The first mile and a half (before intersecting the Valley Trail) of the Granite Canyon Trail leads across morainal hills, then climbs through the mouth of the canyon beside the cascades of Granite Creek. Heavy creek bottom forest is interspersed with brush and talus-covered avalanche slopes for the first couple of miles beyond the entrance of the canyon. Evidence of large winter avalanches can be seen in several locations where sizable trees have been sheared off well above the ground forming a "trim-line" at snow level. Rock and mudslides have also left their mark in many places along the trail.
A little over 6 miles up the canyon is the Rendezvous Mountain Trail Junction leading to the Middle Fork/South Fork of Granite Canyon Camp Zone and the top of the aerial tram beyond. At 7 miles is the junction with the Mt Hunt Divide trail, which leads up and over into Open Canyon. The forest in the upper section of the canyon is patchy with large areas of flower-filled meadows. The Granite Canyon Trail ends at its junction with Teton Crest Trail, 8.2 miles from the trailhead. From this point, it is only 0.6 miles north to Marion Lake.