New Hance Trailhead
A rugged, unmaintained rim-to-river route through Red Canyon
About
New Hance Trailhead sits on Desert View Drive about a mile west of Moran Point, on the South Rim. There's no parking at the trailhead itself — you leave your car along the road and walk roughly five minutes north to reach the actual start. From there, the New Hance Trail drops about 4,400 feet over 6.5 miles to the Colorado River at Hance Rapids, one of the steepest rim-to-river descents in the park.
What to expect
- Unmaintained wilderness route — a real, followable single-track path, but without the graded switchbacks of the Corridor trails
- The top mile is the roughest stretch: hard switchbacks and repeated step-downs of two to four feet
- No reliable water anywhere between the trailhead and the river
- Trail continues through Red Canyon, named for its exposed red rock, before reaching the Colorado
This is considered one of the most demanding trails on the South Rim and isn't a place to start backcountry hiking. It's named for John Hance, who settled in the canyon in the 1880s and built trails here first for mining access, later for the tourists who wanted to see what he'd found.
Best Time to Hike It
No reliable water anywhere between the trailhead and the river, so cooler shoulder-season months are considerably safer than summer heat on this exposed, demanding route.
Trail Tips
- The top mile is the roughest stretch: hard switchbacks and repeated step-downs of two to four feet.
- Trail continues through Red Canyon, named for its exposed red rock, before reaching the Colorado.
- It's named for John Hance, who settled in the canyon in the 1880s and built trails here first for mining access, later for the tourists who wanted to see what he'd found.
Getting to the Trailhead
There's no parking at the trailhead itself — you leave your car along the road and walk roughly five minutes north to reach the actual start.
What to Expect at New Hance Trailhead
New Hance Trailhead sits on Desert View Drive about a mile west of Moran Point, on the South Rim. From here, the New Hance Trail drops about 4,400 feet over 6.5 miles to the Colorado River at Hance Rapids, one of the steepest rim-to-river descents in the park. This is considered one of the most demanding trails on the South Rim and isn't a place to start backcountry hiking.
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