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The Tanner Trail

Get This Grand Canyon South Rim Trail While It's Not Hot

By Bruce Grubbs

Found in: | Outside | Canyoneering | Hiking |

The Tanner Trail, the easternmost of the Grand Canyon's South Rim trails, descends 4,700 feet to the Colorado River over a distance of 6.5 miles. Although short in length, the Tanner is a strenuous hike, with enough rigorous descending and ascending for most hikers to plan at least two days. With no water source until the river and winding over open slopes and ridges with little shade, it is a dangerous trail to hike during the hot summer season, May through September. Built by Seth Tanner, an early prospector and miner, the Tanner Trail is maintained primarily by hiker traffic. The going can be rough and slow in many places.
The Tanner Trail begins by descending rapidly down a north-facing canyon on the South Rim through a pi�?�?�?±on pine and juniper woodland. Short, steep switchbacks take you through the buff-colored Kaibab limestone and Coconino sandstone. The view opens when the trail emerges from the canyon onto a saddle at the head of Seventyfive Mile Canyon. Here, the trail descends gradually around the east sides of Escalante and Cardenas buttes, working its way along red sandstone ledges and shale slopes of the Supai Formation. Next, the trail abruptly descends to the east in a series of broad switchbacks through the Redwall limestone at a fault break in this normally massive cliff. The trail heads north again and winds along a scenic ridge through huge, fallen blocks of brown Tapeats sandstone. The final descent is along the east slopes of the ridge down into the dry bed of Tanner Canyon where the Tanner Trail follows to its end at the Colorado River.
For hikers with three or more days to spend, there are several options for exploration both up and down river from the foot of the Tanner Trail. The old Beamer Trail follows the Colorado River upstream to the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado rivers. This is a long day hike or a two-day side hike. Another option is to explore downriver on the Tanner-Red Canyon Route, an informal trail. A half-day hike takes you to Unkar Rapid and back.
Hikers with four days to a week can use the Tanner-Red Canyon Route to connect with the Red Canyon and Tonto trails to the east.

BRUCE GRUBBS is an outdoor writer and photographer with 20 books in print. His "day job" is flying air charters.