Gooseberry Canyon

Gooseberry Canyon doesn't ease you into anything. From the rim of Island in the Sky, the trail drops off a cliff — almost literally — plunging nearly 1,400 feet down to the White Rim bench through a series of rough, eroded switchbacks carved into sandstone and loose scree. The footing demands constant attention as you pick your way across exposed ledges and crumbling slopes with sheer drop-offs that make Murphy Point look tame. The reward is the White Rim itself: a vast, silent bench of stone stretching toward the Colorado River canyon, where you'll likely have the entire landscape to yourself. The catch, of course, is that every foot you drop you have to climb back out, and the return ascent is a leg-shaking grind in the desert sun. This is a trail for experienced desert hikers who want to earn their solitude the hard way.