Boucher Trail

Boucher Trail
Travertine Canyon and Whites Butte
Length	9 mi (14 km)
Location	Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Trailheads	Dripping Springs Trail Colorado River
Use	Hiking
Elevation
Elevation change	2,900 ft (880 m)
Highest point	Yuma Point, 5,240 ft (1,600 m)
Lowest point	Colorado River, 2,340 ft (710 m)
Hiking details
Trail difficulty	Very Strenuous
Season	Spring through Fall
Sights	Grand Canyon Colorado River
Hazards	Severe Weather Overexertion Dehydration Flash Flood

The Boucher Trail is a hiking trail of the South Rim in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona.

The trail officially begins at a low point on the Dripping Springs Trail, in the southwest part of Hermit Canyon. Access to the Boucher Trail requires a hike of about 2¾ miles along the Hermit Trail and Dripping Springs Trail. Cairns exist in key places and can be spotted with some careful looking.

The trail heads to the north and has little elevation change after leaving the Hermit Trail. There are a few short, sharp descents and climbs around minor rockfalls and washbeds. After about 3 miles (4.8 km) the trail contours around Yuma Point and heads southwestward until a sharp descent at the head of Travertine Canyon through the Supai Group. This descent steepens above 25% at places, which requires care to descend. Hikers descending in this area may need to exercise care as some points require steps down of three to five feet. After the descent, the trail heads up the east side of Travertine Canyon to Whites Butte.

After the Whites Butte saddle, the trail descends through a natural break in the Redwall Limestone onto the Tonto Platform to a junction with the Tonto Trail. This section is not as steep as the Travertine Canyon section, but can still exceed a 20% grade. The junction is marked by a noticeable cairn. At the junction, the Tonto Trail heads east towards Hermit Canyon or west into the Boucher Creek drainage.

To the west, the Boucher Trail and Tonto Trail descend through the Tapeats Sandstone for ¾ of a mile to Boucher Creek. At the confluence of Boucher Creek and Topaz Creek, the Tonto Trail splits off and continues northwest, while the Boucher Trail follows the creek northeast as it continues to flow to the Colorado River, which marks the end of the trail. Boucher Creek's flow disappears and reappears numerous times on this section of the trail.

Grand Canyon National Park categorizes the Boucher Trail as a "primitive trail". With this designation it receives only low-key maintenance as conditions warrant, or to prevent resource damage. There are few patrols by park rangers along primitive trails, depending on daily usage.