I finally did it: I hiked the South Kaibab Trail rim to river to rim!  It’s been a dream for so many years that it’s hard to imagine that it’s now a memory, too.  And it was everything I hoped it would be and so much more.  The views, the bridges, the river, the amazing people we met along the way – I’d do it again in a heartbeat if I was in shape for it and it was the right time of year.  Yes, it was crazy hard (almost 6,000ft. elevation loss/gain in a day, anyone?), and yes, we planned like crazy for it (and even did some training before leaving home).  I’ll do another post with the logistics of hiking R2R, but for now, just enjoy hearing about the South Kaibab Trail in all its beauty!

I consider the South Kaibab Trail to be the most beautiful of the rim-to-river trails (though I haven’t hike them all – yet – I’ve done parts and entireties of the Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab Trail, North Kaibab Trail, and Lava Falls Route).  It’s also more exposed than most of the other trails, which often utilize canyons to descend at least to the rim of the Inner Canyon (Lava Falls not withstanding – a south-facing slope with no shade at all).

The South Kaibab Trail is popular with day hikers, who descend to Ooh Aah Point (2 miles RT), Cedar Ridge (3.2 miles RT), two views on either side of O’Neill Butte (4.0 and 5.2 miles RT), or Skeleton Point (6.4 miles RT).  A few really intrepid hikers go down the “Great Whites” (steep switchbacks made of light tan dirt) to the “Tipoff” where the Tonto Trail crosses the South Kaibab Trail near the rim of the Inner Canyon.  I did that about 10 years ago, when I took the Tonto Trail over to the Bright Angel Trail (which was a fantastic alternative to going all of the way to the river – it’s slightly shorter and has a whole lot less elevation gain).

Just remember – you’re not supposed to do the entire South Kaibab Trail in a day (like I did).  I trained like crazy for this and made sure I was super prepared – including being 100% ready to turn around if it wasn’t working the way we hoped.  But since I made it to the Colorado River at the same time that the rangers were heading up for the day, they couldn’t exactly complain too loudly!  I also was extremely well-prepared with food and water – and for the most part, I used it.  I should have drunk more water on the way down, but at least I brought plenty and did well on the way back up.

You’re best off if you take the very first shuttle to the South Kaibab Trailhead.  I wanted to start earlier than that (by 5:30am if possible), so my driver dropped us off at the beginning of the access road (no private vehicles are allowed up the road unless you have a backpacking permit for the trail).  It was a mile longer RT to walk in from here, but I felt it was worth it for the early start.

Besides as early a start as possible (an hour or two before sunrise is best), I highly recommend doing this in November, March, or April – whenever it’s cold out, but the trail doesn’t have snow (you can do it when it’s snow-covered, but you’ll need spikes for the first several switchbacks).  I hiked the second-to-last week of November while a cold snap was hitting the Southwest.

In terms of parking, there is a picnic area, but I this is mostly supposed to be for picnickers.  People used to park along the road (my driver did!), but while we were parked there, and while I was hiking, “no parking” signs went up.  (They didn’t ticket anyone; but I expect they began to do so within a day or two.)  There are also a couple of viewpoints/pulloffs where you could park, which would add about 1.4 miles to your hike (as in, 0.4 more RT than just walking up the access road).  So all that to say – be ready to hike further or take the first possible shuttle so you can get on the trail ASAP.

We began hiking up the access road right about 5:30am.  Our breath hung in the air around our headlamps bounding across the road – it was well below freezing, but we were dressed for the chill in case we didn’t make it back to the rim before dark and the cold set in again.  At 0.3 miles, we turned left on the spur road that would take us to the South Kaibab Trailhead (it is signed because backpackers can park at the trailhead).

The parking area was deserted, and there wasn’t a soul in sight of the lonely, buzzing streetlamp near the sign kiosk.  I took photos of the map in the light of our headlamps, and we plunged over the edge of the abyss.

The first mile down to Ooh Aah Point was a little surreal.  At first, there was nothing around us except the little we could see in the light of the headlamps – which was mostly stone retaining walls on one side and low stone walls on the other (there really isn’t that much between you and the edge) and the rock cliffs at the end of each switchback.

Then we came out into a slightly more open area, and we could see the stars.  Wow!  Oh, wow!!

