Hike Preview: Grand Canyon Hermits Rest Trail to Bright Angel Trail

Hermits Rest Trail-head

Location: South Rim of the Grand Canyon

Hermits Rest Trail Sign

Distance: 25 miles one way
Difficulty: difficult
Elevation Change: 5,000
Time of Year Best: Year-round
Recommended Maps: Grand Canyon Map Pack Bundle

Summary:  Hiking into the Canyon, obviously you are descending first.  Before going, know your limits, know the weather conditions, know the trail, and get yourself a good map.  This in particular is a tough hike; steep going down, and a long gradual hike out.  Water is erratically dispersed in different areas.  You will need a water purifier. I highly recommend the Katadyn Hiker PRO Water Microfilter. The conditions can be drastically different depending on if it is summer, winter, monsoon, or freezing.  The hermit trail portion of the trail has been reported to have been washed out in some spots.  So there will be some scrambling.

The Monument

This hike passes several camps and offers several side hikes to rapids, side canyons, overlooks, and springs.  The Hermit Trail (descending) has several washouts or rock slides that have covered the trail over the years and it may take some scrambling to maintain the trail.  This will slow down the hike and the huge climb out coupled with the distance of this hike make it very tough. It is highly recommended that you obtain a back country permit  and take at least two days to do this hike.

The Hermit Trail, Grand Canyon