Unlike the Tanner Trail, there is no parking available at the trailhead, which is located about a 5-minute walk north of the South Rim main road.

It is approximately 6.5 hiking miles and a 4400' descent from the South Rim main road at ~7040' to the Colorado River at ~2600' elevation.

Below the top one mile, the big steps become fewer in number and farther apart, and the trail becomes progressively less steep.

There are a couple of isolated spots in the bottom wider areas of Red Canyon where the trail splits into multiple paths but they eventually converge again after a relatively short distance.

While rugged and somewhat challenging to navigate, the New Hance Trail does not require specialized technical skills or equipment.