List of Trails in Grand Canyon National Park - Management

Management

All pack and foot trails in Grand Canyon National Park fall under the jurisdiction of the Grand Canyon Backcountry Office (BCO), located in the Backcountry Information Center in Grand Canyon Village. This building previously housed a railway depot. The BCO administers trail maintenance, patrol, and search and rescue operations in the Grand Canyon's backcountry areas.

The Grand Canyon Backcountry Office manages undeveloped areas of the canyon by following the 1988 Backcountry Management Plan (BMP), as amended. The goal of the plan is to mitigate human impacts to ecologically sensitive areas within the park. In those areas, the BMP provides management guidelines for:

• Establishment of management zones (use areas)
• Permit system and fee structure for overnight use
• Establishment of visitor use limits
• Enforcement of the plan's provisions
• Interpretive programs to educate canyon visitors
• Research to determine if the plan's goals are being met

The adoption of the BMP marked the first time permits were required for overnight use of the park's backcountry. The permit process was instituted on 1 October 1988 and is still in use today. Permits may be applied for up to four months in advance of a hiker's planned itinerary, on the first day of each month. Permit requests may be faxed, mailed, or delivered in-person. A permit is not required for day use of backcountry trails.

Fees are required to obtain backcountry use permits. Information can be obtained from the parks Backcountry Information Center.