I’ve done both and they’re both beautiful. The New Hance Trail is definitely one of the hardest off the South Rim to hike down or up, so take that into account; the Grandview isn’t easy but it’s not nearly as tough as the New Hance. Both hikes are gorgeous and there are fewer people on the New Hance to Grandview hike as far as Horseshoe Mesa, which is a popular dayhike from Grandview Point.

Thanks for the response! I’m currently deciding between doing Grandview to South Kaibab or New Hance to Grandview, do you have any preference between the two?

Hi Charlief,

Thanks for the question. Yes, it’s certainly possible for experienced and very fit backpackers to make this hike in three days or even two days. Very fit dayhikers have made this hike in a day. For backpackers, the biggest logistical challenge is the limited number of water sources and carrying the weight of extra water at times.

Good luck. It’s a beautiful hike.

Hi Ben,

That’s a great hike. You’ve probably seen that the park’s free South Rim shuttle buses do not go out to Grandview Point, which has long puzzled me because it would behoove the park to provide shuttles to an overlook and trailhead that are so popular that the large parking lot there is often full. As you know, you can catch a shuttle when you finish at South Kaibab Trailhead. Make sure you get there well before the last bus departs.

When I backpacked that route with my family, we were joined by friends and had two vehicles for the shuttle.

I have found in other parks that there are numerous workers at the park, lodges, restaurants, stores, and other businesses in the park and gateway communities like Tusayan that are willing to provide a ride to a trailhead for a fair price. I suggest calling some businesses and hotels and simply asking whether an employee would drive you to Grandview Point; it’s a short drive and shouldn’t be hard to find someone.

I also suspect that one of you could hitch a ride back to your car at Grandview Point post-trip from tourists and other hikers on the South Rim.

If you Google “Grand Canyon South Rim taxi service” you’ll see options like Williams Taxi and Shuttle, but their website is unclear about trailhead transportation; you’d have to inquire. I have not tried to use Uber or Lyft at the canyon and I’m not sure about its availability in such a remote location.

Good luck and enjoy your hike.

Hi Michael, two friends and myself will be taking this trek in just a couple of weeks. We’ve got most of the logistics figured out but I was wondering if you have guidance on transportation to / from the trailhead. We’re planning to stay at Mather campground on the rim and enter the canyon at Grandview. Is there any way to get to Grandview point without driving your own car there? We’d prefer to leave it at Mather to have all our stuff when we come out. I’m curious how you got there when you did this trek. Thanks!

Hi Jeff,

That’s a great hike and wonderful section of the Tonto. It’ll be most similar to Hermit-Tonto-Bright Angel, but with a longer waterless section, as you know. Yes, I hiked down the South Kaibab to Grapevine in one long day. In late April, a good time to do it, you might find water before Grapevine and the rangers at the Wilderness Center may know, but you might need to carry that extra water.

It’s a long day, made significantly harder if it’s hot (so start early to beat the heat). But it’s not nearly as hard as hiking in the opposite direction, which is mostly uphill instead of mostly downhill. But most of the Tonto is pretty easy walking. If you’re in shape for a 19-mile day, you probably will finish this day tired but not destroyed by it. We did do it carrying enough water to spend the night without a water source if we didn’t reach Grapevine, but that wasn’t a crazy amount of extra water because we realized we’d very likely get within a couple hours of Grapevine and reach it by early or mid-morning.

Hope that helps. Thanks for the question and have a great hike.

It seems that if there is a long waterless section between South Kaibab and Grapevine Creek, that would be best to hike down the South Kaibab and head east, and either make it to Grapevine in one day or carry enough water to dry camp the first night. If I start at Grandview and hike westward, I am concerned that I might be finishing the hike possibly running low on water and having to hike up the entire unshaded South Kaibab. I noticed that when you did the full hike from South Kaibab to Lipan Point you started at South Kaibab and went eastward, and hiked 19 miles straight to Grapevine Creek. How hard was that? I will be doing this hike the last week of April. Of course, if there is water at Boulder Creek or Lone Tree Creek the last week of April that would solve lots of problems. Let me know your thoughts on which direction makes the most sense. Thank you!

That’s a spectacular hike, Yolanda. Yes, I agree that trekking poles are a must on any Grand Canyon hike. Check out all of my poles reviews at https://thebigoutsideblog.com/tag/trekking-poles-reviews/.

Thanks for that report, Mike. I’m glad the trip went so well for your family. It really is just as you described, too.

Hi KK, that’s a good time of year, though it can get hot by midday. You might even have time on your layover day hike to the river to hike partway up the North Kaibab Trail and back; it’s in a narrow gorge for a few miles, with a beautiful stream, and may give you nice shade. Yes, the Trails Illustrated map is fine, the trail is good, you don’t need a GPS. Just a few minutes’ walk west of Cremation Creek is one of the best campsites I’ve seen in the canyon, with a natural rock overhang that provides a shaded kitchen area. You’ve picked a great baptismal hike for the Grand Canyon, have fun. I’ll be doing another canyon trip a little later in May, actually, and looking forward to it. The place is magical.

Thanks Howard, we will do that.