Hermit Trail

Hermit Trail
Hermit Trail near Lookout Point
Length	8.9 mi (14.3 km)
Location	Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, United States
Trailheads	Colorado River Hermit's Rest, Grand Canyon South Rim
Use	Hiking
Elevation
Elevation change	4,240 ft (1,290 m)
Highest point	South Rim, 6,640 ft (2,020 m)
Lowest point	Colorado River, 2,400 ft (730 m)
Hiking details
Trail difficulty	Very Strenuous
Season	Year Round
Sights	Grand Canyon Colorado River
Hazards	Severe Weather Overexertion Dehydration Flash Flood

The Hermit Trail is a hiking trail in Grand Canyon National Park, located in the U.S. state of Arizona. This trail provides access to a historic area of Grand Canyon and offers a more challenging route to the Colorado River for more experienced canyon hikers.

The trailhead is located 0.25 miles (0.40 km) southwest of Hermit's Rest on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The trailhead is accessible by shuttle bus from Grand Canyon Village, Arizona on the Hermit Road. The road is closed to private vehicles between April and October annually, and is open to all traffic other months. Two exceptions are for vehicles with government issued handicap placards and backpackers with valid permits for overnight camping in the Hermit use area. Those users can obtain the gate code by visiting the Backcountry Information Center in the park.

Grand Canyon National Park categorizes the Hermit Trail as a threshold trail and does not officially maintain it. The trail is rutted in many places, and the once exquisite construction of placed stones on the upper half of the trail is now crumbling and rough.

Numerous rockslides cut through the trail and require rock scrambling and route finding to pass. The most recent major rockslide occurred in the evening of 1 March 1983, when a large section of rock in the Supai Group broke away from a cliff face and scattered down Hermit Canyon, cutting the Hermit Trail in two places. A rockslide that took place in the early 1930s cuts through the trail in a third place. These breaks in the trail require scrambling to get over, but are well marked with cairns.

All water sources along this trail must be treated, filtered, or boiled before drinking.

Water is available year-round at Hermit Creek and the Colorado River. The trail between the Hermit Creek camping area and the Colorado River parallels Hermit Creek and provides additional water accessibility. Also, water flows periodically from Santa Maria Spring, located 2 trail miles in from the trailhead, but should not be counted on.