What is the shortest hike to the bottom of the Grand Canyon?
The South Kaibab Trail is the shortest route to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, about six miles from the South Rim to Phantom Ranch.
People Also Ask
The Bottom LineMaking your way to and from the bottom of the canyon isn't a cake walk but it is absolutely possible to get to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in one day. With a little effort, courage, and preparedness, you can smoothly make the trip!
There are three ways to reach the canyon floor. You can do it by foot, following the many inner-canyon trails including the popular Kaibab or Bright Angel trails from the South Rim (note that Kaibab has a North Rim trailhead as well).
Nearly five million people visit the canyon annually, but as we later learned, only about one percent of them hike all the way to the bottom, as we planned to do. Our chosen route was the South Kaibab trail. Created in the 1920s, the trail winds down 7.1 miles to our destination – Phantom Ranch – at the bottom.
Nearly five million people visit the canyon annually, but as we later learned, only about one percent of them hike all the way to the bottom, as we planned to do. Our chosen route was the South Kaibab trail. Created in the 1920s, the trail winds down 7.1 miles to our destination – Phantom Ranch – at the bottom.
With just one day at the Grand Canyon South Rim, you can see several viewpoints and even hike into the canyon. Unless you want a super relaxed Grand Canyon vacation on the rim or an adventurous rafting trip down below, one to three days at the Grand Canyon is usually enough time for the highlights.
Nestled at the Bottom of Grand CanyonPhantom Ranch is the only lodging below the canyon rim, and can only be reached by mule, on foot, or by rafting the Colorado River. Have questions about the lottery process? Click here for the lottery schedule, additional information and/or FAQs regarding the Phantom Ranch Lottery.
Permits for all overnight backcountry use must be obtained through the Backcountry Information Center at Grand Canyon National Park. A permit is not required for day hiking or day horseback riding in the canyon. Livestock use is limited to Corridor Trails only.
Staying OvernightOvernight hiker dormitories and cabins can be reserved and meals are available for purchase. Advance reservations for meals and lodging at Phantom Ranch are required. Reservations are made through Xanterra via an on-line lottery 15 months in advance.
Considered the premiere hike in the Grand Canyon, the Bright Angel Trail to Indian Garden is one of the most popular in the park. This 8.8 mile, 2,080 feet elevation gain out-and-back takes you past 2 billion years of geology and rock towers made of layers of red, rust, rose, and white.
Roughly 5.5 million tourists visit the Grand Canyon each year, but few realise that this vast abyss is home to a tiny village hidden 3,000ft in its depths: Supai, Arizona.
Nine miles below the South Rim lies Phantom Ranch, a historic oasis at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. There are no roads to the bottom of the canyon. The only way to get there is on foot, river raft, or the Grand Canyon mules.