First cross an unnamed drainage and swing south past Burro Spring. Phantom Ranch sits 0.3 miles beyond Bright Angel Campground. The views are completely different, but made for a long 14 mile hike. South Kaibab, Tonto and Bright Angel Trail is a 12.4 mile heavily trafficked point-to-point trail located near Grand Canyon, Arizona that features beautiful wild flowers and is only recommended for very experienced adventurers. This 26-mile section of the Tonto Trail is bookended by Grandview Trail to the east and Bright Angel Trail to the west. Even the fittest hikers have experienced medical problems (even death) during these conditions! Wind behind 6,071-foot O’Neill Butte (3) and drop 300 feet to the saddle below 5,210-foot Skeleton Point (4), where you’ll hear the sound of the Colorado River flowing a half-mile below. Grand Canyon National Park. Counterclockwise (descending the AZT - Passage 38 - South Kaibab trail and ascending the Bright Angel Trail) is the NPS's recommended direction of travel. Create a personalized feed and bookmark your favorites. South Kaibab to the North Rim (“Rim to Rim”) Join me as I spend the day hiking in the Grand Canyon deviating a bit from the standard route! The hike down South Kaibab Trail typically takes 4-6 hours. Back on track, trend northwest over the plateau and savor the hike’s best stretch: sublime, private vistas that stretch from the deep maw of Bright Angel Canyon in the east to the fin-shaped Isis Temple hovering in the west. An ambitious day hike and one that I recommend heartily is to go down the South Kaibab Trail, then west along the Tonto Trail to Indian Garden and up the Bright Angel. Started early at 8am hiking down South Kaibab Trail, then took Tonto trail as a connector trial to Bright Angel Trail which we … The Bright Angel Trail has water filling stations about every 1.5 miles, but these are shut off in the winter time. Though the South Kaibab Trail has an almost identical maximum grade compared to the Bright Angel, it is more consistently sloped but does not have water or shade. The trek along the Tonto Trail between the Grandview and South Kaibab Trails offers experienced backpackers an excellent introduction to the magic of the Grand Canyon, with magnificent sweeping views, quiet desert streams, and a chance for solitude in a most wild and beautiful place. Fill bottles at the trailhead; it’s the only reliable water until mile 8.7. The trail is primarily used for hiking, nature trips, and bird watching and is accessible year-round. Pass informally named Ooh Aah Point at the .8-mile mark and scan northeast across the canyon to Zoroaster Temple, as morning light bathes the iconic, eroded spire. The South Kaibab to Bright Angel Loop backpacking trip is among the most popular Grand Canyon hikes. Hike back out to the rim by first hiking the Tonto Trail from Horn Creek to the junction of the Bright Angel Trail at Indian Garden. It is a good day hike for those in proper condition. 13.9 miles +/- 3500' ERM of 28. Access member exclusive content + more benefits →, Access member exclusive content + more benefits →, Two Blind Veterans Tackle the Americas’ Highest Peak, Living in the Present on a Hike Up Mauna Loa, Hike America: 10 Trips to Check Off Your Bucket List in 2021, National Scenic Trails: The Best 50 Miles, 10 Trails That Will Make You Fall in Love With the Desert. Trip ID 1977215BUY THE PRO MAP. After nearly twelve hours of hiking, reach the rim (10) and head for steaks at Bright Angel Lodge. One of the longest trails near the South Rim by far, the Tonto Trail is an incredible 70 miles long, so be prepared for an extremely long hike. Expect little shade on the South Kaibab portion and no shade on the Tonto. It's 6.9 miles down the South Kaibab to Bright Angel Campground, just beyond the Colorado River, and 9.3 miles back up along Bright Angel. This was a very ambitious day-hike indeed but I figured if we could do this we could do just about anything. The climb out of the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail ascends 4,380 feet in 9.5 miles. You do not get the panoramic type of views on the Hermit Trail that you see on the South Kaibab Trial or the Bright Angel Trail but the Hermit Trail is definitely worth doing and the Tonto Trail has lots of panoramic views. World Element : 0 … Park car at BIC, take NPS Hiker Express bus to South Kaibab (SK) TH. Begin at dawn, descending on the South Kaibab Trail (1). Culture photos near Tonto Trail: South Kaibab to Bright Angel. The South Kaibab-Tonto Trail-Bright Angel Trail loop does not go to the Colorado River, but is a fantastic day hike that has a little bit of everything: huge views, views of