HOW TO HIKE THE GRAND CANYON IN ONE DAY
Are you wondering if you are able to see most of Grand Canyon’s picturesque views in one day? Well, it’s possible and honestly, this has been one of the best hikes I’ve ever done!
Now let’s talk about the trails. There are two trails in the South Rim that are the most common for hiking and sightseeing, these are South Kaibab and Bright Angel. You can combine these two trails to create one massive hike or a two-day backpacking trip. This hike is 16.7 miles long, not going to lie is challenging but not impossible, however, it’s all worth it because it makes for some incredible memories.
With its long distance and nearly a mile of elevation gain, this is a beast of a hike. However, you get the best views if you start at the rim, hike down to the Colorado River, and work your way back up to the rim.
If you are for an adventure, this is one of the best ways to experience the Grand Canyon.
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Hiking the Canyon “Rim-to-Rim”
Just to clarify, the “true” rim-to-rim hike is the hike from the North Rim to the South Rim or vice versa. This is a 24-mile journey that most people do as a two-day backpacking trip. It is possible to do it in a day if you are extremely fast and fit. Make sure you have all the essentials needed for a hike like this, I’ll explain later on.
The south rim-to-rim hike is a better option since is about 7 miles shorter. The advantage to the South rim-to-rim is since you start and end on the South Rim, you don’t have to schedule a shuttle service to transport you to the North Rim. Something important you need to know is that the North Rim is closed for half of the year during the Winter (around mid-October until mid-May). There’s just a short window of time that you can get to the North Rim by car.
Overview of the Hike
This Snapshot was taken from the Alltrails App, strongly recommend downloading this.
Difficulty: Hard
Length of time: Usually done within 9-10 hours but depends on your level of fitness and how experienced you are. Most people make it a two-day backpacking trip.
Permits: You don’t need unless you want to camp in Bright Angel Campground (if you do 2-day backpacking trip).
Best time to hike: You can hike all year round, however, avoid summer months at all cost. Temperatures can be as high as 130F or more, hiking with that type of heat can be dangerous. End of September to Mid April are ideal months but check the weather just in case. Winter can be a great time to go but snow can make trails slippery and dangerous.
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The map shows South Kaibab Trail (Red) and Bright Angel Trail (Blue).
Doing this as a Day Hike
Very Important: National Park Service does not recommend doing this as a one-day hike. You will see various signs on the Grand Canyon National Park website and during your hike where they are telling people not to hike the South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trail in one day.
On the other hand, it’s not impossible to do in one day, I hiked this trail in one day but I was prepared for it. Park Rangers rescue so many people per year, avoid being one of them. If they rescue you in a helicopter, which they most likely will it will cost you around $30,000 (what I’ve heard). The cost is different everywhere you go.
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The South Kaibab Trail
Getting to the Trailhead
The trailhead is near Yaki Point. The best way to get to the trailhead is to take the free Hiker’s Express Shuttle Bus (Grand Canyon’s free shuttle service) from the Visitor Center directly to the trailhead. The hours of operation for the Shuttle changes throughout the year, however, the first shuttle is 5 am during summer months and 7 am during the winter months.
You cannot drive to the trailhead. The road to Yaki Point and the South Kaibab Trail is for shuttle buses only. Parking at the Visitors center is useful because when you get back to the car you just get the bus back and it leaves you at the same parking lot.
Overview of the South Kaibab Trail – Grand Canyon
Starting Elevation: 7260 feet
Ending Elevation (at Bright Angel Campground): 2480 feet
Distance: 7 miles
Elevation Loss: 4780 feet
The time it takes: 2 to 4 hours
During your hike on South Kaibab trail, you will see various landmarks along the way. You will also see mules, I had the chance to see mules carrying people and other mules carrying rock/sand.
The landmark elevations are:
South Kaibab Trailhead: 7260 feet
Ooh Aah Point: 6660 feet
Skeleton Point: 5200 feet
The Tip-off: 4000 feet
Bright Angel Campground: 2480 feet
From the rim to the Colorado River, you are constantly going downhill to the point that it starts hurting your joints. I suggest you get some trekking poles to help you with this hike. There are some small sections where you go uphill and it feels relieving on your legs believe it or not.
