took going down. That was amazing. Will try this again in a few weeks. Absolutely one of my favorite trails at the Grand Canyon

This is an excellent trail when you want to get away from the crowds. Hiking in on the Grandview and camping on Horseshoe Mesa makes for a exhilarating experience. Be sure to bring lots of water as it is a short hike from Horseshoe Mesa to the nearest water supply. From Horseshoe Mesa you can hike down and hook up with the Tonto trail.