Red Canyon to Cottonwood Creek
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| Tonto Trail |
The Tonto Trail is the longest continuous stretch of trail in the Grand Canyon. It runs some 70 miles or more from its eastern terminus at Red Canyon and the Red Canyon/New Hance Trail to its western terminus at Elves Chasm near the Royal Arch Route. I personally think that it is one of the most beautiful trails in the Canyon as the vistas presented along its route are some of the most impressive to be found anywhere in the Canyon. To date I have completed its entire length from Red Canyon in the east to Garnet Canyon in the west and it has taken many trips to accomplish this.
The Tonto Trail has a rich and varied history that changes depending on the section you are dealing with. Most of the trail began as an old route or footpath that was created and used by the various indigenous peoples that inhabited the Canyon at one time or another. When these peoples were occupying and farming the depths of the Canyon it was probably considered to be the original information superhighway for the area. The history of the individual sections depends on the other trails that intersect it. The sections around Horseshoe Mesa were used frequently by the miner's who were extracting copper ore from the mines within the mesa and much of the trail was reworked and altered as a result of the miner's burros. Many sections of the Tonto in fact have been modified due to the wanderings of feral burros and in some places this can make the trail difficult to follow.
Many sections of the Tonto Trail are used to form loop hikes from and to the rim in conjunction with other trails. Some of the most popular loop hikes are:
You may tap on the links below for information about various sections of the Tonto Trail:
Red Canyon to Cottonwood Creek
Cottonwood Creek to South Kaibab
Boucher Creek to South Bass Trail
South Bass Trail to Elves Chasm
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