Trip Description
Watch the topography change from vast, open valleys to the deep, narrow gorges as you travel one of the more adventurous Grand Canyon routes. The Tanner Trail brings us to the Colorado River near the Furnace Flats, a wide open expanse of rolling hills and ridges surrounded by distant towering cliffs and buttes. The scenery here is truly incredible and completely unique to this part of the park. Heading west, we begin the Escalante Route, crossing open flats along the river before climbing a long steady ridge above Unkar Delta and on towards the quartzite narrows of 75 Mile Canyon, enjoying spectacular riverside campsites. Upon reaching Red Canyon and the mighty Hance Rapid, we will turn south and begin the challenging trek back up to the South Rim via the New Hance Trail, spending a final night high on top of the Redwall cliffs. The Escalante Route presents a spectacular challenge for the experienced backpacker seeking world-class hiking, fantastic solitude and some of the most outstanding wilderness in the country.