Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Arizona → Grand Canyon North Rim → Transept Trail

Location: Grand Canyon National Park, North Rim, Arizona

Distance: 3.0 miles (round trip)

Elevation Gain: 280 feet

Time Required: 1 hour

Red Tape/Notes: A pass is required for each vehicle entering the park; it costs $35 and is good for 7 days. The North Rim is closed in winter (due to snow – it’s at over 8000 feet), and lodging, restaurants, and the visitor center are only open May 15 – October 15 (visitor center hours are 8am – 6pm). Visit the nps website for more info.

What’s Nearby?: Bright Angel Point Trail, Point Imperial

Transept is a pleasant trail with a different sort of appeal from the usual extreme view, barren trails you think of when you think “Grand Canyon trail”, since the route hugs the rim of the canyon where it’s covered in trees. You feel like you’re hiking through a nice evergreen forest, except occasionally the trees will open up slightly and you’re treated to beautiful views of the canyon extending before you. The route connects the North Rim Campground to the Grand Canyon Lodge, but it’s worth a quick run even if you don’t have business at either of those destinations; it also connects to the Bright Angel Point trail near the lodge, and the combination of the two is a nice way to spend a couple of hours.

Epic Travel → North America → Mountain States → Arizona → Grand Canyon North Rim → Transept Trail