New Hance Trail: A 12.6-Mile Grand Canyon Route with 5,128 Feet of Climbing

New Hance Trail offers a rare kind of Grand Canyon day: a steep, rough route from the South Rim to the Colorado River, followed by miles of quiet canyon travel and a hard climb back out. The outing described here covered 12.6 miles and gained 5,128 feet. Its standout stretch was Red Canyon’s dry creek bed, but the route’s loose footing, difficult-to-follow sections and exposed descent call for careful preparation.

The hike came during a series of weekend visits to the canyon, where the author had been running routes including South Kaibab, Tonto and Bright Angel. With several sections of the main corridor closed at the time, New Hance offered a way to explore beyond it. The trail is considered the South Rim’s most difficult established route, receives no routine maintenance and can be hard to follow. Reports the author found described loose footing, exposure and downclimbing. Prior outings on Hermit and Grandview trails, as well as off-trail explorations, provided some experience, but didn’t remove the need for caution.

A steep start from the rim

The route begins near mile marker 257 on AZ Route 64. There’s no kiosk or trailhead sign at the start: the path enters the woods behind a No Parking sign. After 0.20 miles it reaches the rim, then drops into the canyon on narrow switchbacks through Coconino Sandstone. The surface alternates among hard-packed dirt, loose gravel and broken shale.

The author met four hikers near the start. They’d been on the route before, and their presence was reassuring on a lightly used trail. After that encounter, the path stayed quiet for nine miles; two runners appeared on the climb back toward the rim.

The descent begins at the South Rim.

Coronado Butte.

A rare level stretch beneath an overhanging cliff.

Narrow switchbacks through Coconino Sandstone.

The grade eases briefly at a grassy saddle.

The trail funnels into a dry wash.

From rough rock to Red Canyon

The first mile descends through the Coconino’s white cliffs to a grassy saddle, then threads through a dry wash. After about half a mile in the wash, the route crosses shallow ravines and boulder-choked rockslides through the Redwall Limestone and Supai layers. This was the slowest section of the day: footing shifted between manageable trail and awkward rock, with several short rises and dips interrupting the rhythm.

Ravines and boulders make the Redwall and Supai traverse slow going.

At about 2.75 miles, the trail drops sharply along a ridge before the grade softens toward Red Canyon and its vivid Hakatai Shale. The softer surface made it easier to run and stop for photos. By the three-mile mark, the footing and views had opened up; the author compared this quiet stretch with South Kaibab below Tipoff, but with far fewer people.

By three miles, the views and trail surface improve.

Ayer Point sits to the left, with Sheba Temple faintly visible in the distance.

The route descends toward Red Canyon.

A tight switchback.

Zuni Point rises above the last shallow ravine before the creek bed.

The route follows the creek bed for a short stretch.

Two miles through the creek bed

Red Canyon’s dry creek bed was the high point. For two miles, the route follows red gravel between towering walls, with a handful of large boulders and minor scrambles. The author found that the drop-downs could be bypassed. At 8:15 a.m., the hike reached Hance Rapid on the Colorado River. After taking in the water and eating a snack, the author located where the Tonto entered and left the creek bed before turning back uphill.

Entering Red Canyon’s creek bed.

Red Canyon on the way down.

The creek bed’s gravel makes for steady travel between boulders.

The final stretch toward Hance Rapid and the Colorado River.

The Colorado River at Hance Rapid.

The return through the creek bed was just as absorbing. After two miles, the route leaves Red Canyon for a sustained climb toward 7,000 feet. A steep ridgeline leads back to the Redwall Limestone and Supai, followed by a traverse toward Red Canyon Overlook. Short rises and dips punctuate that traverse before the path enters a narrow, steep wash. The author found this stretch less enjoyable, with limited views, but it was brief. The grassy saddle brought a second wind, and steep switchbacks carried the route to the rim just before 11 a.m.

Climbing back up Red Canyon’s creek bed.

A path to the right offered another way through the boulders on the ascent.

A tower-like rock formation overlooks Red Canyon.

Boulder fields break up the gravel, with Coronado Butte and Ayer Point ahead.

A narrow rock formation sits beside the route.

Small pools and running water were present in this spot on the day of the hike.

Leaving Red Canyon, the climb becomes more moderate.

A steep ridge leads toward the Redwall Limestone.

Looking back from partway up the ridge.

Traversing the Redwall Limestone and Supai on the return.

The final mile climbs to the rim.

The author’s favorable verdict rests on the route’s changing geology and the scale of Red Canyon, where the walls make a hiker feel small. New Hance reaches the river in just over six miles, but that distance and one fall outing’s water use don’t establish a safe water plan for other hikers. The account describes a cool, overcast fall day and a challenging return ascent; conditions and water needs can differ. The route rewards a measured pace and close attention to footing from the first switchback to the rim.

AZ Route 64 and the trail’s starting area across the road.