The sunrise lights up Arizona’s Grand Canyon during my hike along Grandview Trail. The route, which begins on the South Rim, was created by miners in 1893. Click the icon in the lower righthand corner of the player to expand the video.
One of the least traveled hiking routes on the South Rim, the Grandview Trail is a portal into the Grand Canyon’s past. This is how I made it to Horseshoe Mesa.
If you are an experienced trekker in search of seclusion and historical perspective at Arizona’s Grand Canyon, the Grandview Trail may be the day hike for you. The challenging, minimally maintained route follows an old mining trail to Horseshoe Mesa, passing by a high radiation zone and an overlook with one of the best inner canyon vistas that’s accessible from the South Rim.
Horseshoe Mesa is a former mining settlement that was constructed in the 1890s. Ruins and artifacts are all around the site; they harken back to a time when prospectors flocked to the Grand Canyon and the greater American West in search of riches and adventure. Including a video and photos, this is how I made the trek.
1. Arrive early at Grandview Point
This truism applies to every trail at the Grand Canyon: You should begin your hike early to get a head start on the heat. I arrived at the Grandview Point parking lot around an hour before sunrise during my October trek to Horseshoe Mesa. The overlook, which is where the trail begins, is a little over 20 minutes from Grand Canyon Village, driving east on Desert View Dr.
The rangers at the South Rim Backcountry Information Center recommended that I leave my vehicle in the overnight area (i.e., extended lot). It’s marked after the loop around the restrooms. After shutting off the engine, I dropped the tailgate and laid out the contents of my pack for a final check.
Save the toilets at Horseshoe Mesa, there are no services on Grandview. Make doubly sure you have enough food and water to complete the out-and-back. First aid supplies are also a must, and I recommend taking along a blanket and extra headlamp in the event you run into trouble.
Before slinging on my backpack, I retightened the screws on my trekking poles and tied my hiking shoes securely. The rangers at the backcountry office had referred to Grandview as an “ankle breaker”. I was about to find out just how right their description was.
2. Descend to Coconino Saddle
The Grandview Trailhead (7,400 ft, 2,255 m) is among the railings at Grandview Point. Walking north from the restrooms, I was able to easily locate it with the beam of my headlamp. Checking my phone one last time, I noticed that I had already lost cell signal. I wouldn’t regain it until several hours later when I cleared the canyon rim.
Grandview dives almost immediately into a steep decline toward Coconino Saddle (6,400 ft, 1,951 m), the first checkpoint that’s around a mile (1.6 km) from the trailhead. It’s unmarked, but you can use landmarks to know when you arrive; a section of log cribs that were built by miners is just before it, and a large butte is directly in front.
From the outset, trail conditions are sketchy on Grandview. There’s tons of scree and larger rocks that cover much of the opening section of switchbacks. Thinking back to how the rangers had described the trail, I tried to measure every step, bracing myself with my trekking poles in the most hazardous spots.
It took me a little over 30 minutes to reach Coconino Saddle. I stopped for a few minutes to watch a colorful sunrise light up the canyon; standing in total silence, it was one of the most serene moments that I experienced during my visit.
3. Continue to Horseshoe Mesa
Leaving Coconino Saddle, I almost immediately encountered the most dangerous section of my hike. A thin part of the Grandview Trail that skirted the butte was coated with red dirt from an apparent rock slide; traction was rendered to almost nothing. Working my trekking poles carefully, I slowly made my way across it, cursing a few times when I felt the dirt shift under my feet.
Walking along for 30 more minutes, Grandview continued to fall steadily in elevation. Obstructions from rock slides became an issue, as I had to stop several times to determine where the trail continued. Small cairns left by benevolent hikers often helped; other times, I searched for their shoe prints in dusty spots to point me in the right direction.
Yet another 30-minute interval passed, and I was clear of the chaos. The trail leveled off, and it was an easier walk to Horseshoe Mesa (4,900 ft, 1,495 m), which is three miles (4.8 km) from the trailhead. Within view of the settlement’s ruins, I spotted warning markers for an area of high radiation.
I officially made it to Horseshoe Mesa a little over two hours after leaving the Grandview Trailhead. A sign pointing to the restrooms is next to the main ruined structure. There’s also a campground. Like all campsites below the rims of the Grand Canyon, it requires a permit.
Resting for a while on the mesa, I continued to marvel at the silence and seclusion of the Grandview Trail. Besides the rustling of my footsteps and my gear, I could hear a pin drop the whole way down. I only met one hiker during the descent; without saying a word, we knowingly greeted one another with a simple nod.
4. Return to the trailhead
There’s two optional routes at Horseshoe Mesa: One leads north to a viewpoint a little under a mile away over level ground, and the other drops down east approximately the same distance to Page Spring (4,360 ft, 1,330 m). The latter may sound inviting in the sweltering heat of the canyon, but the water source is laced with toxic levels of arsenic.
Putting on my pack after resting, I decided to pass on both and begin my ascent. The sun was already high in the sky and nearly a half-mile (805 m) of elevation gain lay before me and the trailhead.
I briefly stopped at an overlook a few minutes outside of Horseshoe Mesa that’s near the radiation markers. It’s the vista that I referenced in the introduction; the gorgeous panorama there of the inner canyon is one of the best I saw while trekking off the South Rim.
Walking uphill on heavier legs, I was attentive to my pole and feet placement while crossing the long section strewn with rock slide debris. The dust-covered part of the trail hugging the butte wasn’t any easier on the way out. I made it to Coconino Saddle around an hour and 20 minutes after leaving Horseshoe Mesa.
I took a quick break to eat an energy bar, my second snack of the hike. Pressing forward, I quickly passed the log cribs before beginning the steep, arduous push for the trailhead. Over 40 minutes of rough elevation gain later, I was back on the South Rim.
I estimated in my notes that the section of between Coconino Saddle and Grandview Point was around 50 percent shaded. It was no easy time making my way back up, but the unique experience of hiking Grandview made the effort worth it.
Related Content
– Click to read “How to Hike Grand Canyon’s Bright Angel Trail” for a step-by-step guide for trekking the most famous trail at Grand Canyon National Park.
– Click to view my high-resolution photo collection from Grand Canyon National Park.
– Click to watch my high-definition video of snow at Grand Canyon’s Mather Point.