Rider Canyon
Vital Statistics
Mileages
Approximately 3 miles from rim to river
Maps
75 Minute Quadrants: Emmit Wash, Bitter Spring
Minute Quadrants: Emmit Wash, Tanner Wash
Trails Illustrated: Grand Canyon National Park
Elevations
Trailhead 4560, Colorado River 3010
Trailhead Access
House Rock Valley off of Highway 89A (see route description). This route is also accessible from the river, river mile 17. The road is passable by two wheel drive vehicles with good clearance through the road is subject to damage from flooding. From Highway 89A turn off to the south on a dirt road 0.2 of a mile west of mile marker 557. This is where the road log begins. The BLM has done an outstanding job of closing and posting the numerous “roads to nowhere”. Please do your part to protect the Brady Pincushion Cactus by staying on the roads. Along most of this drive there are carsonite posts indicating the route to the trailhead.
0.0 Leave Highway 89A and go through gate.
0.3 Stock tank on right, keep left.
0.8 Bog Area, left or right will take you the same.
1.7 Road forks, two track lane to right, stay to the left.
2.2 Cattle Guard, keep left at next two rights turns.
3.4 Pass through gate.
4.1 Road goes through dry wash and turns left past levee.
4.6 Take a left at the T.
Trail Description
The start of this route can be seen almost due north from the end of the road. Cross the large earth crack and descend down into the rocky drainage just ahead. A large block of the canyon wall has been faulted away from the rim. The beginning of the descent is marked with a large cairn. Keep to the left of the 35’ wide chute as you enter. Toward the lower end of the chute two chockstones bar the way. Both can be passed to the left and by going under the blocks. The second is much tighter then the first and requires removal of packs.
Follow the trail as it comes out of the base of the Kaibab Formation. Several switchbacks in the Toroweap slopes will bring you to a talus filled gully that will take you through the Coconino cliffs. Follow the slope all the way to the stream bed.
Once the stream bed is reached you follow it to the river (approx. 2 miles). There are several pouroffs which require scrambling. One pouroff bypass is marked with cairns on the north side. You need to ascend approx. 50 feet. This occurs about 1/3 mile from the River.
Water Sources
The Colorado River.
Campsites
Good campsites are on Rider Beach at the Colorado River and on the rim. A few marginal sites exist in Rider Canyon wash.
Special Interest
In the past there were two Rider Canyon route descriptions and two trailhead descriptions. The routes are essentially the same. With a little effort you can make this route much harder, more challenging, or just different. The route previously titled “Rider Canyon Route” that started from Rider Canyon Trailhead Two is the harder, more challenging or just different variation of the route described herein.
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