When planning a hiking trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, there is one piece of advice you will read over and over again: do not attempt to hike to the Colorado River and back in one day. Well… sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
In all seriousness, hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back in one day is not a decision that should be undertaken lightly. This is an extremely strenuous hike, made worse by the fact that you walk downhill first, and back uphill when you are already tired. Other factors to consider are the elevation and the extreme heat. A park ranger told us they have to airlift people out of the canyon every day who underestimate how difficult this hike is. Don’t be stupid. Don’t make bad decisions. But if, like us, you are used to hiking at elevation, used to hiking in heat, and are prepared with the right gear, water, and snacks, it is possible to hike all the way to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back in one day. Here’s a roundup of our experience!
Getting There
We drove to the Grand Canyon from our home in Albuquerque, which took around six hours. We left on a Friday morning, and arrived just in time to enjoy a beautiful sunset along the rim.
We walked from Powell Point to Mohave Point, enjoying incredible views every step of the way. (I’m not counting this as part of our one-day Grand Canyon hike, but it is a great alternative walk if you want something less difficult.) While Ben had visited before, this was my first time seeing the Grand Canyon, and I was absolutely awed by its majesty and, well, grandness.
Because we were travelling over a holiday weekend (and because it generally books up months in advance) we were not able to get accommodation inside Grand Canyon National Park. Instead, we booked a very cool glamping experience on Airbnb, in which we stayed in a clear dome about 40 minutes outside the park. The stargazing was insane! I wish we had been able to enjoy this Airbnb more, but unfortunately, we had to go to bed very early because our wake-up call for the big hike was at 3:30A.M.
The Trail
We got up very, very early to drive to the national park and take the very first shuttle bus (called the hiker’s express) to the start of the South Kaibab Trailhead. We were visiting in September, which, while not the hottest part of the year, is still hot enough, and we wanted to get on the trail as early as possible to avoid the heat of the day.
There are two trails that go from the South Rim to the Colorado River: The South Kaibab Trail and the Bright Angel Trail. For hikers like us, attempting to do the whole thing in one day, the most common route is down South Kaibab and back up Bright Angel. I recommend this for a couple reasons. The South Kaibab is shorter, but steeper, so by doing this route, you get down more quickly, and hike back up along an easier, less strenuous trail. There are also more water stations along Bright Angel, so you have more opportunities to rehydrate and refill your water bottles if you drink more water than you expect (which you will). Altogether, it was about 16.5 miles.
Going Down
We got to the South Kaibab Trailhead when it was still dark, and hiked our first mile before the sun came up. We enjoyed a breathtaking sunrise from “Ooh Ahh” Point, and more amazing views from Skeleton Point further on. I was feeling a bit overconfident on our hike down. It was so beautiful I forgot to be tired! Plus the temperature was still cool, and walking downhill is easy.
We went down some pretty steep switchbacks until we arrived at the Colorado River. The downhill portion along the South Kaibab Trail was about 6.5 miles. If we needed to, we could have crossed the bridge to Phantom Ranch to refill our water, but we still had plenty, so we just kept on trekking. There is a 2-mile, flat trail that connects the South Kaibab and the Bright Angel trails, and before we knew it, it was time to start climbing.
Going Up
The first few miles going back up the Bright Angel were not too bad. There was still a decent amount of shade, and the scenery is lovely. It’s incredible how different the canyon looks depending on where you are on the trail. But after a couple more hours of walking, the intensity of the hike started to get to me. We also kept almost getting run over by donkeys! Thankfully, we had plenty of snacks, and my energy kind of came and went in waves for the last four or so miles. We refilled all our water bottles at Indian Garden Campground, so running out of water was not an issue.
The last mile of the trail involved some steep switchbacks, and my poor feet were hurting pretty bad by that point, and it was getting hot. The higher we went, the less shade there was, but finally, we made it! I have rarely felt so accomplished as when I finally stumbled back into Grand Canyon Village after about seven hours on the trail.
Also, I don’t have any pictures from the second half of the hike because I was simply too tired to pull the camera out.
Overall Impressions
So, this hike is hard! Like really hard. If you are reading this because you are wondering if you should attempt to hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back in one day, think very, very carefully before embarking on this challenge. However, if you are an experienced hiker who knows what pace is reasonable, how much water you will need, and how much gear you will need, it is an incredibly rewarding experience.
The Grand Canyon is a wonder of nature, and I had never seen it before this trip. Getting to enjoy the different viewpoints along the trail really was awe-inspiring, and definitely worth the effort!
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