North Bass Trail
North Rim Trails
7,500 feet (2,286 m): North Bass trailhead (Swamp Point)
2,200 feet (671 m): Colorado River
14 miles (22.5 km): North Bass trailhead to the Colorado River
Wilderness Trail
Washouts and rockslides require some route-finding skill. Hot and dry in summer. Stash water on way in for use on way out. Use instep crampons in winter.
When his doctor gave William Bass only a few years to live, Bass headed west in a desperate attempt to regain his health. He made friends with Havasupai Indians who guided him into remote parts of the canyon where he began developing several mines. The trails Bass constructed to these claims proved valuable when his tourist business grew. The guide built a camp along Shinumo Creek with orchards and a garden to supply his family and tourist operation on the South Rim. Bass outlived his doctor’s prediction by half a century.
