Tanner Trail: The Dry, Exposed Route to the River

Why Tanner Is a Backpack, Not a Day Hike

The Tanner Trail descends roughly 9 miles and 4,600 feet from Lipan Point to Tanner Beach on the Colorado River. That vertical drop is only part of what makes it a backpack trail: the route is unmaintained, the tread is loose and rocky, and the lower sections require route-finding because the path is faint.

Then there’s the heat reality. There is no water and almost no shade the entire way, so you cannot rely on the “I’ll refill at a spring” instinct that works on more popular corridor routes. The National Park Service is explicit that this is not a day-hike route, even for confident hikers who are used to maintained trails.

Historically, the Tanner Trail follows an old Hopi and prospector route—and the Tanner-Beamer connection once ran along the river corridor. If you want the wider context, start with Grand Canyon hiking and then treat Tanner as a multi-day commitment with proper water planning.

Getting There: Lipan Point on Desert View Drive

Tanner’s trailhead is at Lipan Point, a viewpoint with its own parking lot on Desert View Drive. It’s about 25 miles east of Grand Canyon Village, and no shuttle serves this far east—so you drive there, park, and start hiking.

If you’re traveling with non-hikers, Lipan Point is also one of the best stops on the eastern South Rim: you get a long view of the river and the Unkar Delta. In other words, you’re not “wasting” the drive even if the hike turns into a reality check for your group.

There’s no special overnight trailhead parking strategy beyond arriving with a permit in hand, then executing the first descent leg deliberately. For access and timing tips around this part of the park, see Desert View Drive access and browse eastern viewpoints for what to pair with your backpack.

No Water: The Defining Constraint

Tanner has no water source at all between the rim and the Colorado River, which makes it one of the driest routes in the park. You carry every liter for the descent, and once at the river you filter from the Colorado—after you’ve already absorbed the cost of being exposed without shade.

The rim-to-river temperature differential of about +20 degrees F is brutal on an exposed, shadeless trail. Even in spring, the lower Tanner can feel punishingly hot; the closer you get to the river, the more you pay for any planning error in hydration, pacing, and clothing choices.

Water weight is the central planning problem on Tanner, and getting it wrong is the most common serious mistake. If you’re comparing alternatives, Bright Angel Trail is a useful contrast point because it’s a maintained corridor route with seasonal piped water.

Permits and Connecting Routes

Any overnight on the Tanner Trail requires a backcountry permit through the lottery. The lottery opens on the 15th of the month for stays four months out, and the cost is roughly a $10 application fee plus $8 per person per night.

At the river, Tanner doesn’t end—it connects. Tanner trips often fold into loops or through-hikes using the Beamer Trail heading upstream toward the Little Colorado confluence and the Escalante Route heading downstream. Both are serious backcountry routes, so your “Tanner day” turns into a broader canyon plan.

Before you commit your itinerary, confirm the permit and current conditions with the Backcountry Information Center. And if you need rim-side logistics before and after your backpack, start with rim-side lodging so you’re not scrambling around check-in times.

When to Hike and Who Should Attempt It

October through April is the only sensible window, and even then the lower trail is hot. Summer on Tanner is genuinely dangerous because the heat combines with the no-water reality and the slow going on unmaintained terrain.

This trail is for experienced canyon backpackers who have done corridor trails and understand water rationing, route-finding, and self-rescue. If you’re still learning how quickly conditions change once you’re committed to the descent, Tanner is not the place to “figure it out.”

If what you really want is the eastern canyon without the commitment, Lipan Point and the other Desert View Drive viewpoints deliver the scenery with none of the risk. For more of that approach, see eastern viewpoints, and if you want a connector for day-to-day loop planning, check Tonto Trail.

Frequently Asked Questions