Parking
No road parking or drive-up access. Start at the river-right beach near mile 188.6 as part of a commercial or private Colorado River trip; confirm the landing and return timing with your trip leader.
Overview
About Whitmore Trail
Why go
- A rare climb from the Colorado River to canyon views
- Zuni-significant rock art near the river end
Heads up
- Requires access from a Colorado River trip
- Steep ascent with an easy-to-miss branch
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Grand Canyon map
Full mapElevation1,634–2,507 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 Whitmore 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.
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- Wildlife heatmapsfor California Condor, Bighorn Sheep, American Bison, and 13 more
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- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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Trail guide
Hiking Whitmore Trail
A river-trip side hikeWhitmore Trail is a 2-mile out-and-back from the river-right beach at Colorado River mile 188.
Whitmore Trail is a 2-mile out-and-back from the river-right beach at Colorado River mile 188.6, climbing about 900 feet up the canyon wall to a Park Service boundary marker. Allow about 2 to 3 hours for the steep climb and the return. The mapped line follows the one-way corridor; turn around at the top and retrace it. This is a remote side hike reached from a Colorado River trip, not a drive-up walk from Whitmore Canyon Overlook.
Find the ascentFrom the beach, follow the worn path along the wall base through tamarisk.
From the beach, follow the worn path along the wall base through tamarisk. Watch for the climbing branch to the left; it can be easy to miss. The path then gains the canyon wall steadily, and the views open up-canyon as you climb. The trail reaches a boundary marker near the top. Treat that as the turnaround and stay on the established line.
Rock art and river logisticsA Zuni-significant rock-art panel lies near the river end of the walk.
A Zuni-significant rock-art panel lies near the river end of the walk. It depicts the Pueblo of Zuni's emergence into the fourth world; a protective wall was repaired in 2014 to reduce erosion and visitor impact. Leave the panel undisturbed. There is no drive-up parking or trailhead facility: access is by commercial or private Colorado River trip, so confirm the landing and return timing with your trip leader. Carry all your water. Pets are not permitted 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.
