All-Women’s Grandview Loop Backpacking 

We depart from Flagstaff early morning for the drive to the Grand Canyon South Rim and Grandview Trailhead. We spend time learning and reviewing tips and tools for enhancing our backpacking experience and enjoy a trailside breakfast before making our initial descent into the Canyon. 

We hike approximately five very rugged and steep miles down to Horseshoe Mesa and beyond to Cottonwood Creek where we enjoy a well-earned camp. 

Tucked beneath the rim, the views are truly stunning, and we create opportunities for meditation and movement to help soothe achy muscles and calm our busy minds. Offering space for stillness and silence lends itself to taking it all in, with each breath and each breathtaking view.

Drive Time: 1.5 hours

Distance & Elevation: 4.5 miles, 3500-foot descent

Light Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We rise, surrounded by the towering cliffs of the Canyon, eat breakfast, pack up camp, and make our way toward Hance Creek. The day is spent hiking along the beautiful Tonto Trail. Gorgeous views abound and the terrain is conducive to a more moderate pace along a landscape we often refer to as “canyon flat.” These miles are beautiful and offer our knees and other joints a bit of reprieve from the intense downhill of our first two days.   

We set up camp that evening at Hance Creek, surrounded by mature Cottonwood Trees, and soak in the serenity and scenic rewards of our efforts.                                                                                                                                          

Distance & Elevation: 4.4 miles, 200-foot ascent / 300-foot descent

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today we wake, eat breakfast, pack up camp, and start our ascent back up to Horseshoe Mesa. This trail is rugged and wild, and we take it slow, traveling like tortoises up nearly 2,000 feet of elevation. Our camp is on the Mesa, which requires us to carry some water up with us. 

Once we land, we set up camp, make dinner, and have a closing circle to round out our adventure. The views from our camp are unparalleled and we carve out plenty of time to take it all in. The night sky is phenomenal and the option to sleep without a rain fly on your tent might be just the kind of once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you never even knew you needed.

Distance & Elevation: 5 to 6 miles, 1200-foot ascent

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This is our last morning down in the Canyon. We enjoy a leisurely breakfast before packing up and starting our hike back up to the top of the South Rim. We have significant elevation to gain on our hike, and we intentionally move slow and steady; a band of sisters navigating this intense and colorful landscape. 

At the top, we take time to celebrate before unpacking our packs, snacking, and departing for Flagstaff. Our Grand Canyon Women’s Backpacking Adventure is truly the trip of a lifetime!

Distance & Elevation: 3 miles, 2500-foot ascent

Breakfast, Lunch

Drive Time: 1.5 hours

• A professional, licensed and medically trained guide
• All necessary gear: backpack, tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, trekking poles
• All cooking/eating gear: bowls, cups, utensils (your guide will prepare all meals)
• All meals from a light breakfast on Day 1 through lunch on the last day + trail snacks
• Roundtrip transportation from your hotel in Flagstaff, AZ to Grand Canyon
• Entrance fees and backcountry permits
• 5% National Park Service Commercial Fee (a required fee that passes through to Grand Canyon National Park)

• Transportation to/from Flagstaff, AZ
• Lodging the night before/after the trip
• Clothing, raingear, and footwear
• Personal toiletries, sunscreen
• Water bottles/hydration bladder
• Headlamp or flashlight
• Guide gratuity (suggested 10-20% of trip cost)

*Upon Booking you will receive a detailed trip information packet

Most backpacking trips in Grand Canyon will accommodate 5 people plus one guide. On occasion, a group may be as large as 9 people plus 2 guides.

Our All Women’s Adventures are intended for adults 18 years of age or older.    

In order to confirm a reservation, we require an initial deposit of $250 per person, with the final balance due 90 days prior to the trip’s departure. If you book a trip within 90 days of the trip’s scheduled departure, then full payment is due at the time of booking.

Once we confirm availability, you will be provided with an online registration link. Your deposit is payable online by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or ACH transfer.

This trip will begin/end in Flagstaff, AZ and you will need to spend the night prior to your trip’s scheduled departure in Flagstaff. You will want to fly into either Phoenix (2 hour drive) or Flagstaff.

We will hold a pre-trip orientation at 4:00pm the evening prior to your trip’s departure at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff. Departure times and logistics for the following morning will be discussed at the orientation.

Most trips will depart between 4:30am and 6:30am. *This meeting is not mandatory, but highly recommended, as we will depart early the next morning. If you are unable to attend, please let us know in advance so that we can make alternate arrangements.

We will provide all transportation to/from trailheads for the duration of the trip. We will pick you up at your hotel in Flagstaff and return you there at the trip’s conclusion. Guests staying at the Little America Hotel (recommended) can leave their cars at the hotel. The hotel will often store your luggage for you, as well. If not, we are happy to store extra luggage at our warehouse for the duration of the trip. If you are staying at a different hotel, you will need to check with them as to whether you can leave your car there.

Expect to be back in Flagstaff by 5pm at the latest on the last day of the trip. Many trips will return earlier but we cannot make any guarantees. In general, it is recommended that you do not plan to fly home on the same day your trip finishes. Since each trip has slightly different logistics, feel free to contact us with specific questions related to the expected return time for your trip.