The Grandview Trail begins at 7,400 feet, and was built in 1893 as a mining route. It is exposed and strenuous with extreme drop offs. It is 3 miles to Horseshoe Mesa, 31 switchbacks, and drops nearly 2,500 vertical feet. At the mesa there is a faint trail leads another mile out to a high rocky point.
I left early in the morning on September 4th. I wanted to avoid the hot afternoon heat on Horseshoe Mesa. The views all the way down are spectacular, and this is my favorite day hike from the South Rim. The only place I encountered other hikers was within a mile of the trailhead. For 5 hours I didn't see anybody. I had the entire Horseshoe Mesa and trail to myself. The entire trail round trip took me 7 hours.
I have OCD, and this hike completely wiped out my OCD, and wiped me out physically too. The scenery is incredible, and OCD just can't compete, so the Grand Canyon wins every time. The harder the trail the more effective it is. So I keep looking for hard trails, for longer trails, for steeper trails, and more challenging trails.
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| My feet at the end of Horseshoe Mesa. |
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| Horseshoe Mesa |
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| Rainbow in the canyon. |
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