Rim To River Grand Canyon

Hiking rim to river in the Grand Canyon should really be on every serious hiker’s hit list. The hike originates and ends on the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Grand Canyon Village. Mileage will vary a bit depending on where you park and/or shuttle from. The actual posted mileage is around 16.5 miles. How hard can that be, you ask? The elevation change is brutal, hiking 7 miles down South Kaibab will also mean going down 4,700 feet. Then you have to tackle the switchbacks and climb back out 4,340 feet over 9.5 miles on Bright Angel. But the variety of scenery, the wildlife, the people you will meet and the historical significance of this hike may be unrivaled in a day hike anywhere in the United States.

2020 Trip Report

I have hiked rim to rim in the Grand Canyon two times in recent years, and the plan was to do it again this year. However, COVID-19, pipeline breaks, and finally a forest fire near the north rim put an end to that plan. You know that the Grand Canyon is truly an amazing place when even your plan ‘B’ hike is this spectacular. I completed the 2020 rim to river with a group of eight, all of us college friends and fraternity brothers for over 25 years. Just writing that makes me feel old. But I am also very proud to still be so close to the guys in this crew.

General Logistics

I will discuss each leg in further detail, but here is an outline of how this trip laid out. Our group all flew from the Midwest into Las Vegas, arriving at nearly the same time. We drove in rented vans the 4+ hours to the south rim. Our lodging was at the El Tovar, a grand and historic hotel directly on the south rim. The location offers a spectacular view of the canyon just a few feet from the front door. Due to COVID-19, no shuttle service was available so we parked near the Pipe Creek Vista. After walking the flat, 3/4 mile rim side trail to the trailhead, we hiked South Kaibab down to the river. We spent one night at Phantom Ranch, then hiked Bright Angel back to the south rim.

South Kaibab Trail

South Kaibab is absolutely a trail that I love and hate equally. The views are spectacular in all directions, offering postcard worthy vistas around every turn. Just when the desert monotony sets in, you begin to catch glimpses of the Colorado River in the distance. As you spiral further downhill, you can hear the river raging from miles away putting a little spring in your step. Finally reaching the river, passing through the tunnel and stepping onto the historic black bridge is one of those remarkable life experiences that most people never forget.

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So what is so bad about South Kaibab? For starters, the trail surface is just plain hard on your legs. There must be a million stairs over this 7 mile trail. Each one of them is an uneven length made out of a cut up cedar log. The mules that use the trail every day wallow out a portion of each tread, ensuring that your foot falls into hole with nearly every step. This may be a slight exaggeration but you get the idea. South Kaibab trail follows an exposed ridge line, meaning that you are hiking with pretty much no shade. In addition, there are no water stops and no water available anywhere along this trail. These conditions make this trail dangerous in the summer as well as during the monsoon season. In fact, a hiker died of heat related issues on this trail the very same day we hiked it.

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Our Tuesday night reservation for Phantom Ranch was canceled on Monday night,yes, the day before. Fortunately they found room for us on Wednesday night. This gave us another day to explore, and we chose to day hike South Kaibab on Tuesday. Some brave companions hiked down past Tip Off Point and back, testing the heat and the hill. Meanwhile I lingered with the ravens and the Kaibab squirrels at Skeleton Point. Hiking back up to the rim on this trail in mid-day only reinforced my healthy fear and respect that I have for South Kaibab.

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Phantom Ranch

Wednesday morning we set out for good, leaving the trailhead early in the morning and making pretty good time to the river. By the time we made it to Phantom Ranch the temperature was over 110 degrees. The ice cold lemonade couldn’t have tasted better. We spent the afternoon cooling off in Bright Angel Creek and sitting around picnic tables in the shade. Our group had two 4-person cabins with a bathroom and a window air conditioning unit. Each unit had two twin bunk beds and a metal box to store food. While not fancy, these accommodations were perfect for some tired hikers. The air conditioning also took the edge off the desert heat.

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Canteen/meals During COVID-19

The canteen was open for hikers, but no one could go inside. Snacks, drinks, postcards etc. were served through a window. We were assigned meal times and at that time all the food was handed over in covered plastic plates inside large paper bags. Most of the other groups of people at the ranch seemed to get their food and take it back to their cabins or campsites. We all sat at the tables out front and made the most of it. This was my first time staying at Phantom Ranch and I am sorry that I missed out on the community meals. But don’t get me wrong, I am still 100% thankful that we were able to stay there at all I loved the experience.

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Dinner was a steak, baked potato, cooked carrots, cornbread, and packaged brownie for desert. Breakfast was pancakes, eggs, sausage and fresh fruit as well as orange juice. I found everything to be delicious and certainly in adequate quantities. I always enjoy a good meal while in the outdoors, and it was twice as nice having someone prepare it for me.

Side trip from Phantom Ranch?

