It’s a massive hike, 23.5 miles in length, that crosses the Grand Canyon from one side to the other. It’s about more than standing on the mountain top. View from around the 4 mile mark of the South Kaibab Trail. Grade soon levels out and traverses northward below the towering rim wall of Yaki Point. Hiking Grand Canyon’s South Kaibab Trail. Overnight options in this area of the canyon floor are limited to the Bright Angel Campground and the historic Phantom Ranch. Temperatures can soar, and with the heat, this can be a dangerous hike. The corridor trails are heavily used and actively maintained. The South Kaibab Trail reaches the Colorado River right at the entrance of the Black Bridge (aka Kaibab Bridge). The first section of the South Kaibab Trail is the steepest and most strenuous. If we started at the S Kaibab trail near Yaki Point and end at the Bright Angel trail, is there a shuttle that takes us back to our car near Yaki Point? On Booking.com it is listed as a 5-star hotel but it looks and feels a lot more like a 3 to 4 star hotel. You should be able to walk 10 miles while wearing a backpack with little difficulty. You also need to have hiking experience. That gave us about 10 hours of daylight. Tyler and I did the entire hike in 6:48, including time to take photos, eat, and use the restroom. Groves of cottonwood trees and an eastbound junction with the Tonto Trail signal an impending arrival at the oasis of Indian Garden. You can combine these two trails together to create one massive day hike or a two-day backpacking trip. At first, you hike along a small creek. It has helped us plan this trip. Since you start and end on the South Rim, you do not need to arrange a shuttle service to transport you to the North Rim. Outdoor Project users should be sure to visit the studio perched on the shear canyon cliffs, and relish the history of these kindred spirits and pioneers of outdoor adventure photography. It can get well over 100°F in the bottom of the canyon during the summer months. Later in the day, the high temperature reached 52°F in Grand Canyon Village. Cross the Kaibab Suspension Bridge and then it is just a short walk along the north bank of the Colorado River to the Bright Angel Campground. One-of-a-kind landscape. Imagine doing that almost 9 times. Length of Time: 2 to 4 hours. We plan to try this November 2 and we were going to try the hikers express shuttle from the backcountry office but are very concerned about not being able to fit on one of the 3 shuttles each morning as that will only be 45 people. However, the rooms are clean and quiet and fit our needs. If you have questions or want to share your experience, comment below! However, you still cannot see the Colorado River. Once you finally reach the north shore of the river, the trail turns west toward Bright Angel Campground. A little research and investigation reveals a plethora of lesser-known routes in, out, through, and around the Grand Canyon. Bright Angel trail: 4,360 ft ascent, 9.5 miles. As you hike down the South Kaibab Trail, there are several landmarks along the way. The adventure described here covers the iconic south rim to river trails, South Kaibab and Bright Angel, but there are many more options for exploring this outdoor wonderland. When we did this in December, there was some snow and ice on the first section of the South Kaibab Trail. As you hike up the Bright Angel Trail, there are several landmarks along the way. Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. It’s time to start the climb back up to the South Rim. I think you might need to take 2 shuttles: one to the visitor center and a second shuttle to Yaki Point. It’s about building relationships with the outdoors and each other. There are no technical sections and the trail is so well marked that it would be almost impossible to lose your way, but it helps to have experience doing big climbs and big descents. This post covers hiking to Cedar Ridge and back for a total of 3 miles. About Our Experience The Tip-Off: 4000 feet, 4.4 miles The climb out of the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail ascends 4,380 feet in 9.5 miles. I could never imagine hiking up that trail!! All rights reserved © Earth Trekkers. It’s one of the best trails to hike for views, adventure, and to gain a tremendous appreciation for the size and grandeur of the Canyon. Besides serving as a footbridge, the Silver Bridge also provides a support structure for the transcanyon water pipeline that pumps water from the North Rim to the South Rim. We only brought snacks, and on the last two miles of switchbacks I was starting to really fatigue from lack of real food. This is the point where the National Park Service recommends that you turn around if you are day hiking the Grand Canyon. From here, it is roughly a half-mile walk to get to the trailhead. For 3.2 miles the trail leads over varied terrain that includes an abandoned mine and a switchbacks known as the Devil's Corkscrew before reaching Indian Garden Campground, where you'll find toilets and water. The Best Winter Adventures in North America. How Fit Do You Need to Be? If we did this again, I think that November would be a great time to do this hike. Pro Travel Tip: If you are doing this hike in the winter months, be prepared for ice on the trail. Once you get to 3 Mile Resthouse, appropriately named since it is just 3 miles from the end of the Bright Angel Trail, you are really feeling the climb. Cheers, Julie, The closest place to park, that I know of, is along Desert View Drive before you get to Yaki Point Road. Ooh Aah Point sits at 6660 feet, which is 600 feet under the rim. Book your tickets online for