First light came as we approached Ooh Aah Point.  I kept stopping after that for pictures.  The canyon pre-sunrise is a breath-holding kind of place.  I love it!

We passed by Cedar Ridge at almost 1.6 miles and continued down to the first O’Neill Butte viewpoint (which had lost its sign, so we didn’t know where we were) for sunrise.  As one of my hiking companions said, he’s always wanted to see sunrise from about this point in the canyon – and we finally did!  It was so worth it, too.

I love sunrise in the Grand Canyon from any angle, and this one was breathtaking.  The sun peering over the horizon.  The golden light turning the buttes and canyon walls reddish-gold.  The deep, dark shadows slowly lightening to make the dark places visible.  Amazing!!

The trail continues to descend down another 0.7 miles to the other side of O’Neill Butte and another viewpoint, then another half mile to Skeleton Point.  This is as far as the National Park Service recommends day hikers go, and it’s a great turn-around point.  For one thing, it’s the best view yet, and for another, right after this, the real switchbacks start.

The trail beyond Skeleton Point is definitely more rugged than before.  If you have time and energy, going down a few of the short switchbacks (before the ground turns to a dust so light that it’s almost white) will take you to even more amazing views.

And then we hit the Great Whites.  These are steep, never-ending switchbacks between Skeleton Point and the Tonto Trail.  They’re infamous for hikers on the way back up, because they’re hot, dry, exposed, and go on for what seems like forever.  On the way down, though, we were trying to make time.  “Slow down!” one of my group members panted behind me.  “You’re running!”  Well, er, yes, I was running.  And it felt amazing!  The views are also gorgeous the whole way down.  At the bottom of the Great Whites, the trail crosses the broad plain between the Outer and Inner Canyons.

Reach the Tonto Trail (on the left) at mile 4.3.  There is a lightning shelter near here; if you’re caught in a thunderstorm, it’s much safer to be in the shelter (which is properly grounded) than out where you might be the tallest thing around.  However, the shelter is more like a place where hikers rest and refuel (a group on their way up was making breakfast while we were on our way down).  Beyond the shelter (to the right down the East Tonto Trail) is a highly primitive restroom – but hey, I’ll take a restroom when I can get one!

All of us were super excited to drop over The Tipoff and into the Inner Canyon.  We all remembered getting this far on our trek 10 years earlier, but now we were in new territory.  To my surprise, the views continued to be excellent as we took more steep switchbacks (red, this time) down toward the Colorado River, which was rapidly coming closer.  Along the way, we saw some bighorn sheep.

Then it was down, down, down.  Those last switchbacks are crazy – so steep and sometimes cut right out of the rock in a snake-like curling, twisting pattern.  The Black Bridge was below us, which meant our goal was in sight.  At 6.75 miles, pass the River Trail on the left – I’ll get back to that trail later since it ended up being one of the most beautiful surprises of the day, but for now, stay right to continue down to the Black Bridge.

Just before the bridge, the trail goes through a tunnel.  You mean I get a tunnel and a big bridge?  How much excitement is that?!?

The suspension bridge was so cool, too.  For many years, this was the only crossing of the Colorado River for 754 miles – to the east, the closest crossing was Moab, Utah, and to the west, Needles, California.  Don’t worry – it’s very steady to cross, and the railings are so high that there’s no real fear of heights despite how high you are above the river.

We descended the far side of the bridge, and I looked at my watch: 8:03am.  Not bad!

We weren’t really sure what we wanted to do; our plans had been laid on the assumption that it would take much longer to descend to the river.  So we headed west toward Phantom Ranch.  Along the way, we saw the excavations of an ancient pueblo.

Near the pueblo is the beach where river rafters pull ashore so that the tourists can see the pueblo.  We went down long enough to dip our fingers in the water and take a few pictures.

The entire area beyond this was under serious construction, so most of it was blocked off, and the maze of trails was made a little crazier by most of them being closed.  It seems like they’re building some cabins for guests, but maybe that’s just my imagination.  We walked to where we could cross Bright Angel Creek, then ate a first lunch at a picnic table near the creek.

We didn’t feel we had time to hike all of the way to Phantom Ranch (which is a considerable distance up the North Kaibab Trail for being still in the bottom of the canyon).  Instead, we turned left toward the Bright Angel Trail and found – to our delight – both restrooms and a water spigot!  (We’d packed all the water we needed, but none of us were going to complain about refilling our bottles!)

