Hermit Loop 

Depart Flagstaff early for the drive to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon and the Bright Angel Trailhead. After final preparations, we will begin our trek down into the Canyon, stopping regularly for breaks, snacks and photo opportunities. A stop at famous Havasupai Gardens for lunch offers a well-earned break from downhill hiking. We then turn west on the quiet Tonto Trail and enjoy more level terrain for the last few miles into camp along Horn Creek. Relax as while your guide sets up camp and prepares a delicious dinner.

Drive Time: 1.5 hours

Distance & Elevation: 7.3 miles, 3000 foot descent

Light Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After a tasty breakfast, your guide will pack up camp and lead the group along the Tonto Trail to Monument Creek. You’ll pass through Salt Creek Canyon along the way and be treated to epic views of the Colorado River, Granite Rapids and The Abyss. This day features relatively level walking punctuated but short, steep ups and downs as you pass through each tributary canyon. Monument Creek is a welcoming home for your second night below the rim.

Distance & Elevation: 8.2 miles, minor decents & ascents

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continuing west along the Tonto Trail, you’ll enjoy another day of beautiful vistas and peace and quiet. The sculpted buttes of the North Rim and the towering canyon walls are highlights of this wonderful stretch of trail. Your camp at Hermit Creek offers a lovely stream flowing through a gorgeous stretch of sandstone narrows. It’s only 3.5 miles from Monument Creek so you’ll have the whole afternoon to explore the lower canyon and perhaps visit the Colorado River at Hermit Rapids. Your guide will prepare a final evening feast before your last night’s rest beneath the starry skies.

Distance & Elevation: 3.5 miles + 3 miles day hiking, minor decent & ascents

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After packing up camp we begin our final ascent to the South Rim. The Hermit Trail climbs 3800 feet across 7.8 miles and is an exercise in patience and determination. We will get a sunrise start, take our time, and enjoy the stunning views as we climb the Cathedral Stairs, pick our way through a lengthy Supai traverse, and pass through peaceful Waldron Basin before the final climb to Hermits Rest. Expect to arrive back in Flagstaff by 5pm.

Distance & Elevation: 7.8 miles, 3800 foot ascent

Breakfast, Lunch

This 5-Day itinerary involves a layover day at Monument Creek on Day 3, before continuing on to Hermit Creek. This day will involve a relaxing morning followed by a 4-mile roundtrip day hike down Monument Creek to the Colorado River. The afternoon can spent relaxing at camp, enjoying the beautiful pools along Monument Creek, or exploring the upper reaches of Monument Creek with your guide.

• A professional, licensed and medically trained guide
• All necessary gear: backpack, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, trekking poles
• All cooking/eating gear: bowls, cups, utensils (your guide will prepare all meals)
• All meals from a light breakfast on Day 1 through lunch on the last day + trail snacks
• Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Canyon
• Entrance fees and backcountry permits
• 5% National Park Service Commercial Fee (a required fee that passes through to Grand Canyon National Park)

• Transportation to/from Flagstaff, AZ
• Lodging the night before/after the trip
• Clothing, raingear, and footwear
• Personal toiletries, sunscreen
• Water bottles/hydration bladder
• Headlamp or flashlight
• Guide gratuity (suggested 10-20% of trip cost)

*Upon Booking you will receive a detailed trip information packet

Children under the age of 13 are generally not permitted on backpacking trips. This restriction may be negotiable on private tours. Please contact us with any questions regarding this policy.

Children under the age of 13 are generally not permitted on backpacking trips. This restriction may be negotiable on private tours. Please contact us with any questions regarding this policy.

In order to confirm a reservation, we require an initial deposit of $250 per person, with the final balance due 90 days prior to the trip’s departure. If you book a trip within 90 days of the trip’s scheduled departure, then full payment is due at the time of booking.

Once we confirm availability, you will be provided with an online registration link. Your deposit is payable online by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or ACH transfer.

This trip will begin/end in Flagstaff, AZ and you will need to spend the night prior to your trip’s scheduled departure in Flagstaff. You will want to fly into either Phoenix (2 hour drive) or Flagstaff.

We will hold a pre-trip orientation at 4:00pm the evening prior to your trip’s departure at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff. Departure times and logistics for the following morning will be discussed at the orientation.

Departure times and logistics for the following morning will be discussed at the orientation. Most trips will depart between 4:30am and 7am. *This meeting is not mandatory, but highly recommended, as we will depart early the next morning. If you are unable to attend, please let us know in advance so that we can make alternate arrangements.

We will provide all transportation to/from trailheads for the duration of the trip. We will pick you up at your hotel in Flagstaff and return you there at the trip’s conclusion. Guests staying at the Little America Hotel (recommended) can leave their cars at the hotel. The hotel will often store your luggage for you, as well. If not, we are happy to store extra luggage at our warehouse for the duration of the trip. If you are staying at a different hotel, you will need to check with them as to whether you can leave your car there.

Expect to be back in Flagstaff by 5pm at the latest on the last day of the trip. Many trips will return earlier but we cannot make any guarantees. In general, it is recommended that you do not plan to fly home on the same day your trip finishes. Since each trip has slightly different logistics, feel free to contact us with specific questions related to the expected return time for your trip.