The Escalante Route stands out from other Grand Canyon routes due to its unique combo of challenging terrain, remote wilderness, and varied scenery. During this 5-day backpacking tour, we’ll watch the Grand Canyon evolve and mesmerize, every step of the way. Slot canyons, jagged cliff ledges, secluded beaches, sweeping ridgelines—these are all on the menu! The Escalante Route is perfect for experienced backpackers in search of a real challenge: all you’ve got to do is show up and keep moving because the food, the transport, the equipment, are all taken care of. This is some of the GC’s most remote, rugged, and rewarding terrain, and while you may end up physically drained, the 27-mile hike will leave you feeling recharged and inspired.
By joining this guided backpacking tour of the Escalante Route, you’ll discover some of the Grand Canyon’s most exciting and remote areas! Utilizing the Tanner and New Hance Trails, the route spends much of its time near the Colorado River’s edge, but even includes the 75-Mile Creek slot canyon as well as scrambling over the Papago Wall. Your guides made sure to rid you of all organizational worries, meaning that they’ve arranged accommodation, that they’ll prepare terrific meals on trek, and that they can even provide you with backpacking equipment! If you’ve got an appetite for a demanding trail through GC’s remote wilderness, look no further than the Escalante Route.
Reach Flagstaff, AZ, and check into your hotel (included in the price of the tour). You will meet your guides and your team at around 6 pm for a one-hour orientation and pack-check in the main lobby of Little America Hotel. Those who requested backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags will receive them then. You will get to know your team, preview the trail, and talk safety.
Accommodation: Little America Hotel in Flagstaff
After reconvening in the lobby of Little America Hotel, Flagstaff at 8:00am, and loading up with water, we’ll head out to the trailhead where our hike begins on the rugged Tanner trail with a steep decent, then a long traverse out to our first camp atop the Redwall with breathtaking views of Colorado River, Tanner Rapids, and the Palisades.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 4 miles / 6.5 km
Accommodation: Tent
Morning travel will be slow and methodical as we manage the variables of rugged trail, steep descents, limited access to water and changing temperatures until we reach Tanner Rapids. Then we’ll begin our hike along the river for the remainder of the day, with time to enjoy the relaxing tropical beach side atmosphere of our Cardenas Beach camp. Don’t be late for happy hour!
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 7 miles / 11.3 km
Accommodation: Tent
We’ll follow the trail downstream with wide, sweeping canyon and river views before beginning a climb of 1,400 ft to lunch with an unparalleled 180-degree-view of the river. A quick descent will bring us to a creek bed floor which we will follow out to the Colorado River and camp on Escalante Beach.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 8.2 miles / 13.2 km
Accommodation: Tent
This is a feature rich day! After a leisurely morning by the river, we’ll hike to the back of 75 Mile Creek before dropping into the slot-like canyon for a walk back in time. Farther down river, we’ll continue as a team up and over the Papago wall, a 35 foot pack-on scramble over ledges, then continue to climb before descending the Papago Slide. This day typically is among the most thrilling and rewarding. We’ll stop at Hance Rapids to refill water before heading up Red Canyon for camp, enjoying sunset among its beautiful red and purple hues.
Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner
Hiking: 5.5 miles / 8.9 km
Accommodation: Tent
An early, before-sun-up start will move us up and into the multi-layered, multi-colored walls of the Grand Canyon as we climb almost 4,000 feet to exit the trail and return to civilization. The Hance Trail is among the burliest in the Canyon, with an intense “Go” section of uphill hiking. After topping out and celebrating as a team, we’ll return to Flagstaff, then home to brag.
Meals: Breakfast and lunch
Hiking: 5 miles / 8 km
Grand Canyon Escalante was spectacular: the physical challenge, the mental challenge, the team strength, the guides’ knowledge and encouragement. This is not just a hiking trip, this is a life changing experience. More beauty and wonder, day and night than you can imagine. Thank you, Chris and Tolman, for this awesome chance to prove my mettle.