From there, we found a social trail that would take us down to the Colorado River.  It’s a tradition that we stick our feet in the river when we’re at the bottom of a big canyon (for example, the Lava Falls Trail or the bottom of Black Canyon of the Gunnison).  So we all dutifully took off our shoes and boots, sat on rocks in a quiet bend off of the river, and dipped our toes into the water.  It was cold!

By this time, we were so close to the Silver Bridge (the bridge at the bottom of the Bright Angel Trail) that it seemed a pity not to go look at it.  All of my information said it was closed, so we’d have to retrace our steps.  But strangely, people seemed to keep coming from that direction.  Sure enough, the Silver Bridge (at mile 8.0) was open – and we walked across it!  Another bucket list item checked off!  (I’ve lost track of how many bucket list items I’d already done that day!)

Now on the south side of the river again, we certainly weren’t going to retrace our steps when there was a perfectly good trail (on the map, at least) that would take us up the south side of the river and back to the South Kaibab Trail.  This turned out to be a great decision.  The views along the “Cliff Trail” (as I call it – its official name is the River Trail) were amazing.

The trail seemed to be cut out of the cliff at times, which made the views even better.  It also rises fairly steeply, but if you think that you’d have to climb all that way up from the Black Bridge if you didn’t do it here, it’s not so bad.

Sure enough, at mile 9.5, we made it back to that little junction above Black Bridge on the South Kaibab Trail.  We turned right and hiked back up – and up – and up! – through the gorgeous afternoon views.

Was it easy?  No, hiking 6,000 vertical feet in an afternoon is never easy!  And add to that the fact that we’d already hiked those 9.5+ miles.  But we did it slow and sure, waiting for each other, hydrating, staying fueled, and finally retying one of my group member’s shoes since they were giving her a blister (and that was after she turned her leggings inside out because despite having worn them many times before, they had suddenly begun to chafe badly).  But the views helped to pass the time, and we met a few really neat people coming down who were happy for a five minute break to chat with us – mostly about either cameras (geeking out over each other’s gear, of course!) or the most remote trails we’ve ever done in the Grand Canyon (because what else would you talk about with a random stranger who’s hiked even more than you in this area?)

And then, between Cedar Ridge and Ooh Aah Point, we met our driver, hiking down to meet us.  That was a real treat!  And when we finally made it back up to the trailhead (at 5:10pm)  – well, that was cause for real celebration!  (So what did I convince everyone to do?  Ride the shuttle out to see the sunset from Yaki Point, of course!)

Round Trip Trail Length: 16.4 miles, including my loop at the bottom of the canyon – just going down to the Black Bridge and back would be 14 miles RT.

Elevation Gain: My software claims 8,501ft. – I expect it’s not quite that much, but you never know!  (For reference, AllTrails says 4,872ft. of gain to Phanom Ranch, and I certainly didn’t do twice that.  I’d say it’s in the general area of 5-6k ft. of elevation gain.) (7,163ft. to 2,424ft.)

Facilities: Primitive restrooms at Cedar Ridge and the Tipoff; real restrooms, seasonal water, and possible picnic tables below Phantom Ranch

Fees: $35/vehicle, valid 7 days.  America the Beautiful National Parks & Federal Lands Passes and Grand Canyon Annual Passes are accepted.

Trail Notes: Don’t try this hike between the months of May and September.  Use spikes if the trail is icy (trail conditions should be available online).  Make sure you’re more than prepared for this with plenty of food, water, and training – this is not even close to an easy hike, and you don’t want to become a statistic.  If you get a late start, or if time or energy is moving too quickly, it’s just fine to turn around and try again another year.  Remember to dress in layers, as it’s much cooler on the rim (and in the early morning/late evening) than along the Colorado River (and at midday).  I’ll do another post with the logistics of my hike.

Trail

Road

Signs

Scenery

Would I go 100 miles out of my way for this?