By the time you reach the Colorado River, you will be more than happy that you are back to flat land! It took us just about two hours and thirty minutes to get to Bright Angel where we sat down and enjoy the view. This should be a good time for you to eat lunch while taking in all the beautiful views of the Colorado River and its surroundings.
The food we took: Sandwiches, oranges, and protein bars in a small insulator.
The sightseeing is better on South Kaibab then on Bright Angel trail.
*TIP: Start hiking early as possible since it can get extremely hot quick. Remember always bring enough water for your entire trip. Personally, I don’t advise you to do this hike during the summer months.
I went during Easter weekend and it was perfect because on our way down to Bright Angel it was cloudy, however, when we were hiking up through Bright Angel the sun was beaming. Can’t stress enough how important it is to bring enough water especially if you going during a day that the sun is directly hitting you.
The trailhead to Ooh Aah Point
The first section of South Kaibab Trail is the steepest and most strenuous. I was honestly, super nervous at this point because I felt like I was going to sip since the sandy was like powder. For a stretch of a mile, there were back-to-back switchbacks and the path remained steep.
In my opinion, I don’t recommend going during winter months since it can be icy and 10 times more slippery. There have been a lot more accidents during the winter months, so the park rangers sometimes close the trail when it gets rough.
Ooh Aah Point gives you the first panoramic view of the Grand Canyon. On this site, you are able to see the beautiful sedimentary rock that makes the Grand Canyon so stunning.
Skeleton Point
From Ooh Aah Point, you will pass to Cedar Ridge. There are toilets but no water. The views will constantly keep changing throughout the South Kaibab trail. At Skeleton Point, you aren’t able to see the Colorado River.
At this point, National Park Service recommends you to turn around if you are doing a day hike in the Grand Canyon.
The Tip-off
On our way to the Tip-off, we saw the working mules and it saddens me that they have to work so hard. On a good note, they are so cute & if you get to see them take a picture of them! At this point, there’s a series of switchbacks and continue to descend.
Now, when you arrive at the Tip-off, you will see that is located on the Tonto Plateau. The Tonto Trail intersects the South Kaibab trail at this point. This is the final landmark until you get to the Colorado River, from here, is one final steep descend to the Colorado River.
The Colorado River
From the Tonto River to the Colorado River, you will have another series of switchbacks. This scenery was my favorite! It’s so picturesque that pictures don’t do it justice, however, by this point, we were starving and in need of a break!
This part of Colorado River is 2480 feet in elevation. Temperatures here are about 10 to 20 degrees warmer in comparison to the rim (where you start your journey). During winter months, the river is usually bright green, on the contrary to summer months which is usually brown from sediment in the water.
Bright Angel Campground
Once you cross the Kaibab Suspension Bridge, it’s a short walk to the Bright Angel Campground and on the right side, you still have the Colorado River. At the campground, there’s restrooms and a water spigot.
We took a few minutes to use the restrooms and fill our water bladders.
Bright Angel Trail
Overview
Starting Elevation: 2480 feet
Ending Elevation: 6860 feet
Distance: 9.5 miles
Elevation Gain: 4380 feet
The time it takes: 5 to 9 hours
Bright Angel trail is longer than South Kaibab, plus you are also climbing so it will take you longer overall. Combining South Kaibab and Bright Angel is better since you will see different sights, as opposed to taking the same route back to the top.
The distances from the campground are:
River Resthouse: 2480 Feet
Indian Garden: 3800 Feet
3 Mile Resthouse: 4748 Feet
Bright Angel Trailhead: 6860 Feet
Along the Colorado River
You cross over the river at the Bright Angel suspension bridge. It looks like a mini version of the Geroge Washington Bridge in my opinion.
After this, it’s flat for about a mile until you get to the Resthouse. After the Resthouse, you begin to climb back up to the South Rim and don’t get to see the river anymore.
Indian Garden
Hiking from the Resthouse to Indian Garden, it’s about a 3-mile walk. We were running onto little creeks along the way. At this point, it started getting extremely hot since the sun was hitting us directly. The good thing is that we made sure to bring extra water with us on this hike, however, once we arrived at Indian Garden many people were taking a break and using the restrooms/refilling there water packs since there was potable water.
The Final Climb
At Indian Garden, you only have 4.8 miles to the rim. 4.8 miles doesn’t seem like too much but when you are standing in front of the huge wall of rock that you have to switchback up to, you will notice that is not an easy one!
