Rim Trail - Mather Point
in Arizona · centroid 65 mi from Flagstaff
The Rim Trail is a mostly paved path that stretches roughly 13 miles (21 km) along the southern rim of Grand Canyon from South Kaibab Trailhead in the east to Hermits Rest in the west. Most people won't hike the whole trail in one go, but walking short sections of the rim can provide an excellent chance to stretch the legs after a long car ride, take a break from riding the shuttle, or to get away from a busy viewpoint for a moment. No matter how much of it you walk, you'll get lots of good views along the way!
One-way Distances from Mather Point along the Rim Trail. South Kaibab Trail - 2.2 miles (3.5 km) Yavapai Geology Museum - 0.7 miles (1 km) Verkamp's Visitor Center - 2.2 miles (3.5 km) Bright Angel Trailhead - 2.5 miles (4 km) Hermits Rest - 11 miles (18 km) Popular Sections Mather Point to Yavapai Geology Museum Length: 0.7 mi (1 km) one way Time: 15–30 minutes Accessibility: Paved, short sections of grade. This short section of the trail is one of the most popular as it is easily accessible from both Mather and Yavapai Points and it offers constant views of Grand Canyon, as well as Phantom Ranch and a glimpse of the Colorado River far below.
Even walking part of this section guarentees some great Grand Canyon vistas. Note: When the Kaibab/Rim (Orange) Route shuttle bus is running to Mather Point and the Yavapai Geology Museum it links the two ends of this section for an easy one-way hike. Mather Point to Grand Canyon Historic Village Length: 2.5 mi (4 km) one way Time: 45 minutes to 2 hours Accessibbility: Paved, short sections of grade.
- States
- Arizona
- Trail type
- National Park trail
- Centroid nearest city
- Flagstaff, AZ · 65 mi · ~1.9 hr drive
- Centroid coords
- 36.0615°, -112.1086°
About Grand Canyon National Park
This trail is inside Grand Canyon National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.
Entrance fee: $35 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.
Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/rim-trail-mather-point.htm
Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
Plan your hike
Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.
Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.
When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.
If you've hiked Rim Trail - Mather Point and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.
Stay nearby
Other trails within 50 miles
Trail of Time: The Million Year Walk Portal
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Trail of Time: The Main Trail of Time Portal
1 miles from this trail's centroid
Bright Angel Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
South Kaibab Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Plateau Point Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Pictograph Panel — Bright Angel Trail
2 miles from this trail's centroid
Sources
Trail data on this page is compiled from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), the maintaining organisation's public-facing materials, and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA where excerpts are quoted). Distance, terminus, and descriptive text for nationally-designated trails are hand-curated from federal land-manager websites and trail-association sources. We do not modify the underlying data; this page presents what is already publicly recorded. To suggest corrections, see our methodology page.