Grand Canyon: Hiking

Welcome to my second of 4 blog posts where I discuss my November 2024 trip to Grand Canyon National Park. My first post I focused on basics such as lodging, food, and transportation. Today I am going to be discussing some of the trails we researched and visited. First if you are considering a hike I recommend you stop by the visitor's center. You can not only talk to someone, they have these great boards (below) that break down the various trails and points. They note each point with a difficulty level, how long it will take, and how much in provisions you should take with you on the hike.

If you want to go to the bottom, it is strongly recommended that you do not attempt to go to the bottom and back in one day. People have died attempting this, especially in the summer months. All of these hikes, especially if its hot when you visit, should be taken seriously. There is little to no shade and the dessert will dry you out quickly. The most common cause of deaths are from dehydration, overhydration (yes you can drink too much), and cardiac episodes.

I have read some blog posts of people who have done the down and back in one day. However, most had trained, planned, and it took them a good 12-16 hours to do it. No matter what trail you decide to do, please exercise caution. The desert is no joke, especially to those us from regions that are not used to this climate. We visited in November when the highs reached like mid-50's but temperature changes are common; we noticed it as we did start to hike down some of the trails. The further in you go, the warmer it gets. Layers were my friend! Finally, this is a good rule of thumb the park staff will tell you: expect to spend twice as long coming back up a trail as it does to go down it.

Here are the three trails I want to discuss today because they are the most popular and the ones we looked into. Reminder our trip was to the south rim, so all these are located in that part of the park.

Rim Trail

This 13 mile trail is one that is for everyone. It is the trail that goes across the top of the rim. Its paved and handicap accessible. Its easily accessible from the visitor center and you can walk as much of it as you want. We didn't do the whole thing. We actually took the shuttle from our hotel, Kachina Lodge, to the visitor center. Then we walked the trail a few miles from there back to our hotel. You could easily do the opposite if you are parked at the visitor center by utilizing the shuttle. The trail offers many chances to stop and just admire the view. The section of the trail we took as well, had something called the Trail of Time. It talks about the geology of the rock formations and the rock layers of the canyon you see along the path.

South Kaibab Trail

This is a trail you can take to the bottom but offers some stops and view points along the way. Hiking a little or as much of this trail, is a good option to see some differences in the rock layers as you descend. One of the most popular destinations just shy of a mile in, is Ooh Aah Point. It was listed as moderate on that board at the visitor center. The point is thusly named because of people saying, "Ooh Aah," when they reach this point. A lot of people hike to this point, relax for a while and head back up. Just know there isn't a huge area to rest there, and you may need to wait a little bit to get your photo. We did stop but opted to go to the next stop on the trail about another half a mile down, Cedar Ridge.

Cedar Ridge is a a more open flat, area that even has a restroom you can utilize. We rested here for a while and enjoyed a snack before heading back up. Honestly part of me wishes we had just turned around at Ooh Aah Point. Granted I wasn't feeling 100% that day, but the hike up from Cedar Ridge to reach Ooh Aah again was a little challenging. We took our time, but not sure the view at Cedar Ridge was anything much better than Ooh Aah, that it was worth the extra time and energy. That is a decision you will have to consider for yourself. The board did warn us going to that point from Ooh Aah goes from a moderate hike to difficult in ranking!

The mules that go down to the bottom and back up also use this trail. You may encounter them like we did; which was super cool to see. Don't worry, there are plenty of areas you can get off to the side and stand to watch them pass. Be warned though you will encounter their waste on this trail. Luckily they basically eat hay, so its not as bad as you may think.

*Watching the mules pass us by on the trail*

Finally I want to mention to access this trail, you will need to take a free shuttle from the visitor center. There is no parking near the trail head.

Bright Angel Trail

The last trail I want to discuss is Bring Angel Trail and sadly this is not one we did. It was on our list to do, and was right by our hotel. We did see the trail head as its hard to miss and looked down it. From what I understand its not as steep as South Kaibab, but like South Kaibab, it has plenty of good turning around points for those not going to the bottom. Our initial plan was to go to the Mile-and-a-Half Resthouse. This point in the trail was labeled as moderate and I had heard this is a great hike to do.

Alas, we did not do it. In our defense it was at the end of our trip. We had just spent several days exploring various places in Sedona, Page, and did the other 2 trails the day before. While part of me regrets skipping it now, I do think it would have been dangerous. I was still on the upswing from a stomach bug and as I said before, the desert is no joke. Even in colder temperatures, you need to take it seriously. I did still want to bring this trail up as I think its one to consider should you want to get a good hike in on your visit; and first on our list should we ever revisit.

This was taken from sunset on the rim trail but you can see some of the Bright Angel trail path lines towards the bottom.

This is also a trail that goes to the bottom. Those that I read who have done the arduous task of down and back in a day (still don't recommend), will take the South Kaibab Trail down and this one back up.

Items for your Hike

Here is a list of items I recommend investing in or taking with should you be considering these hikes.

Drinks, obviously and not just a small bottle of water. My husband and I each had our Yeti's filled with water and a back up drink. Besides water, having something like Gatorade, Propel, or Liquid IV is a good idea. You will need the electrolytes.
Food and snack. We had energy bars and trail mix for our hike, as we ate breakfast earlier, but sandwiches are a good idea too.
Sun hat. Seriously the best thing I purchased on this trip was in Sedona before we got here. It was a hat from a shop and the brand is Tilley. It wasn't cheap but comes with a lifetime guarantee and was a lifesaver on this trip. My husband bought one as well and loves it. No, not being sponsored to say this. The hat is great and folds up easily for travel. Trust me you want something to help block out the sun from your head and make sure its comes with straps to secure it. The wind here could easily take it away. That is one feature we loved on our hats; those suckers don't budge and we were in 50 mph wind gusts the one day.
Cell phone cable with portable charger. Reception was hit or miss on the trail but I do believe in having a charger for back up just in case for any emergency situation is important.
Clothing layers. Again the temperature swing here can vary. The temperature tends to get warmer the further you head down the trail, so layers that you can adjust what your wearing help.
Hiking poles. If you have them and can easily pack them in your suitcase you may want to bring them.
Good hiking shoes or boots. The terrain is dirt and rock. Slipping and having an accident could easily happen if you are not in the proper shoes. Last time in Arizona, I did a hike in running shoes in Phoenix and those shoes do not have the grip as a good pair of hiking boots.

Here are a few of the items I mentioned that I may take with me on a hike.