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Supai Tunnel in Grand Canyon National Park

Sight · Grand Canyon National Park

Supai Tunnel

A four-mile hike to a tunnel framing streaked sandstone.

Type
Sight
Nearest trail
0.6 mi
Audio stories
5 nearby
  • Restrooms
DirectionsMap

Hear the audio tour

North Kaibab Trailhead

Overview

About Supai Tunnel

Why stop

  • The tunnel opening frames streaked canyon sandstone.

Heads up

  • The 1,400-foot descent becomes a long climb back out.
Supai Tunnel is a rough-cut passage blasted through the Supai Formation on the North Kaibab Trail, a landmark on the descent into Bright Angel Canyon. Treat it as a four-mile, two-to-four-hour round trip from the North Rim trailhead, with about 1,400 feet of descent and the same climb back out. It makes a natural destination for a demanding day hike, not a quick stop from the road.
Parkwolf’s verdictA worthwhile turnaround

Map

Where it is

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SightSupai Tunnel36.21121, -112.04950
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Plan your stop

Before you go

4 active Grand Canyon alerts

  • ClosureInner Canyon and North Rim trail closuresMentions North Rim, referenced in this guideDo not enter the closed trails, bridges, campgrounds, and inner-canyon areas.Official details
  • ClosureNorth Rim scenic roads closed for repairsMentions North Rim, referenced in this guideCape Royal Road and Point Imperial Road are closed from sunset October 15 through sunrise November 3, 2026. - The roads are closed to accommodate critical road repair and rehabilitation work.Official details
See all 4 alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Grand Canyon Tour Guide

Your drive to Supai Tunnel, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Grand Canyon National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

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Recorded for this place

North Kaibab Trailhead
0:00 / 0:27
“You're approaching North Kaibab Trailhead, where steep switchbacks descend through fir and aspen into Roaring Springs Canyon.”

Plays as you drive up to Supai Tunnel in the Parkwolf Grand Canyon Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

  • North Rim Campground and Transept Walks
  • Bright Angel Point’s Ridge Walk
  • Widforss Trail’s Forest and Canyon
  • The Bird with a Seed Stash
  • 79 audio storiesacross Grand Canyon’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor California Condor, Bighorn Sheep, American Bison, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 73 trails, 96 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
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4.7 from 8,600+ ratings

Guide

More about Supai Tunnel

Look uphill through the openingFrom inside the tunnel, look back uphill: its opening frames a slab of Coconino Sandstone…

From inside the tunnel, look back uphill: its opening frames a slab of Coconino Sandstone streaked with color. That’s the feature that makes this more than a convenient turnaround. For the picture, stand inside the passage and use the dark rock around the opening to frame the sandstone beyond.

Plan for an inner-canyon hikeThe approach drops through steep switchbacks, with greenery and views into Bright Angel Canyon.

The approach drops through steep switchbacks, with greenery and views into Bright Angel Canyon. Mules also use this trail; move to the uphill side and follow the wrangler’s directions when a train approaches. A pit toilet is at the tunnel. The park lists potable water there seasonally, but check current conditions before relying on it. Upper-trail ice in winter and summer heat can change whether the hike makes sense; the park advises avoiding the hottest part of summer afternoons.

tunnelgeologyhikinglandmark

Wildlife

Wildlife in Grand Canyon

All Grand Canyon wildlife maps
California Condor718 sightingsCalifornia CondorMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapBighorn Sheep533 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapAmerican Bison169 sightingsAmerican BisonMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapElk1,891 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapCoyote59 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapGray Fox27 sightingsGray FoxMost seen around 6 AMSighting map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grand Canyon. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.

Keep exploring

Near Supai Tunnel

See it all on the map

Trails nearby

ChallengingRim-to-Rim: North Kaibab to Bright Angel23.5 mi · 16 hr · 0.6 mi awayA point-to-point crossing from North Rim forest to the South Rim.ModerateUncle Jim Trail4.7 mi · 3 hr · 0.6 mi awayA forest loop with a wide view down Bright Angel Canyon.EasyBridle Path1.6 mi · 1 hr · 0.6 mi awayA short, hard-packed connector from North Kaibab to the former lodge lot.ChallengingNorth Kaibab Trail14.2 mi · 10.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA steep, forested 14.2-mile descent to the Colorado River.ChallengingRoaring Springs Trail9.4 mi · 7.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA strenuous North Rim descent reaches a spring pouring from the cliffs.ChallengingOld Bright Angel Trail Loop14 mi · 11 hr · 0.6 mi awayAn overgrown canyon loop for hikers comfortable finding their own way.ModerateArizona Trail Passage 39: Grand Canyon – North Rim12 mi · 6.5 hr · 0.6 mi awayA high forest traverse with a canyon overlook at the North RimModerateTransept Trail2 mi · 1.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayFollow pine shade to overlooks above a deep side canyon.

More stops nearby

Sight · 0.4 mi awayCoconino OverlookA steep 1.4-mile out-and-back earns a Roaring Springs Canyon view.Gas station · 0.5 mi awayNorth Rim Service StationA seasonal fill-up just beyond the campground turn.Campground · 0.6 mi awayNorth Rim CampgroundA forested base for a North Rim stay.Store · 0.6 mi awayNorth Rim General StoreA seasonal shop for campground supplies and trail snacks.Sight · 1.2 mi awayBright Angel PointA high rim panorama framed by the canyon’s temple buttes.Sight · 1.4 mi awayRoaring SpringsA lush waterfall at the end of a steep canyon hike.Campground · 2.9 mi awayCottonwood CampgroundSleep beneath the canyon walls beside Bright Angel Creek.Sight · 3.6 mi awayRibbon FallsA shaded waterfall and pool deep in the inner canyon.

Parkwolf’s Grand Canyon ranking

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