10/17/26
New Hance Trail: 12.6 miles, 5,128' elevation gained
- Time for a deviation from the Do It for the Vert month in review posts. Since arriving in Arizona with Sarge for Fall Cactus League, I have been heading to the Grand Canyon on the weekends, running some variation of South Kaibab, Tonto, abandoned Bright Angel Trail between Tonto and Devil's Corkscrew, Bright Angel Trail down to the Colorado River, and Plateau Point.
- However, with numerous trail closures along the main corridor (South Kaibab below tipoff, entire North Kaibab, and just recently - Bright Angel between 1.5-mile rest house and Havasupai Gardens), it was time to explore off the main corridor, which brought me to the New Hance Trail.
- The New Hance Trail is considered the most difficult established trail along the South Rim, it is not officially maintained, drops steeply from the rim, and can be difficult to follow. Looking for more info online resulted in a mixed bag of results, more than half the reviews warned of trouble following the trail, loose and dangerous footing with exposure, downclimbing, etc. This made me a little nervous, but then I remembered I had no issues with Hermit Trail, Grandview Trail, off-trail explorations of the Cave of Domes, before access was closed for bat habitat, and the abandoned Bright Angel Trail. All the off-corridor trails I have been on up to this point would be considered low difficulty compared to the trails in the northeast. Still, I didn't take anything for granted and was prepared for anything as I cautiously set foot on the New Hance Trail.
- The trail starts near mile marker 257 on AZ Route 64. There is no kiosk or trailhead sign, just a path leading into the woods behind a No Parking sign. After 0.20 miles the trail reaches the rim and immediately drops steeply, with narrow switchbacks over hard-packed dirt, loose gravel, and broken rock shale of all sizes. I passed a group of four right at the beginning. We had a brief conversation about the trail, they had done it previously, and I told them this was my first time and how this was shaping up to be a perfect morning in the Canyon. This put me at ease knowing there were others on the lightly used trail. Little did I know, for the next nine miles I would not see a soul until crossing paths with two trail runners about a quarter of the way back up.
- The first mile drops steeply through the Coconino to a grassy saddle where it soon navigates narrowly through a dry wash.
About to descend from the South Rim on the New Hance Trail
Coronado Butte
Rare flat section up high that passes under an overhanging ledge with a great view
The narrow and steep descent down the New Hance Trail
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After a knee-hammering descent, the grade eases a bit as it passes through a grassy saddle
Funneling down into a dry wash
- After weaving through the wash for about a half mile, the New Hance Trail traverses in and out of shallow ravines passing over numerous rockslides choked with boulders of all shapes and sizes. While it was stunning to hike through the layer of Redwall Limestone of the Suppai, this mile stretch was my least favorite part of the trail. It was the only part of the day where I could not get into a groove, as the trail was hit or miss, from decent footing to clumsy footed rock slides to navigate along with a few PUDs.
Traverse along the Redwall Limestone Suppai layer in and out of ravines, beautiful but slow going at times
- Around 2.75 miles from the start of the trail, the path drops sharply down a ridge for a few tenths of a mile before easing off as it heads into Red Canyon. The trail becomes incredibly cushiony at this point so I started trail running and taking numerous pictures as I made my way down to the dry creek of Red Canyon. It reminded me of South Kaibab below Tipoff, with 99% fewer people!
At the three-mile mark, the footing and views become absolutely incredible
Descending New Hance. Ayer Point on the left, and I think Sheba Temple off in the distance
Heading down towards Red Canyon
Cute lil' sharp switchback
Looking up at Zuni Point as the trail heads towards the last shallow ravine before dropping to the creek bed
Paralleling the creek bed for a few tenths of a mile
- Up next was by far my favorite part of the trail, hiking through the dry creek bed for two miles to Hance Rapid in the Colorado River. I navigated easily through the red gravel bed of the wash. On both sides of me, the walls of the Canyon loomed large, and I felt relatively small as I traveled through what resembled the land that time forgot. Here and there were huge boulders with a couple of drop downs with minor scrambling, all of these can be bypassed if needed.
- I reached Hance Rapid at 8:15AM and was beaming from the awesomeness of the previous three miles as I dipped my hand into the chocolate colored Colorado. I wandered around the water's edge, had a snack, and located where the Tonto entered and left the creek bed before journeying back up to the rim.
Dropping into the Red Canyon creek bed/wash
A marvelous morning as I make my way through Red Canyon
Hiking through Red Canyon's creek bed
Final stretch leading to Hance Rapid and the CO
Colorado River
- Ascending the creek bed was just as good, if not better than the descent. I was in awe looking up and around the canyon walls as I tried to capture the views as best as I could with each picture I snapped. After two miles it was time to leave the Red Canyon and start the steady climb up to 7,000 feet. I kept a steady pace up to the Redwall Limestone of the Supai, crossing paths with the group of four I met at the beginning of the hike, happily telling them how outstanding this trail is. I even didn't mind the PUDs along the traverse to Red Canyon Overlook before entering the narrow and steep dry wash. This was the only part of the ascent I did not enjoy, limited views and steep, but luckily, it is short lived. Once I reached the grassy saddle, I was reenergized for the final mile up the steep switchbacks to the rim, topping out just before 11AM.
- It's pretty obvious what my thoughts are about the New Hance Trail. I thoroughly enjoyed traveling through the different zones of geology and how small I felt while in Red Canyon. Another plus, was how the trail gets down to the river in just over six miles, so it's doable on two liters of water on an overcast fall day.
- I'll definitely be back soon, as Todd comes to town next week, and we head to Sedona for a few weeks before I head back east. He's going to be blown away by parts of this trail!
Heading back up the dry wash of the Red Canyon creek bed
On the way down, I went between these boulders, on the way up I went to the right where there was a path
Up to the right, it looks like a castle's tower where one watches over Red Canyon
Most of the creek bed is gravel, but there are a few boulder fields throughout. Coronado Butte and Ayer Point looming large up ahead
The trail technically is above and to the left, but on the way back up I shot straight through this narrow beauty of a rock formation
In this area there was running water, a couple of small pools to filter water if needed
Out of Red Canyon and the start of a more moderate grade of ascent
Heading up the steep ridgeline that leads to the Redwall Limestone
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Looking back down, about halfway up the nose of the ridge
Traversing the Redwall Limestone of the Suppai
The final mile up to the rim!
AZ Route 64, I parked across the street and a few hundred feet from the trailhead. The start of the trail is flat until the rim, where there is a trail info sign, right after the sign the trail drops steeply into the canyon
