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Grand Canyon National Park pretty much speaks for itself; anyone who has been there will know this. For those yet to go, the Grand Canyon will consistently make your jaw drop even for seasoned veterans of the park. It is no wonder it is one of the country's most popular National Parks. With limited time, you can drive along the rim (Most people visit the South Rim, as it is more accessible from many other destinations and has more of the park's highlights). If you are feeling the need to get some exercise, walk along the Rim Trail as long as you want before turning around or taking one of the man free shuttles back to the lodge or the restaurant overlooking the vast canyon. The best way to appreciate the canyon is from the bottom, usually with a trip to the Bright Angel campground along the South Kaibab Trail and the Bright Angel trail. DO NOT attempt a trip to the bottom and back in 1 day. Temperatures at the bottom can reach 110 degrees in the middle of the day, many people suffer from dehydration and heat stroke due to the dry climate. If attempting this (at least 2-day) hike, start very early in the morning to avoid the heat (do not hike between 10 and 2); By starting very early, you also get the added bonus of seeing the sunrise over the canyon walls, which will bring out some of the reddest rock you have ever seen. With more time to spare, there are several Native American reservations with tourist information, as well as several museums and ranger talks about the formation of this immense canyon, the history of its first inhabitants, and how the area is still changing today.
We hiked this trail in March 2015. All 8 of us(3 ladies and 5 men)finished the whole trip within 10 hours. It is one of the best trails we hiked. Highly recommended for experienced hikers.
We loved this hike! We started around 9.15 AM and finished 3 hours later, with plenty of breaks in between for the awesome views. It was cloudy, but when the sun gets through the clouds, it gets warm, especially if you hike upwards.
Go to Visitor Center by car, park your car there and take the orange bus, they run about every 15 min
We loved the hike, definitely recommendable!
Hiked this last week with my husband. We started later than we wanted (around 8:30 am) and turned around at the three mile resthouse. Drank 4 liters of water each and had plenty of salty snacks. Took 6-7 hours since we aren't used to the terrain. It was a challenge for sure but worth it.
Nice trail with a great view. The hike back up is difficult. Bring lots of water.
Awesome trail. Didn't do the whole thing but I would definitely come back and do this trail again. Kind of crowded near the trailhead but it gets better as you go down.
Great trail to get away from the crowds!
Not really a hike, but some great rocks to climb for great views!
Awesone hike. short and relatively steep. Beautiful views. Mules pass by inches from the edge. Bring more water than normal for 2 mile hike.
Beautiful views. Hike is quite strenuous on the way up due to the heat
One of the best hiking experiences ever: This will make you a happier person overall, the level of accomplishment is high, you'll see views out of this world. I did this hike in 3 days. NR to Phantom Ranch in day 1, to Indian Garden in day 2 and to SR in day 3. I went solo during July and the hottest was 105 around Cottonwood. The only weird thing was that my two GPS went crazy around the "Box" the area North of Phantom Ranch. It was beautiful but intimidating, it looks like a labyrinth with no end, but you won't get lost because the Trail is very well maintained. I hiked even during the hottest hours because I did not want to miss a single view, and it paid off. Only do this if you are comfortable in the heat and enjoy it. If not, hike in the darkness but miss the views. I missed Ribbon Falls because the bridge was out of commission and Plateau Point which I kind of regret because I was exhausted. But I can always go back and I will! This is one of my three albums : https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155596846852241.1073741843.642677240&type=1&l=43e1432de9 covering from Phantom Ranch to the South Rim. Some of the essential items in this hike are a camel pack, a plastic coffee cup and electrolyte powder. Not a good idea to put powder in your camel pack and the plastic coffee cup was very useful to mix the powder in the water stations.
Altitude changes : North Rim : 8200 ft, Cottonwood : 4000 ft, Phantom Ranch : 2500 ft, Indian Camp : 3800 ft, South Rim 6800 ft, all aprox. Distance between places average 7 miles.
Did up and down South Kaibab over two days, camping overnight at Phantom Ranch for a total of 19.6 miles RT. Most challenging hike I've ever done (still, even four years later) but completely amazing. Started before sunrise both days to try and beat the heat, and ordered the family style dinner at Phantom Ranch for the night at the bottom. As everyone else says, just prepare for the heat and for the fact that between Indian Garden (halfway down the canyon) and the bottom, there is no water available to refill. It's extremely challenging and in the summer it can get to 120 degrees F at the bottom of the canyon, so be prepared. We also had a rattlesnake at our camping site at the bottom along with fire ants, so come as prepared as possible.
Views are SPECTACULAR and doing this feels like an amazing accomplishment!