Hiking in the Grand Canyon’s North Rim: Transept Trail

Hello everyone! Many of you know that I went on an epic trip to Arizona last year with my family that included Page, the North Rim, and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon! We had a great time in all three places, but I’m pretty sure the North Rim was the most enjoyable stop we made!  We saw some pretty epic things in Page, but it was close to 100 degrees in September which is pretty uncool. The North Rim had beautiful scenery and was at a high enough elevation for cooler temps, which was a relief!

(Click here to read all my posts on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim!)

We didn’t spend a long time at the North Rim (only two nights) so we had a busy stay while we were there.  Despite a packed itinerary, I knew I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I came to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and didn’t make time for hiking! I was looking for a trail that wasn’t super strenuous – so hiking below the Rim was out.  I also didn’t want a really lengthy hike, because I was trying to make time for other activities.  In the end, I chose Transept Trail… which turned out to be a perfect addition to our day!

Transept trail is a 3-mile round trip hike that starts at the Grand Canyon Lodge and ends at the North Rim Campground.  It starts out on the Rim of the Grand Canyon but mostly follows the Rim of the Transept Canyon – a tributary or “finger” of the Grand Canyon. It doesn’t have as far reaching views once you curve into Transept Canyon, but it still has some awesome scenery (especially of Bright Angel Point) and has the bonus of walking through the forest. I was able to get some awesome pictures from this hike!  It’s fairly level and makes for an easy hike that doesn’t take you too far from your Cabin.

Directions: From the west patio of the Lodge, go down the stairs to the Rim Trail and turn right.  You should see the above sign not long after starting out this way.

Restrooms: yes, at the Lodge and the North Rim Campground

Distance: 1.5 miles from the Lodge to the North Rim Campground

Difficulty: Easy

Pets OK? No

Crowds: This is a hard question to answer because I’ve only seen it during September.  We went in the middle of the afternoon and it was not crowded

Fees/Permits: No fee except the fee to enter the National park

Tips: 

• This hike can be made into a loop by returning on the Bridle Trail from the North Rim Campground.  This trail will parallel the main road to and from the Lodge.  My personal opinion is that it would not be as good scenery along the way.  We opted to make it an out and back trail and returned the same way we came.
• The first part of the hike is not very shaded, so wear a hat and some shades if you’re sensitive! The majority of this trail is shaded.
• Watch for wildlife! We saw a group of deer probably 20 feet off the trail.
• Close to the end of this hike (i.e., when you arrive at the North Rim Campground), there is an awesome rock outcropping that makes for a great view and great photo op!
• If you have small children make sure to keep an eye on them! There are no rails on the edges of this hike.
• Make sure you get back to the Lodge in time to snag an awesome view and watch the sunset!
• Little did we know this trail is considered one of the more haunted trails in the US! Apparently, a woman in a white and blue floral dress haunts the trail.  The story goes that her family died there in the 1920s due to a “hiking accident” (I’d love to know a little more about that!), and she killed herself shortly after.  So keep a lookout lol!

We started our hike between 2:30 and 3:00, so we had plenty of time to walk the whole trail and make it back to the Lodge before sunset!

The path mostly follows the Rim but did occasionally slip into the trees for short periods of time.  We enjoyed the forests along with the canyon views and even saw some deer!

This was one of my favorite pictures from the whole trip!

The trail was well marked and easy to follow all the way to the Campground.

We decided to walk back the way we came instead of making a loop via the main road back to the Lodge.  There was less mileage by doing it this way and we really wanted to get back so we could stake out some prime time seating on the patio for sunset!

Transept trail was not one of the most challenging, varied, or mindblowing of hikes, but it was a great option to enjoy some different views of the Canyon from the Rim, it was mostly level, and it was an easy distance that didn’t take up too much time from our itinerary! Overall I think it’s a great hike for those not wanting to descend into the Canyon!

Hopefully, this helped you figure out if you want to make Transept Trail a part of your North Rim Itinerary!

Don’t forget to leave me a comment and let me know what you think!! Have you been to the North Rim? Did you hike Transept trail or did you opt for one of the more well-known ones?? I wanna know!!

Until next time!