The Inexperienced Hiker’s Guide to the Grand Canyon

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What is a long day hike into the Grand Canyon really like? How should someone prepare for the rim to river hike? What should my fitness level be? These are legitimate questions that should be considered if someone is about to attempt an arduous hike into the Grand Canyon.

If you’re an experienced hiker with plenty of challenging hikes under your belt, I might not have much insight to offer you. But if you’re new to the desert southwest and/or long, grueling day hikes? I’m your girl! I have already made the ill-advised missteps, and I’m happy to share them with you. Whether this is “for your information” or just for your entertainment is entirely up to you, of course.

The National Park

Grand Canyon National Park is always one of the most visited sites in the National Park System, with about 6 million visitors annually. There are actually two entrances – the North Rim and the South Rim – but these access completely different areas. This hike is from the South Rim, which is the most popular and most developed area of the park. It’s not too far from Flagstaff and offers lodging and other facilities both inside and just outside of the Park.

There’s an entrance fee of $35 to access this park, which does include being able to access the trailheads. Once you pay the fee, it covers your entire vehicle for seven days. And the entry covers both the South and North Rims. 

The Park operates the Hikers’ Express, a shuttle providing service as early as 6am. It will ferry you directly to the South Kaibab Trailhead to start your hike! Shuttles start running from very early until late, connecting trailheads to parking areas. Pay attention to where you parked so you’ll know which (if any) bus you should use to get back to your vehicle after the hike.

Note: This hike is NOT dog-friendly. Leashed pets are only allowed in developed areas and on above-rim trails at Grand Canyon National Park. However, there is a kennel at the South Rim if you need pup care while on a day hike!

A Word of Warning

The Park provides subtle signage and gentle warnings on trail guides to dissuade people from attempting the Rim-to-River as a Grand Canyon day hike.  Actual verbiage is something like:

“DO NOT attempt to hike from the rim to the river and back in one day, especially May to September.”

Although I survived the hike, I would argue that the NPS makes a valid point.

The Trails

Grand Canyon National Park maintains a significant number of trails as well as an immense network of backcountry options.  It is the corridor trails that are very well maintained and frequently traveled.   The most recommended Rim to River hike includes these trails:

South Kaibab Trail (Length: 7.0mi, Change in Elevation: 4,780’):  Diving into the Canyon along a ridge, this trail doesn’t have water access and provides one restroom along the way to the Colorado River.   This trail doesn’t provide much shade, but it has some great viewpoints. For a day hike, Grand Canyon National Park recommends only going down to Skeleton Point, a great view about 3 miles from the rim. This trail meets the North Kaibab Trail (the corridor trail that leads to the North Rim) past the river.

Bright Angel Trail (Length: 9.5mi, Change in Elevation: 4,380’):  Providing a bit more shade than the South Kaibab, this trail is also slightly less steep. Unlike South Kaibab, there is water available on this trail, which makes it the preferred uphill choice. Water is always available at Indian Garden, about halfway up the trail. The 1.5-mile and 3-mile rest houses also provide water in the warmer months, around early May until early October.

River Trail (Length: 1.7mi):  Bordering the Colorado River, this trail connects the South Kaibab Trail to the Bright Angel Trail. This isn’t part of the route I used, nor is it entirely recommended. Crossing over the foot bridges to the Bright Angel Campground provides your first chance to refresh your water after the hike down South Kaibab.

Fitness First

To satisfy my undeniable impulses to reference fantasy literature whenever possible, I’ll make the first rule simple: Don’t Panic!

But do realistically assess your fitness level. Know your limits and what you need to do to be ready for the hike. This is the first thing you should consider, period. If you’re not physically ready for the trek, you’ll enjoy it less and might even be miserable. However, with preparation, you can give yourself the best chance of not just completing your hike but having fun while you’re at it.

Physical Preparation:

Think about where you are now, where you’re going, and what you need to do to maximize your chances of a great hike. Gear and such will follow. Despite my terrible indecisiveness, it is still a much easier thing to buy shoes and pants than to spend months training! And you might need to do just that.

Can you easily hike/walk many continuous miles? Do you normally hike at higher altitude? Are you able to hike long, demanding uphill trails? The Grand Canyon will required these things of you, and the uphill hike will be on tired legs after more than 8 miles of knee-jarring descent. How can you make sure your hike is a good one?

Go on local hikes. Try to increase distance regularly. If you don’t have options for long hikes, double the hike or combine some short ones. You want to increase your endurance.

Don’t forget the incline. The Grand Canyon has a lot of downhill followed by lots of uphill. If you live in a flatter area, this might be difficult but there are creative solutions. Do stairs. Find a challenging hill and do repeats. Use a treadmill at the maximum incline.

Give yourself time. If you know that you’re going well in advance, a lack of fitness can be overcome. But it’s probably not be something you can overcome in a month or two. Slow and steady is fine. But, more accurately, slow and steady and consistent. Keep at it, stay on your feet, and keep increasing your efforts.

Hiking Logistics

Ok, so you’re ready to go. You’ve trained for this. You’re fit enough that the trek won’t be insufferable, and you’ve decided to be a maniac and hike down to the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Let’s do this!

