In this paper, we consider the problem of approximating the longest path in a grid
graph that possesses a square-free 2-factor. By (1) analyzing several characteristics of four
types of cross cells and (2) presenting three cycle-merging operations and one extension
operation, we propose an algorithm that finds in an n-vertex grid graph G, a long path of
length at least 5/6 n + 2. Our approximation algorithm runs in quadratic time. In addition
to its theoretical value, our work has also an interesting application in image-guided maze
generation.