Overall Rating:

GPS Coordinates for the South Kaibab Trail

TH: 36.0529820°, -112.0839780° (36°03.17892′, -112°05.03868′ / 36°03’10.7352″, -112°05’02.3208″) (7,198ft.) (0.0)

Ooh Aah Point: 36.0615600°, -112.0870940° (36°03.69360′, -112°05.22564′ / 36°03’41.6160″, -112°05’13.5384″) (6,422ft.) (0.98)

Cedar Ridge: 36.0641330°, -112.0895270° (36°03.84798′, -112°05.37162′ / 36°03’50.8788″, -112°05’22.2972″) (6,075ft.) (1.57)

Viewpoint: 36.0682930°, -112.0908860° (36°04.09758′, -112°05.45316′ / 36°04’05.8548″, -112°05’27.1896″) (5,754ft.) (1.97)

McNeil Butte: 36.0753610°, -112.0922900° (36°04.52166′, -112°05.53740′ / 36°04’31.2996″, -112°05’32.2440″) (5,256ft.) (2.67)

Skeleton Point: 36.0812840°, -112.0900150° (36°04.87704′, -112°05.40090′ / 36°04’52.6224″, -112°05’24.0540″) (5,183ft.) (3.18)

Tonto West Junction: 36.0900300°, -112.0888670° (36°05.40180′, -112°05.33202′ / 36°05’24.1080″, -112°05’19.9212″) (4,018ft.) (4.83)

Tipoff shelter: 36.0905280°, -112.0888730° (36°05.43168′, -112°05.33238′ / 36°05’25.9008″, -112°05’19.9428″) (4,010ft.) (4.88)

River Trail Junction: 36.0994650°, -112.0890030° (36°05.96790′, -112°05.34018′ / 36°05’58.0740″, -112°05’20.4108″) (2,664ft.) (6.75)

Black Bridge: 36.1008190°, -112.0892560° (36°06.04914′, -112°05.35536′ / 36°06’02.9484″, -112°05’21.3216″) (2,423ft.) (7.03)

Pueblo: 36.1013430°, -112.0910160° (36°06.08058′, -112°05.46096′ / 36°06’04.8348″, -112°05’27.6576″) (2,470ft.) (7.21)

Phantom Ranch Junction: 36.1000220°, -112.0939930° (36°06.00132′, -112°05.63958′ / 36°06’00.0792″, -112°05’38.3748″) (2,470ft.) (7.60)

Silver Bridge: 36.0983730°, -112.0953840° (36°05.90238′, -112°05.72304′ / 36°05’54.1428″, -112°05’43.3824″) (2,449ft.) (8.04)

Bright Angel Trail Junction: 36.0970180°, -112.0957480° (36°05.82108′, -112°05.74488′ / 36°05’49.2648″, -112°05’44.6928″) (2,448ft.) (8.15)

South Kaibab Trail (Return to the River Trail Junction): 36.0997360°, -112.0889960° (36°05.98416′, -112°05.33976′ / 36°05’59.0496″, -112°05’20.3856″) (2,599ft.) (9.49)

End: 36.0529600°, -112.0840230° (36°03.17760′, -112°05.04138′ / 36°03’10.6560″, -112°05’02.4828″) (7,195ft.) (16.41)

The gpx file for the South Kaibab Trail (including my loop at the bottom) can be downloaded – please note that this and the GPS Coordinates are for reference only and should not be used as a sole resource when hiking this trail.

Download GPX File size: 290.8 KB Downloaded 9 times

(Note: I do my best to ensure that all downloads, the webpage, etc. are virus-free and accurate; however, I cannot be held responsible for any damage that might result, including but not limited to loss of data, damages to hardware, harm to users, from use of files, information, etc. from this website.  Thanks!)

Getting to the South Kaibab Trail Trailhead

From the South Entrance Station, drive north into Grand Canyon National Park.  After 4.1 miles, you can make a choice:

For the shuttle, go straight here another 0.4 miles.  Turn into the visitor center parking lot and pick up the shuttle out to Yaki Point.  The visitor center parking area’s coordinates are approx. 36.0588691°, -112.1065016°.

For parking yourself, turn right toward Desert View.  The road out to the South Kaibab Trailhead (and Yaki Point) is after 1.1 miles, but you only want to go 0.8 miles to the easterly of the pulloffs for Pipe Spring Vista (approx. 36.0473983°, -112.0915726°).  This pulloff is also 20.5 miles west of Desert View.

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