What else do you need to be ready? Well, not much, really. You need basic hiking gear and good ole common sense.

First, please be kind to your fellow hikers.   Follow trail etiquette.  Most importantly:  Give right-of-way to uphill hikers.  You will appreciate this when you’re the one hiking up! Actually, it’s the Grand Canyon. It might be more important to note that mules have the right-of-way, period. Don’t mess with them, be quiet around them, and let them pass.

Second, be kind to your knees. You are going up, and also down, a whole lot of elevation here. And yes, the descent might be easier than the ascent. But your knees will probably agree to disagree with you on this point. My biggest recommendation for any significant hike is to take trekking poles. These are collapsible and can be tied onto a pack when unneeded, but just having a single pole can save your knees from a world of hurt.

Next, be kind to your skin. Wear sunscreen. Wear a ridiculous (but super effective, protective) wide-brimmed hat. There’s little to no shade on the South Kaibab Trail. There are occasional bits of shade along the Bright Angel Trail, but the vast majority of your time with be spent in the sun.

And finally, be kind to your feet. Dang, you’re asking a lot of your poor tootsies here, and they deserve your recognition and support in the endeavor!

1. Get them some nice shoes. Comfortable hiking shoes that you know fit well because you’ve worn them already. Hiking the corridor trails means you’re avoiding wet conditions, so don’t worry about waterproof features. A day hike means you’re not toting a terribly heavy pack, making a tall boot completely unnecessary. So hiking shoes, like my favorite Oboz, are completely appropriate for this endeavor.
2. Get them some appropriate socks. Make sure you’re wearing nice, comfy wicking socks to prevent/reduce blisters. I like smartwool, Darn Tough, and even these trail toe socks from Injinji. Yes, toe socks. They’re great if your toes tend to rub together too much!
3. Be ready to take care of them. Take some leukotape, because no one enjoys blisters. Apply it to any spots that seem to be rubbing as soon as the discomfort starts. It’s pretty great stuff.

General Trail Precautions

• Always check the weather before attempting this hike – both for rain and temperature. 
  • Don’t do this hike during summer! It’s far better to time it around April/May or October/November – nicer weather, less ridiculous heat, and less crowds. But the extreme heat is the real bugger to avoid.
  • It will always be much warmer by the river! We left a chilly South Rim to encounter a temperature of >90℉ by the river.
• Be prepared for an endurance hike. 
  • This is not a sprint.  Mentally prepare to hike all day, even if you might accomplish it much more quickly.
  • The descent goes quickly, but the ascent will seem to take ages. The first set up switchbacks didn’t feel terrible. The second set, to reach the rim, lasts four miles. Literally 4 MILES of ascending switchbacks.
  • But, again, don’t panic: Take your time. Take breaks. Rest as needed. You’ll probably be faster than I was and take fewer breaks than I did.
• Planning is important.
  • Some water stops are seasonal.  Know when and where you can get water.  Bright Angel Campground and Indian Garden should be year-round sources.
  • Pack a light/lamp, in case you have a slow friend who shouldn’t be doing this type of thing in the first place.  
  • Maximize daylight – The Hiker Express (shuttle) begins service to the trailhead before sunrise.
  • Don’t carry too much, you’ll feel extra weight when you’re packing it uphill!
  • Do carry a lunch and/or snacks. It’s a long hike, and Bright Angel Campground provides a nice shady spot to have an early lunch after your descent.

And the most important thing to remember is to only do what you’re comfortable doing. This is your hike, these are your goals. There are many day hikes options at Grand Canyon National Park, including some that NPS actually recommends as day hikes. One I could recommend is to head down to Ooh Aah Point on the South Kaibab Trail and watch the first rays of the sun light up the canyon. 

And if you want to experience this hike over days, there is a campground and a rustic lodging option, the Phantom Ranch, at the bottom of the canyon.  If this is an option, you’d need to pack more – although you can actually pay for a service to have mules pack in your gear for you! Reservations should be made in advance – probably the year before.

Personal Insights

In my case, I realized I had an opportunity to do the Rim to River hike in February. The date for the hike was April. April is a fantastic time to do the hike, and I’m much more likely to hike with friends. I jumped at the chance. That doesn’t mean I should have.

I’d been recovering from an autoimmune flare that had devastated my muscles and joints, was still medicated to reduce inflammation, and generally was in the early stages of regaining fitness. I hadn’t walked more than a few miles in ages. I only did a couple preparation hikes once I committed myself to the canyon hike, too. One was about 5 miles.

I have awesome memories of this hike, make no mistake. But the ascent on tired legs was not something I’d want to experience again. That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to do a similar hike in the future, though. No, it means I’d just be better physically prepared for the journey!

Whatever your motivation for wanting to invest the time and energy into an epic hike, it probably isn’t to experience hours of discomfort (or agony, it’s a sliding scale) followed by subsequent days of persistent muscle pain and decreased mobility. Don’t be like me.

Lagniappe:

Despite my poor performance and painful recovery, I am still proud of myself for accomplishing this bucket list goal. And despite my attempts to inject realism into the conversation, this is still an adventure I remember fondly and recommend.

Don’t just stand on the South Rim and gaze into the abyss. Go take a hike – into the Grand Canyon.