+ 8moreParksBright Angel Trailhead, South Rim Trail, and more
You need to be prepared for lots of elevation change and if you are doing this from May to September, you also need to be prepared to hike in temperatures reaching over 100°F.I also recommend spending some time on a Stairmaster. We topped off our water bottles, collected our box lunches and walked toward the Sil You are a travel Super Hero!! Here are their elevations and distances from the Bright Angel Campground.Cross over the river at the Bright Angel Suspension Bridge.Enjoy the one-mile, almost flat walk until you get to the River Resthouse. REI and the REI co-op logo are trademarks of Recreational Equipment, Inc. The leg from Phoenix to Flagstaff was in a small plane with great views, especially when we flew over Sedona. I did not do this but I think it would help a lot, especially during the final three miles of the Bright Angel Trail.The best months to do this are in the Spring and Fall. The other Grand Canyon hike to the bottom from the South Rim is the South Kaibab trail. The descent on this first day is very steep; you will drop about a mile over the course of a five-mile hike. Good luck! The campground has tap water and bathrooms with sinks, so you will be able to wash your face. At Pipe Creek, the trail turns inland and heads up Pipe Creek Canyon. If you are camping, you can also overnight at the Indian Garden campground on the way down and/ or up.Taking the Bright Angel Trail to Indian Garden, which is half-way down, is the furthest recommended for a one-day hike.If you are looking for something less intensive, but still challenging, the hike to the Three Mile Resthouse (a descent of about 2,100 feet/ 640 meters) is a good option. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, nature trips, and backpacking. It’s a pretty walk but since you are in a canyon, you do not have the same sweeping views like you get on the South Kaibab Trail.Eventually, you come to your first series of switchbacks. It was given its current name by Ralph Henry Cameron in 1901. Here is what we carried with us:The South Kaibab Trailhead sits 400 feet higher than the Bright Angel Trailhead. The keys to an enjoyable climb out are first, hit the trail early. However, hiking the Bright Angel Trail to Phantom Ranch or the Bright Angel Campground at the bottom of the canyon is the most popular hike in the Grand Canyon.As mentioned earlier, you should not attempt to hike the Bright Angel Trail in one day from the rim to the river and back, especially in the summer. Tyler and I each carried 3 liters of water and maybe drank 2 liters during the hike.We did have to be fast since limited daylight was a big factor. ... We covered most of the rim trail from the Bright Angel trailhead to the South Kaibab trailhead. If you didn't do Ribbon Falls on the first day, leave a bit earlier, to give yourself time at Ribbon Falls. On one side is a sheer layered cliff rising high above me. The trail is 7 miles long (one direction) from the trailhead to the Bright Angel Campground with an elevation change of 4,760 feet, and then you still need to hike back out of the canyon. There are rest houses, with toilets and tap water, as mile-and-a-half intervals, and these are good places to drop your pack, stretch your legs, and relax. The campground was empty. As the national park signs say – going down is optional; going up is not.This is definitely one of the world’s must do hikes. (Photo Credit: Hiking Project contributor From the Bright Angel Campground, you’ll head east along the river to the narrow Black Bridge. We generally hike out in about six hours. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to our use of cookies. If you didn't do Ribbon Falls on the first day, leave a bit earlier, to give yourself time at Ribbon Falls. A couple of miles after that, you will hit The Devil's Corkscrew, a set of switchbacks that climb up the side of the Canyon to the Tonto Plateau. However, you still cannot see the Colorado River.This is the point where the National Park Service recommends that you turn around if you are day hiking the Grand Canyon.The section between Skeleton Point and the Tip-Off was one of my favorites of the hike. It will stretch you so hard past limits you didn’t know you could push through. Sunrise was 7:30 am and sunset was at 5:15 pm. A few hundred yards after you enter the larger canyon, you will come on the old caretaker's cottage for the pump station at Roaring Springs. If you get in early, drop your pack and rest for a while.
I did the trip in a wooden dory, and it was absolutely amazing. The Corkscrew is a killer (literally) in the midday heat, so once again, it is best to try to get through it by mid-morning. Las Vegas is also not that that far away and has a much bigger airport. The first section of the South Kaibab Trail is the steepest and most strenuous. Here you have access to toilets and water.We spent a few minutes here to use the toilets and have a snack before setting off again.The Bright Angel Trail is longer than the South Kaibab Trail. We generally do it about 9:30 AM, and it's not half bad. Dry climate along with high temps make summer a tough time to hike. However, the views from the South Kaibab Trail are so spectacular that we stopped a lot for photos.Our fastest section was on the Bright Angel Trail along the Colorado River and up to Indian Garden. Check out the This is the only non-camping option inside the Grand Canyon. Bright Angel will continue above the river to the right to a bridge that can be taken to complete the Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim epic hike.
We have two articles about the rim-to-rim hike. !Hello Dana. Some trails or park services may be closed this weekend so check with local authorities before heading out.