Parking
No road parking at the start. Monument Creek (BL7) is reached on foot by the Hermit/Tonto backcountry route, about 9.3 miles one way from Hermit Trailhead.
Overview
About Monument Creek Trail
Why go
- A 700-foot descent brings you close to Granite Rapids and the Colorado River.
Heads up
- The 9.3-mile one-way backcountry approach from Hermit Trailhead comes before this short river excursion.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grand Canyon map
Full mapElevation2,362–3,038 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
4 active Grand Canyon alerts
- ClosureInner Canyon and North Rim trail closuresDo not enter the closed trails, bridges, campgrounds, and inner-canyon areas.Official details
- ClosureNorth Rim scenic roads closed for repairsCape 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grand Canyon Tour Guide
Your drive to Monument Creek Trail, 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.
See the Grand Canyon audio tourRecorded for this area
Pima Point and the Cataract Plains0:00 / 0:27
“Up ahead is Pima Point, a good stop for seeing how the canyon opens toward the west.”
Plays on the road 1.1 mi from the trailhead in the Parkwolf Grand Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Mohave Point’s Rapids and Rock Formations
- Monument Creek Vista and the Greenway
- Hermits Rest’s Cabin and Fireplace
- Hopi Point’s River Views
- 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
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Monument Creek Trail
A remote river routeMonument Creek Trail is a 3.
Monument Creek Trail is a 3.2-mile out-and-back from Monument Creek (BL7) on the Tonto Trail to Granite Rapids on the Colorado River. Plan on about 1.6 miles each way. Published mileages differ, with some implying a shorter segment, so treat the total as approximate and leave extra time.
Plan the access firstThere is no road access to this start.
There is no road access to this start. From Hermit Trailhead, the Hermit/Tonto approach to Monument Creek is about 9.3 miles one way, before the Granite Rapids out-and-back. For most visitors this is a remote backpacking extension, not a day walk from the rim. Overnight camping requires a backcountry permit.
The river payoffThe route drops about 675 feet to Granite Rapids, then climbs that grade on the return.
The route drops about 675 feet to Granite Rapids, then climbs that grade on the return. It ends at the Colorado River shoreline, where a sandy bank meets whitewater and dark canyon walls. Carry all the water you need and treat natural water before drinking it; pets are not allowed below the rim.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Grand Canyon
718 sightingsCalifornia CondorMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
533 sightingsBighorn SheepMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
169 sightingsAmerican BisonMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,891 sightingsElkMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
59 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
27 sightingsGray FoxMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Grand Canyon. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