Phantom Ranch and the Colorado River, solitude on the Tonto Trail, and shade and water at Indian Garden. Reach Pipe Spring (6) at mile 6.4 and sidehike downcanyon to a pourover, where you can spot Puebloan ruins across the river. Grave - Unidentified : 0-2 miles away: River Trail - Grand Canyon. Set up camp just a hundred feet from the cliff's edge with panoramic views of the Colorado River. The South Kaibab and Tonto trails do not have water filling stations, meaning your water supply needs to last you at least 9-10 miles. However, it is a demanding hike because of the lack of shade from the South Kaibab trailhead to Indian Gardens. From PHX (I-10 & AZ-51) 235 mi - about 3 hours 42 mins, From TUC (Jct 1-10 & Grant) 340 mi - about 5 hours 12 mins, From FLG (Jct I-17 & I-40) 88.1 mi - about 1 hour 33 mins, Tonto Trail: South Kaibab to Bright Angel. In comparison to the South Kaibab route, Bright Angel offers a more gradual climb, more shade, and most importantly, several potable water spigots. Tonto crosses the South Bass Trail, Boucher Trail, Hermit Trail, Monument Trail, Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab Trail and ends at the New Hance Trail. New to the Big Ditch and want to pack a weekend of adventure into one day? … Continue switchbacking through Coconino Sandstone and head north along Cedar Ridge (2) through the Supai Group’s blood-red shale. Expect little shade on the South Kaibab portion and no shade on the Tonto. The trek along the Tonto Trail from Cottonwood Creek to its junction with the South Kaibab Trail at The Tipoff was wonderful. Hike down South Kaibab, across the plateau on the Tonto Trail, connect to Bright Angel at Indian Garden and return to the south rim. Kayenta Anasazi Kiva : 0-5 miles away: Utah Flats Route. Of course this could simply be because it was my last solo hike. Two trails cross or join the Bright Angel Trail, the first being an intersection with the Tonto Trail at Indian Garden, leading toward the Monument Use Area to the west, and to the South Kaibab Trail 4.7 miles (7.6 km) to the east. South Kaibab Trail. The North Kaibab Trail is the only option on the north rim, but you can choose between the Bright Angel or South Kaibab trails or a collection of lesser-known paths on the south side. Your walk up Bright Angel dumps you back to your room or campsite. 3. December 13, 2012 Annette McGivney and Andrew Matranga New to the Big Ditch and want to pack a weekend of adventure into one day? The latest gear, trips, stories, and more, beamed to your inbox every week. It is a good day hike for those in proper condition. Hiker Shuttle leaves the Bright Angel Lodge bus stop daily, dropping you at the South Kaibab trailhead. However, I choose to hike the trail from the South Kaibab Trail to the Bright Angel Trail (about a 4.4 mile (7 km) section of the Tonto Trail and a 13.1-mile (21 km) RT loop). South Kaibab-Tonto-Bright Angel Trails; Grand Canyon, South Rim. This trail is the daily descent route for passenger mules, so once again, encounters on the trail are likely. Note: The Tonto Trail actually transverses most of the canyon. Hike SK to Tonto, West on Tonto to Bright Angel (BA) Trail, up BA to Indian Garden for water and lunch. Depending on the time of year, it's possible to be the only group camping here. South Kaibab Trailhead: elevation 7,260 feet (2,213 m) Elevation Change . Hiking the South Kaibab and Bright Angel Trail Overview of the Hike This information is for the hike on the South Kaibab Trail to Bright Angel Campground to the Bright Angel Trail. Pace yourself on Jacob’s Ladder, a set steep switchbacks rising through the Redwall Formation between 1.5-Mile and 3-Mile Resthouses (9). Brace yourself for the 1,000-foot, switchback-laden descent to the junction with the Tonto Trail, where you’ll turn left (5) and head southwest for a 4.1-mile traverse over the coarse sandstone and piñon scrub of the Tonto plateau. But the Tonto Trail is one of the few that traverses the canyon lengthwise, snaking in and out of drainages for 95 miles on a mostly level bench called the Tonto Platform. The trail begins with a series of tight switchbacks. In the early 1900's Cameron had the ingenuity to employ a mining claim to turn the trail into his own personal toll road. Counterclockwise (descending the AZT - Passage 38 - South Kaibab trail and ascending the Bright Angel Trail) is the NPS's recommended direction of travel. Grand Canyon National Park: South Kaibab-Tonto-Bright Angel Trail. Grand Canyon National Park: South Kaibab-Tonto-Bright Angel Trail Start early for sunrise in the canyon and crowd-free hiking on this 13.4-miler that descends to the gorge's mezzanine level.