We had all sorts of grand visions on how to spend our time at Phantom Ranch. One total stretch plan was to hike to Ribbon Falls and back. Another option was a to explore Phantom Canyon. We also kicked around the idea of hiking the River Trail or other short wandering. In the end, the stifling heat was really too much for us to tackle too much during the afternoon hours. After dinner we walked down to the Colorado River and hung out on the sandy beach, wading in the icy cold waters of the river. This is a beautiful spot at dusk and probably the highlight of my trip.

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Bright Angel Trail

Thursday morning we awoke early, in time for our 4:30 breakfast slot at the canteen. We filled up on water and began the climb up Bright Angel. Crossing the silver bridge is an experience in itself. The open bottom rattles as you walk across it showing off the rapid, rolling water of the Colorado River below. The first mile across the ridge is sandy and filled with small ups and downs. But every inch of it is beautiful, with the river in view and the canyon walls near and far make you feel like you are on another planet.

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We blew past the River Resthouse and continued through the slot canyon towards Indian Gardens. This 3.2 mile stretch is breathtaking. The creek flows along side the trail and the thick vegetation is a welcome sight. There are a few small waterfalls along the trail, as well as plenty of shade and larger than life vistas. If I ever do rim to river trail again then this stretch is the reason why. We lingered at Indian Gardens for quite a while, enjoying the last of the desert oasis and preparing for the final hike out.

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Climbing Out

The last 4.5 miles climbing out are not easy. There are switchbacks everywhere and a constant steady climb. Fortunately, rest stops at 3-mile house and 1.5 mile house ensure that you can replenish on water as needed. There is opportunity for shade, and the trail is much easier on your feet than South Kaibab. On this day it was rather full with day hikers and mules. And more importantly, cloud cover. Just as we were hitting the most exposed portion of the trail a thin layer of clouds snuck in and provided welcome blanket of shade.

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Dan Klein, the man who started us on these Grand Canyon hikes in 2017, always joins me in a fun game watching the fellow hikers. We try to guess who is going to yield to the uphill hikers and who will barge downhill with no regard to the struggling hiker on the back end of a long hike. We revel at the sign of a younger child, even more so at a child in flip flops as this means we are nearing the top. The best sight is a baby in a stroller, and it is actually amazing how many of these we see on these trails. On this particular day, I don’t think we saw many serious hikers but rather many more people just testing the waters. Either way, there is plenty of the Grand Canyon to share with everyone.

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We all climbed out tired and covered in canyon dust. Of course we were all covered in smiles as well. Especially for the first time canyon hikers who trained hard for this challenge over the last year. Some of these guys did not really consider themselves hikers prior to this experience, but certainly can now. There is so much joy in setting a goal, putting in the work, and coming out the other end successful.

Support Team

Since our hike was originally supposed to be a south rim to north rim hike, we enlisted the help of some friends to assist with logistics. Nick and Tamm were to be our drivers, check us in and out of our hotels, and to just be all-around awesome. Though we could have made this all work without them, it wouldn’t have been the same without this pair. Nick and Tamm were there on top with fresh snacks, cold drinks, and our own cheering section. Everyone should have a Nick and Tamm for this their rim to river.

Wildlife in the Grand Canyon

Our experience hiking rim to river this year included a nice variety of wildlife. Herds of elk and mule deer were common everywhere on the south rim, including just outside the door of the El Tovar! We were also blessed with California condor sightings each day we were in Grand Canyon village. On the trail we saw Woodhouse’s scrub jays, common ravens, canyon wrens, mule deer, all sorts of lizards, desert bighorn, and of course the nuisance kaibab squirrels.

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We also saw a few snakes, including a large rattlesnake right next to the trail. All of the experts told us that snakes are too smart to be on the trail in the middle of the day in June, but 2 out of the 3 times I have been on South Kaibab our group as seen rattlers.

One of the stranger sights was this scene below, a battle to the death between a snake and a lizard. It appears that the snake tried to eat the much large lizard and the lizard ended up biting through the snake’s throat. I believe that both animals lost that war.

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Final Thoughts

If you are on the fence about trying to do a rim to river hike, I can’t encourage you enough to try to make it happen. We were fortunate to luck into a night at Phantom Ranch, but there are other options. It still takes some luck, but you could find campsites at either Bright Angel or Indian Gardens. Better yet, spend one night at each place for a really great trip.

Of course you can complete the hike in one day, just follow ALL of the precautions. Don’t hike in the middle of the day, try to do it in the cooler months, bring plenty of water, etc. Don’t just be fit, but prepare for this hike and the elevation change specifically. Stairs, hills, then more stairs and repeat. The Grand Canyon is a place beautiful beyond words. There are a million ways to enjoy it, and I think rim to river is a wonderful way get a taste of it.

Thanks for reading!

Please note that I am by no means an expert on this hike. I merely am presenting a view as a hiker from the Midwest lucky enough to visit this beautiful place from time to time. If you are serious about taking on a rim to river or rim to rim hike please do your homework and hike safely. The Grand Canyon is an unforgiving place.

For more information, check out this link:

https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/intro-bc-hike.pdf

For inspiration and training motivation, check out my friend’s website:

www.mythreefiftynine.com

Or do it one step better and buy his book: