Grand Canyon, Arizona · November 2020
Grand Canyon Tonto Trail
41.8 KM · 2 DAYS · 1,520 M
Hermits Rest to the Bright Angel Trailhead in 2 days.
Watch the film 15:20 · 150K viewsAt a glance
- Where
- Grand Canyon, Arizona
- Distance
- 41.8 km (26.0 miles)
- Days
- 2: 20.9 miles on Day 1, 5.0 on Day 2
- Climbing
- About 4,990 ft (1,520 m) up and 4,830 ft (1,470 m) down
- Season
- I went November 2 and 3, 2020
- Difficulty
- A steep, rough descent of the Hermit Trail, a long, shadeless day on the Tonto, then a 3,000 ft climb out. NPS calls this area "recommended for experienced Grand Canyon hikers"
- Route
- Hermits Rest to The Bright Angel Trailhead in Grand Canyon Village
- When I went
- November 2020
Elevation, start to finish: highest 6,850 ft (2,087 m), lowest 2,880 ft (879 m).
My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.
Everything I made about it
The film
Photos
Me on the Hermit Trail below the Supai cliffs, Day 1 mile 5.8. 
Leaving Havasupai Gardens on the Bright Angel Trail, the morning of Day 2.
The guide · 41-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition
Do it yourself
Hermits Rest to the Bright Angel Trailhead in 2 days.
- Where things stand
- Both days
- My GPX files
- Water
- Permits and rules
Free sample
Try Day 1 free
The whole Day 1, Hermits Rest to Havasupai Gardens page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.
What I'd take now
My current kit
The Americas and New Zealand bundle
This guide is in The Americas and New Zealand Hiking Guide Pack: 36 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.
Short answers
- Is the Tonto Trail open?
- Yes, in October 2026. The August 29, 2026 flood closed the trails east of it (the South Kaibab below the Tipoff, Phantom Ranch and the North Kaibab), not the Hermit Trail, the Tonto Trail west of Havasupai Gardens or the Bright Angel Trail above the River Resthouse. But every water tap below the rim has been off since September 6, 2026, including Havasupai Gardens. Check the park's Key Hiking Messages page before you go.
- How long is the Hermit Trail to Bright Angel Trail hike on the Tonto?
- My GPS recorded 26.0 miles: 20.9 from Hermits Rest down the Hermit Trail and along the Tonto Trail to Havasupai Gardens, then 5.0 up the Bright Angel Trail, with about 4,990 ft of climbing. NPS gives 24.8 to 25.3 miles. I called it about 26 miles in my film.
- Is there water on the Tonto Trail?
- Very little. Monument Creek always has water, Santa Maria Spring is a trickle and Cedar Spring is unreliable; NPS doesn't recommend Salt Creek (highly mineralized) or Horn Creek (radioactive). It's 10.7 miles from Monument Creek to Havasupai Gardens, whose tap is off in October 2026. Treat all water.
- Do you need a permit for the Tonto Trail?
- For any night below the rim, yes: a backcountry permit by lottery on Recreation.gov, $10 plus $15 per person per night in 2026, with camping only at designated sites. A day hike needs no permit. Booking Hermits Rest to Havasupai Gardens as a single night needs a ranger's help.
- How do you get to the Hermit Trailhead?
- It's at Hermits Rest, at the west end of Hermit Road, which is closed to private cars from March to November. In 2026 the free shuttle's first bus left the village at 8 a.m. Backpackers with a permit for the Hermit area get a gate code to drive to the trailhead.
- When is the best time to hike the Tonto Trail?
- Mid-September to November, and March to April. The Tonto has almost no shade, and NPS doesn't recommend its camps from late May through mid-September. I went in early November: very hot in the sun at midday, comfortable at night.
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