South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon National Park: See 1,677 reviews, articles, and 1,516 photos of South Kaibab Trail, ranked No.2 on Tripadvisor among 82 attractions in Grand Canyon National Park. I hope everything works out with the shuttle. The first article covers the hike from start to finish. It is highly recommended that you do not hike from the rim to … Note that just prior to The Tipoff you'll find the east-west junction with the Tonto Trail, and beyond The Tipoff the trail leads behind the Tonto Plateau and descends into the inner gorge of the canyon following the route of the earlier Cable Trail that was built it 1907. Read all of our articles in our. From the River Resthouse to Indian Garden, it is a 3.2-mile walk. Departing Big Pan, another series of switchbacks descends 1,120 feet in 1.5 miles and passes the junction with the river trail before arriving at the southern side of the Kaibab Suspension Bridge. ). Head up the well signposted trail to the canteen at Phantom Ranch to grab a snack or a cold drink (with ice! I also recommend spending some time on a Stairmaster. Curious about what it is like to hike rim-to-rim? Plan on taking twice as long to hike up as it took to hike down. We did have to be fast since limited daylight was a big factor. Honestly, I struggled to keep up with him. Ooh Aah Point: 6660 feet, 1 mile The second article covers the logistics such as what to pack, how to train, how to arrange the shuttle, doing the hike in one day or in multiple days, and more. The South Kaibab Trail is what the Parks Service calls a corridor trail. Ending elevation (at Bright Angel Campground): 2480 feet Walk Across A 440-Foot Suspension Bridge On South Kaibab Trail In Arizona. And isn’t this just the best name for a viewpoint? The final 3 miles is of trail is a steady grade of switchbacks that climbs the remaining 2,100 feet to the rim. Cheers, Julie, Your email address will not be published. Start early in the day. If there is no shuttle running, you could rent bikes and bike to the trailhead in the morning or back to your car at the end of the hike (but then you would need to lock them up…there is a way to do this because we met a couple who used bikes to get from trailhead to trailhead). Difficulty: Extremely strenuous Yes, there are park shuttles that connect these two places. Difficulty: Strenuous Distance: 14.6 miles, round-trip Hiking Time: 2 Days Elevation Change: 4,700 feet Steep and strenuous, the South Kaibab Trail is the South Rim’s most direct route to the bottom of Grand Canyon. South Kaibab Trail technically goes all the way down to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and crosses the Colorado River. We planned on hiking all the way to Skeleton Point and back. However, for most the year, the river is usually brown from sediment in the water. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Shortly after departing the Bright Angel Campground the trail crosses to the south side of the Colorado River via the Silver Bridge. Cedar Ridge If you hike the South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trail (or vice versa) you are also hiking rim-to-rim, since you start on the rim, hike to the Colorado River, and then hike back up to the rim. Hello Dana. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure. The South Kaibab Trail is the fastest route to the river, descending 4,780 feet in 7 miles. Crowds will be low (aside from the days around Thanksgiving). At 3,600 feet, this point provides stunning views of the inner canyon and Colorado River. Get important travel planning tips, sample itineraries, advice on when to go, where to stay, and more. By the time you get to the Colorado River your legs are already feeling fatigued. The first milestone on the trail is Ooh Ahh point at 6,660 feet and 0.9 miles from the trailhead, offering a sample of the spectacular panoramas yet to come. Have a great hike! Cheers, Julie. Read our article How to Hike the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim. Permits: None needed for the day hike; you will need a permit to camp in Bright Angel Campground (if you do this as a two-day backpacking trip) This gives you a full day of sunlight (which is quite brief during the winter months) to complete the hike. You have to descend a series of switchbacks again, but the sweeping views across the Grand Canyon are some of the best of the day. ), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited. In order to do this as a day hike, you need to be fit and fast and know what you can handle. There are a few pullouts on this road that you could park in…I think it’s allowed for all day parking but you could confirm this the day before you hike at the visitor center. By now, you have already started winding your way up the switchbacks. In another hour or two, midway through the upper Bright Angel switchback circuit, one may revisit the soundness of such logic, but the views from Plateau Point are undoubtedly spectacular. We just hope Covid and shuttle issues don’t mess it up too much. After crossing the Colorado River, the sand trail traverses west along the south bank following a relatively level grade to the River Resthouse. Before we go any farther, you should know that the National Park Service does not recommend doing this as a day hike. From here, it is one final, steep descent to the Colorado River. This geological marvel, the foundation of which began some 2 billion years ago, also possesses rich mining and tourism history that is well worth exploring. Did we miss anything? Tips to Have the Best Experience For one mile, a series of steep switchbacks descend below the level of the rim. 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