Grand Canyon Hiking SenorYermo.com

Length: Given its demanding vertical nature, trail mileages in GC can be misleading, as hiking times here are consistently longer than most terrain found elsewhere.  Different guide sources have the length of this trail between 6.5 and 8 miles. We think it’s a little over 7 miles long.

Water: The New Hance Trail (perhaps more appropriately called the Red Canyon Trail to avoid confusion) is typically waterless until reaching the Colorado River.  There is a seasonal spring upstream from where the trail reaches the bed of Red Canyon, but if you are descending and planned smartly you shouldn’t need it.   We did once find pothole water above the Redwall after a storm in March.

Campsites: The use area for this trail is at-large camping. There are a couple small sites above the Redwall to break an ascent into two days. The bed of Red Canyon is also an option, but given the shortness of this trail (by GC standards), the beach sites at Hance Rapids are the obvious choice.

Reflections and Attractions: From the trailhead, Coronado Butte looms as an ancient sentry, gaurding the saddle between Red Canyon and the east fork of Hance Creek. Views from Red Canyon Overlook atop the Redwall are stunning, and make the naming of this canyon obvious. The rockslides through the Supai along the east side of Red Canyon can be tedious, and watch your step descending the loose footing along the ridge into the bottom. From the bed of Red Canyon to Hance Rapids is a tease, with a few pour-off bypasses to the east, and that roaring sound of The River starts further away than expected before it finally comes into view. The end of your day’s journey, Hance Rapids, is a delight, especially if you get to witness some River rats running this dangerous whitewater.

Warnings and Musings: As should be expected with GC’s shortest Rim-to-River trail, the New Hance is steep! From the Rim to the Supai layer, it don’t matter which way you’re headed, prepare for a knee-busting descent or a lung-busting ascent. Attempting this trail without prior GC experience is not recommended, the steepness cannot be overstated and with its unmaintained status and narrow tread, some claim the New Hance stretches the definition of a trail.