Forget Bright Angel Trail, This Grand Canyon Hiking Haven Is Better If You Want Fewer Crowds And Stunning Scenery

There's a good reason the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail is considered an iconic national park hike. The route takes adventurers from the South Rim down to the banks of the Colorado River along a path long used by the area's Indigenous communities. The trail is understandably popular, attracting more than 300,000 hikers every year, according to Four Season Guides. However, if you're looking for an alternative option with far fewer crowds in Grand Canyon National Park, consider Hermit Trail, a quiet path with gorgeous views of the canyon's otherworldly scenery.

The 9.7-mile route (one-way) was named after a longtime resident of the Grand Canyon's Hermit Creek basin, Louis D. Boucher, a reclusive local "hermit" who helped build trails and lodging in the area. Like Bright Angel Trail, Hermit Trail is a rim-to-river hike with steep, difficult sections. But unlike its better-known counterpart, Hermit Trail is only recommended for experienced desert hikers. The conditions are more challenging than those of the Bright Angel Trail, according to the National Park Service — and in both cases, park officials advise against hiking to the river and back in a single day. 

The better choice, per the NPS, is a day hike along one of the trail's segments. Day hikes depart from the trailhead near Hermits Rest, a historic landmark built in 1914. Once a stop for horse-drawn carriages taking tourists on tours of the canyon, the stone building is now a scenic rest stop for hikers with a water bottle filling station, restrooms, a gift shop, and a snack bar. 

From Hermits Rest, one great day hike option is the round-trip adventure along Hermit Trail to Santa Maria Spring. The strenuous 5-mile round-trip hike takes between four and six hours to complete. You won't see a lot of other hikers along the way, and it's one of the places where you can find solitude in the Grand Canyon. As one hiker noted on Google: "Instead of large viewing platforms and crowds, it offers a more pristine and tranquil natural atmosphere." Throughout the hike, you'll enjoy dazzling views of red canyon cliffs, jagged ridges and buttes, and layers of limestone and sandstone, all intriguingly interspersed with green areas where trees and flowers grow. Past hikers also report spotting bighorn sheep along the way. 

For a shorter hike along Hermit Trail, start at the trailhead and descend to Dripping Spring Trail Junction. An abbreviated version of the hike to Santa Maria Spring, the 3.6-mile round-trip hike takes three to four hours, or about half a day, to finish. Dropping down into the canyon, the trail passes gnarled trees and ancient rock formations, opening onto overlooks with views of striking red cliffs in the distance.

Whichever way you approach this hiking haven, there are a few practicalities to know. Bring plenty of water, an important safety tip for any hike, and only consider camping below the canyon's rim if you have a backcountry permit (you can apply for one on the park website). Visitors can park at Hermits Rest from early December to late February (weather permitting), but during the rest of the year, private vehicles are prohibited on Hermit Road. From March through November, you can arrive at the trailhead on the free shuttle bus that departs near Bright Angel Lodge in Grand Canyon Village, a breathtakingly scenic place to base yourself for a weekend getaway inside Grand Canyon National Park.