Parking
The north end joins the Bridle Path by AZ-67 near the North Kaibab Trailhead. Parking is limited to vehicles under 22 feet. The trail ends at the Lodge site, so arrange a ride or walk back.
Overview
About Transept Trail
Why go
- Woodland shade alternates with open canyon-rim views.
- Transept Ruin adds a small but memorable history stop.
Heads up
- The point-to-point route needs a ride or a four-mile return walk.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grand Canyon map
Full mapElevation8,114–8,376 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Grand Canyon Tour Guide
Your drive to Transept 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 trailhead
North Rim Campground and Transept Walks0:00 / 0:28
“The turn for North Rim Campground is ahead, leading to a seasonal camping area in ponderosa pine and aspen.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Grand Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- North Kaibab Trailhead
- Widforss Trail’s Forest and Canyon
- Bright Angel Point’s Ridge Walk
- 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
“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 Transept Trail
The walkTransept Trail is a two-mile, one-way point-to-point walk from the Bridle Path crossing near…
Transept Trail is a two-mile, one-way point-to-point walk from the Bridle Path crossing near AZ-67 to the Grand Canyon Lodge site. It follows the rim of The Transept, passing the Backcountry Information Center and North Rim Campground before opening to canyon views. Allow one to two hours one way. If you need to return to your starting point, it becomes a four-mile out-and-back; otherwise arrange a ride between ends.
The grade and viewsExpect a winding path through conifer woods, with dips and climbs through ravines.
Expect a winding path through conifer woods, with dips and climbs through ravines. Some wooded sections are steep, and the open viewpoints are exposed. The route is moderate, so take your time where the path reaches the rim.
Across The TranseptThe trail follows the edge of a deep side canyon west of the Lodge area.
The trail follows the edge of a deep side canyon west of the Lodge area. Look across its layered walls toward Oza Butte; on very clear days, the San Francisco Peaks can appear far beyond the South Rim. A shaded picnic-table overlook near the Lodge end looks across The Transept and Bright Angel Canyon and makes a good place to frame the opposite wall with the rim in view.
Transept RuinAlong the trail, the low stone remains of Transept Ruin mark a two-room ancestral Puebloan…
Along the trail, the low stone remains of Transept Ruin mark a two-room ancestral Puebloan home, likely used seasonally by a farming family about 900 years ago. Archaeologists cleaned and stabilized the site in 2008. Stay on the trail and leave the stonework undisturbed.
Start and accessThe north end meets the Bridle Path by AZ-67 near the North Kaibab Trailhead.
The north end meets the Bridle Path by AZ-67 near the North Kaibab Trailhead. Parking there is limited, and vehicles longer than 22 feet are not allowed. The south end is at the Lodge site, so plan for a ride or the return walk. Dogs and bicycles are not permitted on Transept Trail.
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.
