There is plenty of hiking to be done in the Grand Canyon and it is a great way to see different perspectives on the view, get some scenery all to yourself and to catch the bird life.
Hiking down into the canyon itself involves steep trails and a very strenuous return. It is not for the under-prepared or the unfit. Choose your hike according to your ability and if in doubt, have a chat with a Ranger who will be happy to advise you. If you intend on hiking into the Canyon bottom and back out, the Park service strongly recommend you do not try this as a day hike no mater how fit you are. You can arrange an overnight stop at Phantom Ranch. The NPS website has a load of useful information about hiking in the Grand Canyon and is well worth a look before you travel.
Grand Canyon Hiking – South Rim
Hikers on the Bright Angel Trail
1) The Rim Trail. There is plenty of opportunity for some easy hiking on the relatively flat, well maintained Rim Trail which stretches for 11 miles along the Canyon’s edge between Mather Point and Hermit’s Rest. You can alternate walking with hopping on and off the free shuttle bus so you can cover as much or as little of the trail as you please without having to retrace your steps.
2) The Bright Angel Trail. This is the trail used by the mule trips but is also popular with hikers. It is nearly 8 miles with a 4460 feet elevation change to get down to the bottom of the Canyon. You can hike part way down just to get a flavour of the hike.
3) The South Kaibab Trail. This trail is 4,860 feet, 6.3 miles to the Canyon bottom. It is very steep. Rangers recommend hiking down this trail and back up the Bright Angel trail if you intend to go all the way to the bottom. A nice day hike is to hike the 1,140 feet, 3 miles down to Cedar Ridge.
Grand Canyon Hiking – North Rim
North Kaibab Trail. This trail is 14.2 miles from the rim to the Colorado river with a 5,850 feet descent. If you are looking for a day hike the 1.7 miles to Supai Tunnel is a nice trip involving a 1,1441 feet elevation change, or the 4.7 miles to Roaring Spring with a 3,021 feet elevation change if you fancy something more strenuous.
It is possible to hike down to Phantom Ranch and back up onto the South Rim, or vice versa without having to retrace your steps. The Trans-Canyon Shuttle provides bus transportation between the North and South Rims.
Grand Canyon Mule Rides
A mule ride ascending the Bright Angel Trail
Mule trips are a good alternative if you want to see more of the Grand Canyon, but are concerned about hiking. You can take a mule trip from both the North and the South Rim, but only those departing from the South Rim go to the Canyon bottom.
From the South Rim you can do a 3 mile mule ride along the rim of the Canyon, or an overnight ride to the Canyon bottom and back out. There is an overnight stay at Phantom Ranch. For more information and for reservations go to the Grand Canyon Lodges website.
Please note the mule rides to the Canyon floor get booked up months and months in advance, if this is a key part of your trip, check availability before you book anything else. You also need to think about whether you can cope with around 5.5 hours down and 6.5 hours back up on a mule.
There are 3 different options for mule rides from the North Rim. There is a one hour trip along the canyon rim and 2 different half day trips, one of which descends part way into the canyon down the North Kaibab Trail. For more information and reservations, go to the Canyon Trail Rides website.