Hiking from Mohave Point to The Abyss on the Canyon Rim Trail was our favorite stretch of trail along Hermit Road. Snow flurries were gently swirling around us as we hiked/walked along a rock wall on the edge of the canyon, climbed stone stairs, took in the amazing Grand Canyon views, relaxed at a lone picnic table, and checked out The Abyss on a long stretch of fenced overlook.
Unlike other scenic viewpoints along Hermit Road, The Abyss doesn’t protrude out into the canyon. Instead, The Abyss is steep, notch or hollow indented in the canyon walls that drops vertically almost 3,000 feet into Grand Canyon to the Redwall Formation.
This scenic viewpoint at Grand Canyon National Park not only offers a slightly frightening, steep, vertical view down the canyon into the Monument Creek drainage area, but views of Monument Creek, the Tonto Plateau, the Colorado River and Granite Rapids, and the Monument — a large sandstone column in the Grand Canyon.
Know Before You Go
- The Abyss is located on Hermit Road west of Grand Canyon Village, Arizona 86023 in Grand Canyon National Park, Coconino County.
- Hermit Road follows the South Rim for 7.0 miles from Grand Canyon Village to Hermit’s Rest. The Canyon Rim Trail also travels from Grand Canyon Village to Hermit’s Rest, but over 7.8 miles because it hugs the edge of the canyon rim and runs between Hermit Road and Grand Canyon.
- Don’t want to hike the entire Canyon Rim Trail? No problem? You can walk/hike between scenic overlooks or take the shuttle and mix it up, so you could walk the shorter distances and ride the shuttle for the longer distances.
- In the winter, you can drive your own vehicle from scenic viewpoint to scenic viewpoint, but the rest of the year, you need to ride the free shuttle bus.
- Traveling from Grand Canyon Village, the Hermit Road (Red) Shuttle Route stops at nine overlooks — Trailview Overlook, Maricopa Point, Powell Point, Hopi Point, Mohave Point, The Abyss, Monument Creek Vista, Pima Point, and Hermit’s Rest. Traveling from Hermit’s Rest to Grand Canyon Village, the shuttle stops at only four overlooks — Hermits Rest, Pima, Mohave, and Powell Points.
- You can also travel to Hermit’s Rest by bike. If you didn’t bring a bike, you can rent a bike at Bright Angel Bicycles near the South Rim Visitor Center.
- The nearest restrooms are at Hermit’s Rest.
