The Grand Canyon: Rim to River

Rim to river and back up in one day.

Countless signs along the trail warn you not to do this. We're here, alive and well, letting you know that you can. Just be prepared.

To reserve more time for the actual hike, we chose to camp at the canyon both Friday and Saturday night, giving us all of Saturday for the hike. We did our grocery shopping, packed our group into one small car and headed North toward the Canyon on Friday afternoon.  The campsites vary in price, but ours was $18 per night, equipped with bathrooms, water, campfire, and picnic tables. We reserved in advance online. As we found, you can let them know ahead of time on the reservation if you plan on arriving later in the evening.

We scarfed down a few Cliff Bars on Saturday morning and drove to the shuttle pickup. It came at 6:15 about (it comes every 15 minutes or so during the day), and arrived at the South Kaibab trail head at 6:25. Apparently you can park there during the day, though, so the shuttle isn't necessary.

We filled up our water bottles (at least 4 Liters per person) at the trail head and lingered a bit. Another shuttle came shortly after, packed with regulars decked out in hiking/running gear. They all strode off the bus and passed us without a second glance. We were all suddenly motivated to get a move on.

 




The only difficult thing about the hike down was not stopping every couple switchbacks to take a scenic picture. Every view was impossibly beautiful--like a painted backdrop in the distance. But there were no water spouts on the South Kaibab trail, so we continued on down to the river. It took a little less than 3 hours.






 

At the bottom, we took off our shoes and stuck our feet in the cold water and mud. It was a beach with a colorful, rocky view. No swimming allowed, though. Then we decided it was worth the extra couple miles to visit Phantom Ranch. This is the normal camping spot for people who hike in and linger for a few days to take it all in. It is a breezy, highly shaded--highly commercialized--inlet. The lemonade was delicious (around $4 and worth it). Beautiful area. I was honestly thinking of taking a nap there when we decided to head out.

We went up the Bright Angel trail. The signs directing you there are very clear. This trail is very gradual and scenic for the first 4 miles or so. It shoulders a small but steady river that feeds into the Colorado. It was like hiking through a sparse rain forest; there was so much green and a steady drizzle of rain. This was my favorite part of the entire day. Once you hit Phantom Ranch, you have 4.5 miles of steeper incline up the edge of the rock. It's tough, but doable. The drizzle turned into a heavy rain storm with a touch of hail. A hint of advice in case you don't already know: always bring a compact rain jacket. They insulate, they keep dry, they are light, they are the perfect compliment for any trip outdoors.

We made it out by 4:30 and took the shuttle back to our cars--in and out in 10 hours.

Our backpacks (hip straps included) were full. They contained water, copious amounts of nuts, salts, proteins, apples, first aid supplies, sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, extra socks, and our rain jackets.

We had a big family dinner at our campsite, fun stories by a campfire, and made it to the Easter sunrise service the next morning. 

If you ever have the chance to spend a weekend at the Grand Canyon like this, do not hesitate.