As we were approaching the three-mile mark, we saw this man struggling to even get up he looked pale and didn’t have enough water. We tried calling with the emergency phone (at the 3-mile resthouse) and giving him trekking poles to help him out. Hopefully, he made it out but good thing he had his daughter with him, however, it was near the edge of the cliff so no helicopter would be able to do that rescue. Stories like this sadden me since we weren’t able to be much help.
Anyways, by the 3 miles from the end of the Bright Angel trailhead, you are feeling the burn on your thighs, possibly out of breathe, so if you need a break take it. Don’t think this is a competition.
Look towards the horizon and take in the views of Grand Canyon. If you feel like you will never finish, don’t be discourage just put one foot in front of the other and eventually you will get to the trailhead.
Tips to Have a Great Experience
Have a good amount of water in your pack. We took about 5 liters (3 liters in our hiking water pack and 2 water bottles). Try not to take less than 3 liters of water. There are some water sources available but I heard it isn’t always available. You can get information about available water the day before going hiking.
Start hiking early. Hiking early is a plus since you won’t get rays of the strong sun right away. You will have knocked out the hike at least until Colorado river before the temperature starts to rise.
Eat often. You need to keep snacking to have the energy to make the hike all the way through. Bring chips, Gatorade, and oranges or just fruits in general. It’s a long hike which requires you to eat since your body is constantly burning calories, you need to refuel.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at the Ramada at Wyndham Williams/Grand Canyon Area in Williams. Honestly, during this weekend all hotels near the Grand Canyon were $300+ per night, we didn’t want to pay that much. So we found the Ramada for $130 per night and we had a great experience there, plus the beds were so comfortable! The rooms were nothing special but they were clean and fit our needs.
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What to Pack?
My Fiance and I each had our hiking backpack. The following is what we each had on our pack:
- 3 liters of water in each Osprey Reservoir
- 2 Extra 1 liter each of water
- Fruits
- 3 Protein Bars each
- Salty Chips
- Trekking Poles
- Sunscreen
- Insect Repellant
- Knife
- BlackDiamond Head Lamps
- Download Alltrails App
- Cellphones
- First Aid Kit
- Caps
- Wear Hiking Shoes (a must)
Ideal Seasons to Hike Rim to Rim
The best seasons to hike rim-to-rim are either during Spring or Fall. Temperatures are perfect for hiking and make sure to not go on a holiday weekend, although, I was surprised that it wasn’t crowded when we went during Easter weekend.
Avoid attempting to do this hike during the summer at all costs! Soaring temperatures can be extremely dangerous and your body will ask constantly for more water. You will run the risk of getting heat exhaustion or even a heat stroke, your experience won’t be a pleasant one trust me.
Winter can be a great time to hike but you also have to be cautious about snow/ice on the ground. Trekking poles can help you have a better grip.
Doing the Hike in Reverse Order
It’s absolutely possible to do this hike in reverse order. For instance, start at the Bright Angel Trail Mark and finish off at the South Kaibab Trail mark. There’s a huge downside to that, you won’t be able to take in the beautiful views that the South Kaibab trail has. You would need to be constantly turning around or stopping to take a picture.
Hiking down the South Kaibab trail will eliminate 400 feet of climbing, that’s a lot believe it or not! With less elevation gain and less strain on your legs, the hike up Bright Angel trail is far easier than South Kaibab.
There’s no potable water on South Kaibab but if you have enough water with you and constantly going down, you won’t need to refill. On the other hand, hiking up you will need to refill your water pack and Bright Angel has rest houses where you can refill your pack with potable water.
How Fit Do You Need to Be?
If you are hiking the South Kaibab and Bright Angel trail, you need to be able to hike for hours and have experience with big inclines and descents.
My Fiance and I, along with my friends we were all used to doing hard hikes and the longest hike we had done before Grand Canyon was 15 miles long. We were in pretty good shape and knew what to take in order to survive the hike.
If you are a beginner, I don’t recommend this hike for you. Start small and maybe stop at a certain landmark on South Kaibab but don’t go too far down.
We all have hiked so many trails around Arizona, New Jersey, and New York but by far this has been the hardest trial. Yes, it’s hard but it’s worth it! The pictures don’t do it justice.
