Grand Canyon National Park guide · 2 min read
Hermit Road: Shuttle-Only Overlooks to Hermit's Rest
Hermits Rest marks the western end of Hermit Road, seven miles from Grand Canyon Village. Mary Colter designed the 1914 building as a rustic miner's cabin, using local stone and adding a porch out front and a huge fireplace set into an alcove.
It holds a gift shop and snack bar, with restrooms and a place to refill water bottles out back. The steep Hermit Trail drops into the canyon about half a mile west.
The free Hermit Road Red Route shuttle bus links the Village Route Transfer Station with Hermits Rest. Heading out, buses stop at every one of the nine overlooks. Coming back, they make just four stops: Hermits Rest, Pima Point, Mohave Point and Powell Point. Riding without getting off takes about 80 minutes round trip.
The shuttle works best paired with the Canyon Rim Trail. Ride to one stop, walk the rim to the next and catch another bus there. When the line at the transfer station is long, you can skip it by climbing a steep paved path 0.7 miles to Trailview Overlook and boarding an outbound bus there. Strong walkers can keep going on the rim for 7.1 miles to Hermits Rest, and cyclists can use the road as well.
The Powell Memorial at Powell Point honors Major John Wesley Powell and the crews who explored the Colorado River on his trips of 1869 and 1871 to 1872. A dirt path leads 0.3 miles west to Hopi Point, where an upper tier faces the North Rim. Another 0.8 miles on, Mohave Point is a good place to watch the sun rise or set, with the Colorado River visible deep below.
Pima Point sits 1.1 miles east of Hermits Rest on a paved stretch of trail and opens onto a wide panorama of the canyon. It makes a good final walk before the end of the road.