It took me this long to let the experience sink in. Grand Canyon trip of a lifetime. My wife and I did the TSX Grand Canyon Escalante Route with some friends and other team members we met as part of the group. (Go Scorpions) Chris was our guide and made us feel super at ease from the time we met on video preps when he asked us if we wanted our trek to be “spicy” all the way to the final meal on the trip home! The TSX experience started right away with plenty of prep and communication in the months leading up to the trip. My wife and I were prepared for the “hiking” but not gravity of the experience. The Escalante route was challenging, beautiful and spiritual. We saw things we would have never seen on our own and learned things about ourselves we would have never learned on our own. The only bad thing is finding the time and choosing what our next TSX adventure will be!
Included:
Not included:
The Escalante Route is a 5-day backpacking journey covering circa 26.5 miles (42.3 km). The journey utilizes the Tanner and New Hance Trails for Rim to River Travel, and includes traverses of 75-Mile Creek slot canyon as well as scrambles over the Papago Wall and Slide.
While no experience is needed, this trek is best suited for experienced backpackers or motivated individuals with an appetite to experience some of the Grand Canyon’s most remote, rugged, and rewarding terrain. Several passages along the way require exposed hand and toe climbing.
Keep in mind that you’ll be carrying a backpack the whole way through and that the temperatures in the Grand Canyon can vary greatly.
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Dress comfortably and for the weather in clothes you can move in. We suggest bringing clothing appropriate for the season. Layers are best and don’t wear jeans.
Make sure not to bring unnecessary items which will only make your backpacks heavier, as you’ll be carrying your backpacks with you the whole way through.
Your guides will apply for Grand Canyon permits through a lottery system on the 1st of the month, four months in advance of the planned trek date. Permits are typically issued within two weeks of submission. You’ll receive an email from your guides as soon as the dates for the trek are confirmed. Once confirmed, you can start making plans for transportation and pre/post-trek accommodations.
Please refrain from booking accommodations or flights prior to the confirmation of the trip.
For the safety of your pet, visitors, and wildlife, pets are not allowed on trails below the rim. For more details on regulations and pet-friendly areas, visit the National Park Service website.
Group sizes and pricing
Backpacking the Escalante Route can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Flagstaff in Arizona, the starting point of your Escalante Route backpacking trip, most people fly into Flagstaff Airport (FLG). If you’re flying into Phoenix, consider taking a shuttle or a bus to Flagstaff, or renting a car.
Make sure to arrive in Flagstaff at least a day prior to your adventure, no later than 6 pm the evening before your trek begins. A hotel stay for that one night is included in the price of the trip, but even if you’re not staying at that hotel, you need to attend the pre-trek orientation. Typically, it’s scheduled between 6 and 7 pm at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both medical and travel protection. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, simply choose Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner!
Redpoint tailors their protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations. Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
Once your booking is confirmed and your trip is paid in full, you will be offered to purchase Redpoint’s protection. If you need any help or require more information, let us know and we will be happy to help!
Deposits
You can secure one of the set dates with a 30% deposit upon booking. The remaining 70% of the trip price is to be paid 90 days prior to departure, at the latest.
Secure your early bird spot with a 10% deposit! This tour gets sold out very quickly, but with early-bird booking, you will be the first one to know about any new upcoming dates. Pick your preferred dates without the risk of your bucket list adventure selling out!
Cancellations
Booking fees are non-refundable in all cases. During checkout, however, you can choose one of 57hours’ flexibility options:
Basic
Flexible
Super Flexible
Where do I start with the Escalante Route trip? For my first time experiencing the beauty of the Grand Canyon it was absolutely breathtaking. The canyon truly evolved through every mile of the trek. Even when the sun went down you could virtually see every star in the sky, which made it hard to want to fall asleep (even though you’re physically exhausted!). Not only was it my first time at the Grand Canyon, but it was also my first-time backpack and the TSX team was a huge part of my success. Charolotte was a terrific guide who gave us endless words of encouragement and yummy meals to get us through. This trip was a mental and physical challenge, yet extremely rewarding. It without a doubt has made it into my top three accomplishments. If you are a curious adventurer who’s up for a challenge this route is for you. I’m already eager to plan out my next trip with TSX.